Shaw Looks For a Rebound Season

Between the SARS virus, the blackout that left a good chunk of Ontario in the dark for an entire weekend, and the American invasion of Iraq, 2003 was not a good year for the Shaw Festival and its first-year director, Jackie Maxwell. “Tourists stayed away in droves and the end result was a deficit of $3 million, of which $2.5 million was attributable to falling attendances.” The Shaw will look to rebound this summer, and Maxwell is looking to put her stamp on the festival’s artistic image after a tumultuous first year on the job.