Brian Segal, publisher of Canada's Maclean's Magazine, has been named the new Chairman of the Shaw Festival Theatre Foundation.

The announcement was made at the Shaw's annual general meeting, Jan. 10. Previous Chairman (1995-96) Anthony R. Graham will remain on the board as Past Chairman.

Segal, on the Shaw's Board of Governors for five years, is senior vice president of Maclean Hunter Publishing Ltd. Prior to that, he serveda s president of the University of Guelph.

"It is truly an enormous honor to chair the Festival, and we look forward to another successful season in 1997," said Segal. "The Shaw Festival is one of Canada's great cultural institutions."

Also elected at the meeting were new Treasurer David A. Scott and Secretary Philip Olsson. In further happy news, the Shaw has reduced its deficit to below $500,000 by coming out of 1996 with a $297,702 surplus for the year. Attendance averaged 74.% of capacity, with $9,380,000 in ticket revenue. "Like many arts organizations," administrative director Colleen Blake wrote, "the Shaw Festival is learning to cope with reduced government support. In 1996, our provincial subsidy was 28 percent less than in 1995... It has challenged us to become more self-reliant."

For more information on the Shaw Festival's 1997 season, please see Playbill On-Line's story, "Shaw Festival `97 Announces Casting."

--By David Lefkowitz