Shelley McPherson is a New York-based Canadian actor and writer, and the librettist of Seeing Stars, written with fellow Canadians the Breithaupt Brothers. It was first presented as a concert reading featuring Kelli O’Hara and Jesse Tyler Ferguson at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York. The show was subsequently developed at NYC’s York Theatre and produced at the New York Musical Theater Festival, with Kevin Earley (director, Jenn Thompson; choreographer, Liza Gennaro; music director, Mark Berman; fight director, BH Barry). Highlights have been performed in NYC at Birdland with Chris Sullivan, Matthew Saldivar, and in Toronto at Koerner Hall with George Krissa, Joe Matheson, Kyle Blair and at Soulpepper Theatre Company with Adam Brazier. Seeing Stars, praised by The New Yorker for its “tuneful theatrical fare,” was a finalist for NAMT and the O’Neill National Musical Theater Conference. Shelley’s play, Exit Zero, has had readings at Boomerang Theatre Company and Classical Theatre of Harlem and was a finalist for Ashland New Play Festival and Campfire Theatre Festival. Mommy Baby was chosen for Boomerang’s First Flight Developmental Reading Series (director, Martha Banta; featuring Keira Naughton, Molly Carden). Knifeplay has received readings at Boomerang Theatre Company (director, Jerry Ruiz) with a cast including Mary Bacon and Noah Racey and at Ground UP Productions. Her one-act play Lady Doc about Emily Stowe, a pioneering Canadian doctor, is included in 365 Women a Year. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, AEA, SAG-AFTRA. M.A.: Northwestern University.
