JP THIBODEAU

An award-winning actor, designer and director, JP has been both on and off the stage all over the world. He is currently the Artistic Director for StoryBook Theatre, which under his leadership, has grown to be Canada's largest volunteer-driven Theatre for Young Audiences. He works closely with playwright and composer Joe Slabe to create many world premiere musicals, including Lest We Forget (Lunchbox Theatre), Urban Jungle Book (2017 Tom Hendry Award Shortlisted New Musical), Twas the Night Before Christmas (StoryBook Theatre) and the multi-award winning productions of Touch Me: songs for a disconnected age (Theatre Calgary) and Naughty But Nice 1 to 7 (Forte Musical Theatre). Most recently, JP worked with Queen as the director of the all-Canadian North American tour of their musical We Will Rock You (Annerin Productions).

 

Over his career, JP has directed musicals of all sizes and has been a driving force in the fostering and development of emerging musical theatre artists in Calgary and across the country. He is the recipient of the Greg Bond Memorial Award for his outstanding contribution to Musical Theatre, a two-time shortlisted nominee of the Rozsa Award, multiple Critter Awards and several Betty Mitchell Award Nominations.

 

Credits both on and off the stage include: Crossing Swords (Forté), As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet (The Shakespeare Co.), Reasons to Be Happy (Ground Zero), Annie Davidson, The Magic Flute (Cowtown Opera), Legally Blonde, Young Frankenstein (Stage West), Epiphany, Dads In Bondage, If I Weren't With You (Lunchbox Theatre), The Last 5 Years, Avenue Q, Mary Poppings, The Little Mermaid (StoryBook Theatre), Sweeney Todd, Filumena, Dead Man Walking (Calgary Opera).

 

JP holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts and Drama in Education, and although plenty of his life is spent living and breathing theatre, he always makes time for his incredible wife Tara and their sons, Evan Xander and Isaac Tanner; they make the endless hours and demands of theatre worthwhile.