James MacDonald was born in Montreal, and raised in Edmonton. After graduating with honours from Strathcona High School in Edmonton, he studied history at the University of Alberta, before transferring to the BFA Acting Program. Since graduating from the U of A, he has spent 25 years working across Canada as a director, actor, and educator.
At WCT, James has directed Jesus Christ Superstar, Shrek, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, The Drowning Girls, Vimy, GLORY, A Christmas Carol, Million Dollar Quartet and more. Elsewhere, James has directed for many of Canada’s major theatres, including the Stratford Festival (Julius Caesar), the Shaw Festival (The Old Ladies), Canadian Stage (Fire, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It), the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, A Few Good Men) and 14 productions at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Venus in Fur, Clybourne Park, God of Carnage, Billy Bishop Goes to War, and Stones in his Pockets. As an actor he has performed across the country, from Victoria to Halifax. From 2011 – 2015, he played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Citadel Theatre’s acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol.
James has been involved in the development of over 30 new Canadian plays, including directing the world premieres of Miss Shakespeare (Musical TheatreWorks – Jessie Award for Outstanding Production), Vimy (Citadel Theatre – Sterling Award for Outstanding Production), With a Twist (Lunchbox Theatre – Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Production), and The Myth of Summer (Alberta Theatre Projects). He also served as dramaturge for the Firehall Arts Centre production of Chelsea Hotel, which has toured across Canada for the past three years.
James was the founding artistic director of Edmonton’s Freewill Shakespeare Festival, a position he held for five years, from 1996-2001. While at Freewill, he directed seven productions, including King Lear, Macbeth, and The Winter’s Tale. He also performed for the company for several years, including the title roles in Henry V and Macbeth.
From 2010 to 2016, he was the Program Director of the Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program, and an Artistic Associate at the Citadel Theatre. Prior to that, from 2006 to 2010, he was the Associate Artistic Director at the Citadel, where he oversaw programs in play development, education, and audience outreach.
As a director and actor, he is the recipient of five Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards and a Dora Mavor Moore Award. He has also been inducted into the Wall of Fame at his alma mater, Strathcona High School in Edmonton.
James formed deep ties to the community. He sat on the board of Tourism Kamloops, and he was instrumental in advocating for the future Kamloops Centre for the Performing Arts. In the 2024/25 Season, James returned to the stage to perform in WCT's The Woman in Black.