Maggie MacDonald

{{Infobox musical artist

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| background = solo_singer

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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1978}}

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| origin = Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

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| genre = Punk rock

| occupation = Writer, playwright, musician

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Maggie MacDonald (born 1978) is a writer, playwright, and musician who lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Early life and education

MacDonald grew up in Cornwall, Ontario, where she became active in the local independent rock music scene. She put on shows and created a fanzine called Saucy, which gained attention outside of Cornwall as well. Dubbed the "punk-rock valedictorian," she also grew into politics. She served as a student trustee on her school board at the age of 17. She left Cornwall to attend the University of Toronto.

Career

Returning to Cornwall at age 20, MacDonald ran in the 1999 provincial election as the New Democratic Party candidate in the electoral district of Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh. Facing two redistributed incumbents--(Liberal John Cleary and Tory Noble Villeneuve), for a single seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, she was given next to no chance to win the election.{{cite web |last1=Scallen |first1=Shawn |title=Maggie MacDonald, May 16, 1999 |url=https://www.scallen.com/051201.html |website=scallen.com |publisher=Shawn Scallen |access-date=4 March 2022}} Her innovative campaign strategy, including the use of a guerrilla theatre play called Revolution Mall Style, drew praise and attention.{{cite web |last1=Rumack |first1=Leah |title=Politics, punks and puppets, May 1999 |url=http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/38/News/feature1c.html |website= |publisher=Wayback Machine, NOW Toronto |access-date=4 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617001329/http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/38/News/feature1c.html |archive-date=17 June 2006 |url-status=dead}}

MacDonald's second play, A Clockwork Gorbachev,{{cite web |title=A Clockwork Gorbachev |url=http://modernistcommons.ca/islandora/object/cwrc%3A42e0d24d-1787-4c5d-b208-c8e70db7dacd |website=modernistcommons.ca |publisher=Modernist Commons |access-date=4 March 2022}} won the Hart House Playwrighting Award in 2000{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} and the Robertson Davies Award For Playwriting in 2001.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

She began to pursue her musical interests, and joined The Hidden Cameras, with whom she has performed since 2001. She has also been a member of several other bands. The first was Barcelona Pavilion, with whom she recorded a 7" single. She then formed the band The Dating Service.{{cite web |last1=Rajagopalan |first1=Pras |title=Another side of Dating Services, March 2005 |url=http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol132/issue35/arts/lead1 |website= |access-date=4 March 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20051216143642/http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol132/issue35/arts/lead1 |archive-date=16 December 2005 |url-status=dead}} For a time, she was a guest vocalist with Kids on TV, recording "Bitchsy" for the 2005 Lesbians on Ecstasy remixes LP Giggles in the Dark.{{cite web |title=Lesbians On Ecstasy – Giggles In The Dark Remixes |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/624959-Lesbians-On-Ecstasy-Giggles-In-The-Dark-Lesbians-On-Ecstasy-Remixes |website=discogs.com |date=September 19, 2005 |publisher=Discogs |access-date=4 March 2022}} She became lead vocalist with Republic of Safety, whose first EP, Passport, came out in March 2005. Their second EP, Vacation, was released in the spring of 2006; their third, Succession in 2008.{{cite web |title=Republic Of Safety |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1761070-Republic-Of-Safety |website=discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=4 March 2022}}

At the same time, she has had comics and writing published in Toronto publications such as The Globe and Mail, Lola and Broken Pencil.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

In 2005, MacDonald published her first book, Kill the Robot. A science fiction novel critiquing consumer society, it is also illustrated by MacDonald.

Her second play, The Rat King, first previewed as a work in progress in early 2004, received a public reading in the spring of 2005 and finally premiered as a full production in January 2006. Later MacDonald approached Bob Wiseman to collaborate on writing music for the songs. The Rat King was then mounted a second time in August 2006 as part of Harbourfront's "Indie Unlimited" series,{{cite web |last1=Beath |first1=Carly |title=I Am The Rat King, Jan 2007 |url=https://torontoist.com/2007/01/i_am_the_rat_ki/ |website=torontoist.com |date=January 25, 2007 |publisher=Torontoist |access-date=4 March 2022}} and then at the New York Fringe Festival.{{cite web |last1=Zwarenstein |first1=Carlyn |title=Maggie MacDonald |url=https://magazine.utoronto.ca/people/alumni-donors/maggie-macdonald-artist-writer-hidden-cameras/ |website=magazine.utoronto.ca |date=June 20, 2007 |publisher=University of Toronto Magazine |access-date=4 March 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Hernandez |first1=Ernio |title=Fringe in the City: 2007... |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/fringe-in-the-city-2007-new-york-international-fringe-festival-launches-aug-10-com-142891 |website=playbill.com |publisher=Playbill |access-date=4 March 2022}}

As of 2022, MacDonald was working in communications in the not-for-profit sector.{{cite web |title=Maggie MacDonald |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-macdonald-67916163/?originalSubdomain=ca |website=linkedin.com |publisher=LinkedIn |access-date=4 March 2022}}

Publication

Kill the Robot, MacGilligan Books, 2005, {{ISBN|1-894692-14-4}}{{cite web |title=Kill the Robot by Maggie MacDonald |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1120915.Kill_the_Robot |website=goodreads.com |publisher=Goodreads |access-date=4 March 2022}}

Discography

"Barcelona Pavilion" 7" single, Blocks Recording Club, 2001
The Smell of Our Own, The Hidden Cameras, Rough Trade Records, 2003
Mississauga Goddam, The Hidden Cameras, Rough Trade, 2004
"Bitchsy", Kids on TV, Giggles in the Dark, Lesbians on Ecstasy (remixes), Alien8 Recordings, 2005
Passport (ep)|Passport, Republic of Safety, Independent, 2005
Vacation (ep)|Vacation, Republic of Safety, Ta-Da Records, 2006
Mixing Business With Pleasure, Kids on TV, 2007
Succession, Republic of Safety, Independent, 2008

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060323035025/http://www.zoilus.com/documents/via_toronto/2005/000398.php Interview with Maggie MacDonald]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060519033307/http://www.mcgilliganbooks.com/books/kill_the_robot.htm Kill The Robot page]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051229093119/http://www.republicofsafety.ca/ The Republic Of Safety official site] (defunct)
[http://www.digitalmediatree.com/sallymckay/comment/25986/ Review of The Rat King]

Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Cornwall, Ontario

Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent

Category:Canadian indie rock musicians

Category:Canadian punk rock singers

Category:Singers from Toronto

Category:Canadian women punk rock singers

Category:Canadian women dramatists and playwrights

Category:Canadian science fiction writers

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:Ontario New Democratic Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections