Biography

Michael Wheeler is an Assistant Professor in Acting and Directing with Emerging Technologies.

Michael is a director, researcher, producer, and arts curator with more than two decades of experience in Canadian performance. He is Co-Principal Investigator on several research creation projects ranging from emerging tech and collective behaviour (Creative Collectivities, Co-PI Dr. Laura Levin), immersive practices and their affect/effect (Meta Physical Theatre, Co-PI Dr. Matthew Pan), and neural signals and robotics (Neuro Robotic Performance, Co-PIs Dr. Gunnar Blohm and Dr. Matthew Pan). His most-recent research project was as Co-PI with Dr. Laura Levin on You Should Have Stayed Home, a live performance he previously directed for the stage adapted to virtual reality for live performance.

He is Director of Artistic Research at SpiderWebShow (SWS), Canada’s first live digital performance company. SWS has numerous creations, publications, and activities related to emerging technologies, including The Festival of Live Digital Art (FOLDA), which brings National and International works of live art built with emerging technologies into conversation with audiences. Michael was the Transformation Designer of Generator, an innovation incubator that expands the skills of independent artists, producers and leaders in Toronto, and Artistic Director of Praxis Theatre, an independent theatre company that hosted Toronto’s first theatre blog. He was previously an Intern Director at The Shaw Festival, and a curator at The Theatre Centre and Harbourfront Centre. Before coming to York, Michael was Assistant Professor in the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University and an instructor in the directing stream at Canada’s National Theatre School.

Education

BA (McGill University), MFA (MXAT/ART Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University)