Tzavta #36

NIGEL SHAWN WILLIAMS

Nigel Shawn Williams is the former Co-Artistic Director of Factory Theatre. He is a four-time Dora Mavor Moore Award winner as an actor and director, with numerous nominations for MECCA and Betty Mitchell Awards. His theatre credits as an actor include six seasons at the Stratford and four seasons at the Shaw Festivals, as well as performing in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. His theatre career spans over 25 years as an artist, including the Canadian premieres of: Six Degrees of Separation, Angels in America, Harlem Duet, Two Words for Snow, Belle, Race, Topdog/Underdog, among others.  As a director his productions have garnered critical and artistic success, collaborating with theatre companies across Canada, such as, To Kill a Mockingbird  (Stratford Festival), The Invisible Hand  (Theatre Aquarius), Merchant of Venice (Bard on the Beach), The Mountaintop, Art (Grand Theatre), Brothel # 9 (Factory Theatre), The Monument (Obsidian Theatre). Nigel is also heavily active in new play development and has helped develop over 40 new plays in Canada, either working as an actor, director or a dramaturge.  He is also an educator, having taught at York University, University of Windsor, and the National Theatre School of Canada.  

When not in the theatre, Nigel can be seen on screen in productions such as; Brown Girl Begins, Suits, Heroes Reborn, John Q, The Jane Show, and The Famous Jett Jackson among others.

SHARANPAL RUPRAI- Moderator

Sharanpal Ruprai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Winnipeg. Ruprai’s début poetry collection, Seva, was a finalist for the Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry by the Alberta Literary Awards. Her poetry is featured in a number of anthologies: GUSH: Menstrual Manifestos for Our Time, The Calgary Renaissance, Red Silk: An Anthology of South Asian Canadian Women Poets, and Exposed. Pressure Cooker Love Bomb is her second collection of poetry.

Sharanpal's residency runs from September 1, 2019–June 30, 2020.