2025 Lab
June 9–15, 2025
Directors Lab North’s 2025 Lab was held from
June 9 – 15, 2025 at The University of Toronto.
2017 Lab
June 14–19, 2017
Directors Lab North’s 2025 Lab was held from June 14 – 19, 2017 at The University of Toronto.
Participants & Team Members
The lab’s seventh year welcomed an international contingent of 30 directors from Canada, the USA, Europe and the Middle East with a mandate to explore ideas, share knowledge and inspire creativity for the theatre.
Lab Participants
Sahar Assaf
Mimi Barcomi
Richard Beaune
Briana Brown
Joao Carrolo
Amanda Connors
Heather Davies
Zoe Erwin-Longstaff
Sabrina Everett
John Gundy
Julia Heinrichs
Pam Joyce
Liam Karry
Elizabeth Kirkland
Marta Mari
Nicole Miller Marks
Fiely Matias
Nancy McAlear
Aileen McGroddy
Griffin McInnes
Brenda McLean
Eric Perron
Sean Pollock
Jason Schlafstein
Courtney Laine Self
Marissa Emma Smith
Leta Tremblay
Paul Van Dyck
Cole Wimpee
Stage Managers
Daniel Bennett
Actor (Lab Experiment)
Jeff Yung
Rachel VanDuzer
Allegra Fulton
Interns
Talia Scaiano
Kaylen Mackenzie
Lab Topics & Sessions
The 2026 lab included featured sessions on dramaturgy, new play development, folk storytelling, classical text, testimonial theatre and a visit by composer, lyricist, and playwright Britta Johnson, who joined the lab for a day of sessions on her award-wining musical Life After.
Mentor-Led Sessions
Artistic Direction & the State of Theatre
Richard Rose
Writers Directing Their Own Work & The Playwright/Director Relationship
Judith Thompson & Kat Sandler
Dramaturgy
Brian Quirt, Andrea Romaldi & Lisa O’Connell
Movement & Text
Allyson MacMackon
The Playwrights Project
Daniel MacIvor
Artistic Direction & Curating Festivals
Josephine Ridge & Naomi Campbell
Interviews
Akram Khan, Alexandre Hamel of Le Patin Libre, Yvette Nolan, &Steven Prengels
Labbie-Led Sessions
Gesture work
LeCoq Workshop
Puppetry
Droznin
Greek Text
Table Work
Verbatim Theatre
VIEWPOINTS
Laban
Directing Experiment
DLN is grateful to its supporters:
We gratefully acknowledge the Tarragon Theatre for generously donating their space to us again for this year’s lab and to Soulpepper for donating their space as well. A huge thanks to Playwrights Canada Press for donating plays for our Labbies. A massive thank you to our new partner, the Luminato Festival, for their incredible generosity with access to their shows and their artists. Finally, thank you to the Toronto Arts Council for helping fund this year’s Lab.
