Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Loses $375K Federal Funding Following Harassment Allegations

The CBC reports that the Canada Council for the Arts has voted to withhold a planned $375K increase in federal funding from Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre following allegations of sexual harassment by four actresses against artistic director Albert Schultz.

"It's very important to the Canada Council, as a public arts funder, that the organizations we fund provide a work environment that's free of harassment, sexual misconduct or abuse of power," a statement from the council notes.

Soulepper will still receive the same level of funding it received from the council last year.

Read the full CBC report here.

BroadwayWorld previously reported that actors Patricia Fagan, Kristin Booth, Diana Bentley and Hannah Miller have filed two lawsuits, one seeking $3.5 million from Schultz and another for $4.25 million from Soulpepper.

The actresses alleged that Schultz exposed himself backstage, at a work function, and that he groped actresses during rehearsals and on stage.

Following the allegations, Schultz resigned as the artistic director.

Schultz, a Dora Award winner for his direction of "Of Human Bondage," is the company's founding artistic director. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada.

This past summer, Soulpepper had a month-long off-Broadway residency at Pershing Square Signature Center where they presented 12 different new works (including the highly acclaimed "Spoon River"), in addition to numerous other events and cabarets.

Located in its multi-venue home the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto's Distillery Historic District, Soulpepper is Toronto's largest not-for-profit theatre company.

Photo: Albert Schultz / BWW