Evan Tsitsias

Co-Founder/Artistic Director

Evan’s plays include Aftershock (Summerworks), The Murmuration of Starlings (New Works Fest), Unstuck (Frank Theatre), Strange Mary Strange (which he also co-directed at Summerworks) and the musical Inge(new) – In search of a musical. His short film Bagged, aired on the CBC, WIFT, DC Shorts and NSI. As a founding member of the World Wide Lab, an international directors collective, he spent a decade traveling across the globe co-directing/co-writing/co-creating site specific, immersive pieces in Greece, New York, Taipei, Thunder Bay and Rome.  In Germany he’s co-created/directed/written I am Invisible (Bluespots Productions/Augsburg), Berlin Bound (Tour), My Berlin (FELD Theatre/SDF) and We Are The Play (Sisyphos Der Flugelefant/English Theatre Berlin)for the 25^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial.

Selected directing credits: Strega Nona, The City of Tigers, Mo Willems’ Bite Sized Operas and The Art of Opera (Houston Grand Opera/Opera to Go) First Dance (Impact Festival/Aquarius/Grand Theatre Studio), A Misfortune (Next Stage), 25^th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (Koogle), Edges (Musical Stage), I Love You, You’re Perfect… Now Change (Angelwalk/Koogle), Silent City (Best of Fringe) The Mercy Seat (Alchemy), Burn This!, Don’t Tell Mama, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (Buddies), Perfect Life (Alleyway Theatre – Buffalo). In New York he’s directed a staged reading of The Pride (w. Anthony Rapp/Fundamental Theatre Project), The Real Inspector Hound  (Fordham University), Chandelierva (New York Fringe), several pieces at Irondale in Brooklyn and was a Directing Observer for The Wild Party starring Sutton Foster (Encores Series/NY City Centre). He has produced Homebody/Kabul (Dora Nomination) with Mercury Theatre, Pterodactyls (Tarragon), Talk Sixty To Me (Summerworks) and an Ontario Tour of Shirley Valentine. He also created two new operas with Toronto Metropolitan University in a research project blending music and Forum theatre.

Evan trained at York University, Sheridan College and has his Professional Training Certificate in Theatre of the Oppressed from London, England where he trained with Augusto Boal, Julian Boal and Adrian Jackson. He is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Chicago Directors Lab, Playwrights Guild of Canada, SDC Member, Dramatist Guild of America and was a resident artist at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center. He’s also worked in the Tarragon Playwright’s Unit and the Stratford Festival’s New Play Development Program/Playwright’s Retreat. He’s been nominated for a Dora Award, the John Hirsch Directing Prize, Tom Hendry Award, Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize (Honourable Mention), Broadwayworld Awards and a finalist for the Charles Abbott Directing Fellowship. He’s spent the last 11 years at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas, where he’s directed James and the Giant Peach at Miller Outdoor Theatre, worked as an Associate in the Education/Community Engagement Department, been the Artistic Assistant for the company, and Head of Acting for the Humphreys School of Music Theatre. He’s also spent several years as an Adjunct Consultant in Acting and Music Theatre at HSPVA in Houston. He is former and founding Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre Company where he directed Kiss of the Spider Woman and Sunday in the Park with George and created the Musical Theatre Lab, culminating in 19 Dora nominations and four awards for the company. His books, The Directors Lab and This is Beyond: A Time Capsule of Queer Experience (co-edited with Bilal Baig) were published by Playwrights Canada Press.   His other work has been published in Germany, Canada and the USA. www.evantsitsias.com