Janice Blixt

About Janice

Jan Blixt, an accomplished director, actor, and educator, recently concluded her 13th season as Producing Artistic Director of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival (MSF), where she directed acclaimed productions such as Macbeth and A Flea in Her Ear. At MSF, her work since the pandemic has included directing Henry V, Charley's Aunt, and award-winning productions of King Lear and Cyrano de Bergerac. Her earlier MSF achievements include Measure for Measure, an adaptation of Aphra Behn's The Rover, and notable productions of Julius Caesar, Richard II, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, many earning critical and audience accolades. She has also directed and adapted Shakespeare’s works for MSF touring productions. Based in Chicago, Jan has directed, acted, and coached text for numerous Shakespearean plays, co-founding A Crew of Patches Theatre Company to bring professional Shakespeare productions to high schools. A graduate of the Hilberry Theater's MFA program, she continues to teach and perform, balancing her career with family life alongside her husband, David Blixt, an MSF Artistic Associate and fight director, and their children, Dashiell and Evelyn.