Albert Hamilton Schultz ( ; born July 30, 1963) is a former Canadian actor, director and the founding artistic director of Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company. He resigned his position with Soulpepper after sexual allegations against Schultz became public in January 2018.
Education
Albert Hamilton Schultz was born in Port Hope, Ontario, on July 30, 1963. He is the son of Virginia and Peter Schultz, the publisher of the Port Hope Evening Guide. He has an older brother (Henry) and sister (Amanda). Schultz studied drama at Toronto's York University from 1981 to 1982, and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1984 to 1985. and from Bishop's University in 2009, which has since been rescinded.
Theatre
His theatre career as an actor includes several roles at the Stratford Festival, including Romeo in Robin Phillips' production of Romeo and Juliet, No Man's Land, A Chorus of Disapproval, The Time of Your Life, Angels in America, Parts I and II,
Awards
Schultz is the recipient of several awards, including: a Gemini Award, several Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Toronto Critics Awards, the Joan Chalmers National Award for Artistic Direction, In May 2014, Schultz received the National Arts Centre Award, a companion award of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, recognizing work of an extraordinary nature and significance in the performing arts in the past performance year.
Sexual misconduct allegations
In January 2018, Schultz was publicly accused of sexual misconduct by four professional actresses who worked with him at Soulpepper Theatre Company. The women involved are Kristin Booth, Diana Bentley, Hannah Miller and Patricia Fagan. Lawsuits on their behalf were filed against both Schultz and Soulpepper. Schultz resigned his position as artistic director on January 4, 2018, saying: "While I will continue to vigorously defend myself against the allegations that are being made, I have made this decision in the interest of the future of the company into which I poured the last 20 years of my life, and in the interest of the aspirations of the artists and administrators of the company."
On August 1, 2018, representatives of Schultz, Soulpepper and the four female cast members stated that the law suits were settled. No details were released publicly.
Ann-Marie MacDonald has spoken of her time as a Soulpepper production's equity deputy, when she complained about a fundraising event where dinners with female cast members were auctioned off.