Brian Postalian

CV

Directing, producing and teaching credits, alongside education, recognition and professional development.

Recent directing

A Midsummer Night’s Dream · Director · Sheridan College / University of Toronto Mississauga · 2026

All directing credits

Producing and artistic leadership

Education

MFA, Interdisciplinary Studies
Simon Fraser University · 2019

HBA, High Distinction, Theatre & Drama Studies / English
University of Toronto Mississauga · 2014

Diploma in Acting
Sheridan College · 2014

Certified Practitioner
Liz Lerman Critical Response Process · 2024

Recognition and professional development

Awards and recognition
  • 2025
    My role: Producer · Project developmentBeauty and the Beast: My Life — Significant Artistic Achievement: Artistic Innovation in Theatrical Form.
    Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards
  • 2024
    My role: Co-Creator · Producer · Associate DirectorAccess Me — Dora Mavor Moore Award, Outstanding Direction: Jonathan Seinen.
    Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
  • 2024
    My role: Co-Creator · Producer · Associate DirectorAccess Me — Dora nomination, Outstanding New Play: Andrew Gurza, Ken Harrower, Frank Hull, Debbie Patterson, Brian Postalian and Jonathan Seinen.
    Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
  • 2024
    My role: Co-Creator · Producer · Associate DirectorAccess Me — Dora nomination, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: Andrew Gurza, Ken Harrower and Frank Hull.
    Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
  • 2020
    Self-Quar Experiment — shortlist.
    Creative Armenia
  • 2020
    FCAT Dean’s Graduate Convocation Medal — nomination.
    Simon Fraser University
  • 2020
    My role: CreatorCard Game (at home) — Art Apart selection.
    National Theatre School of Canada
  • 2018
    Joseph Armand Bombardier Scholarship.
    SSHRC
  • 2018
    John Juliani Graduate Fellowship in Theatre.
    Simon Fraser University
  • 2018
    School for the Contemporary Arts Service Award.
    Simon Fraser University
  • 2017–2018
    Performing Arts Scholarships.
    Armenian General Benevolent Union
  • 2017
    My role: Director · ProducerThe Smile Off Your Face — Award for Best Production.
    SummerWorks
  • 2017
    My role: Director · ProducerThe Smile Off Your Face — Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction recognition.
    NOW Magazine
  • 2017
    My role: Director · ProducerThe Smile Off Your Face — Best Direction nomination.
    MyEntertainmentWorld
  • 2017
    My role: Co-Creator · Producer · Associate DirectorBoys in Chairs / Access Me — Jon Kaplan Spotlight Award for the development presentation.
    SummerWorks
  • 2017
    Graduate Fellowship.
    Simon Fraser University
  • 2016
    My role: Director · Co-Creator · ProducerThis Is What I Know — Emerging Artist Series.
    Volcano Theatre
  • 2014
    Faculty Award for the Graduate Prize.
    University of Toronto Mississauga
  • 2014
    Veteran of the Year, supporting student work.
    University of Toronto Drama Coalition
  • 2012
    My role: DirectorSalomé — Best Direction nomination.
    University of Toronto Drama Coalition
Funding for my projects & professional development

Support for my own artistic projects, collaborative creations and professional development. Grant writing and producing support for other artists is listed separately under Grant writing & project support.

  • 2023
    Professional development for Atelier for Young Festival Managers.
    Canada Council for the Arts / BC Arts Council
  • 2023
    Brian & Jackie’s 100 Plays… — Theatre Creators Reserve.
    Ontario Arts Council · Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
  • 2022
    Critical Response Process — Bill Millerd Artist Fund.
    Arts Club Theatre Company
  • 2022
    New Societies.
    North Vancouver Arts & Culture Council
  • 2021
    New Societies — Concept to Realization; Digital Now; touring support.
    Canada Council for the Arts / Creative Armenia
  • 2020
    New Societies tour.
    BC Arts Council
  • 2020
    Brian & Jackie’s 100 Plays… — Theatre Creators Reserve.
    Ontario Arts Council · Suitcase in Point
  • 2019–2020
    HIVE — project funding and Creative Spark support.
    Canada Council for the Arts / BC Arts Council / North Vancouver Arts & Culture Council / ArtStarts
  • 2017
    This Is What I Know — Theatre Creators Reserve.
    Ontario Arts Council · Theatre Centre / Cabaret Company
Conferences, training and professional exchange
  • 2024
    Critical Response Process (un)Conference — participant.
    Liz Lerman
  • 2024
    Atelier for Young Festival Managers, New York. Role: Participant
    The Festival Academy
  • 2023
    Critical Response Process Certification Cohort. Role: Participant
    Liz Lerman
  • 2023
    Designing with Diagrams. Role: Participant
    Odyssey Works
  • 2022
    What Teachers Don’t Talk About. Role: Participant
    Stephen Wangh
  • 2021
    Say What You Mean: Non-Violent Communication. Role: Participant
    Oren Jay Sofer
  • 2021
    Site-Specific Performance and Design Masterclasses. Role: Participant
    Punchdrunk
  • 2020–2021
    Facilitation & Process Design for Teaching Artists. Role: Participant
    Sojourn Theatre
  • 2020
    Empathy & Experience Design. Role: Participant
    Odyssey Works
  • 2017
    Artist Educators Training. Role: Participant
    Young People’s Theatre
  • 2017
    Artist Producer Training Program. Role: Participant
    Generator Toronto
  • 2016
    Devised Theatre Lab. Role: Participant
    Common Boots Theatre
  • 2015
    Young Creators Unit. Role: Participant
    Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
  • 2014
    Conservatory. Role: Participant
    Volcano Theatre
  • 2014
    Compass Points, Halifax. Role: Participant
    Magnetic North Theatre Festival
  • 2014
    Leadership Intensive. Role: Participant
    SummerWorks Festival
  • 2014
    Training with Mario Biagini and the Open Program. Role: Participant
    Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards

Credits

Directing, creation, producing, artist support, teaching and professional service.

Directing

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Director

Sheridan College / University of Toronto Mississauga

2026

A Raccoon Solstice

Assistant / Associate Directing

Theatre Direct

Lead director Lisa Marie DiLiberto

2026

The Devised Project

Director · Co-Creator

University of Toronto Mississauga / Sheridan

2023

Fefu and Her Friends

Director

University of Toronto Mississauga / Sheridan

2022

New Societies Online

Creator · Director · Producer

Re:Current Theatre

2020–2022

New Societies

Creator · Director · Producer

Re:Current Theatre

2019–2022

Swipe Stage Right

Director · Dramaturg

Or Festival

2021

Clue on Stage

Director · Production Manager

UBC MedPlay

2020

Everybody

Director · Production Manager

UBC MedPlay

2019

Champion

Director · Creator · Producer

Re:Current Theatre

2018

Still Life Continuum

Assistant Director

Redshift Music Society

Lead director Cole Lewis

2018

Tom at the Farm

Director

Simon Fraser University

2018

Topophilia

Assistant Director

Simon Fraser University

Lead director Steven Hill

2018

The Smile Off Your Face

Director · Producer

Re:Current Theatre / SummerWorks Festival

2017

This Is What I Know

Director · Co-Creator · Producer

Re:Current Theatre / In the Soil Festival

2017

Everything You’ve Always Wanted

Director · Co-Creator

Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Theatre

2016

Family Debts

Director

Theatre by Committee

2016

Brantwood

Assistant Director

Sheridan College

Lead director Julie Tepperman & Mitchell Cushman

2015

Something Broken

Co-Writer · Co-Director

EVN 24 Theatre / High Fest International Performing Arts Festival

2015

Wild Duck Project

Director · Creator / Adapter · Co-Producer

Re:Current Theatre

2015

The Art of Building a Bunker

Apprentice Director

Factory Theatre

Lead director Guillermo Verdecchia

2014

Of a Monstrous Child: a gaga musical

Assistant Director

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Lead director Alistair Newton

2013

The Bear

Director · Adapter

Beck Festival / University of Toronto Mississauga

2013

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Assistant Director

Toronto Youth Theatre

Lead director Neil Silcox

2012

Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread

Director

Beck Festival / University of Toronto Mississauga

2012

Salomé

Director · Producer

University of Toronto Mississauga Drama Club

2012

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Assistant Director

Toronto Youth Theatre

Lead director Neil Silcox

2011

Creation & interdisciplinary work

Card Game

Creator · VR Co-Creator

Re:Current Theatre

2017–2021

You Go Next

Performer · Dancer

Simon Fraser University

2019

Books

Performer

Simon Fraser University

2018

There Was and There Was Not

Writer · Performer

Rhubarb Festival / Impulse Theatre’s Second Peek

2015 / 2017

The Act of Remembering

Co-Creator · Performer

Whitehorse Nuit Blanche

2016

Optional Forum: Where to Start?

Co-Creator · Performer

Birthright Armenia

2015

Brian & Jackie’s Hundreds of Plays…

Co-Creator

Re:Current Theatre

In development

Safe on Third

Creator · Collaborator

Pandemic Theatre

In development

Dramaturgy

Crossing

Dramaturg

Kay Huang

2023

Uchi

Dramaturg

Clala Dance Project

2023

Lunar Boys

Dramaturg

Vino Buono

2018

Pull Festival VII

Dramaturg

Pull Festival

2018

Skin & Metal

Dramaturg

Queer Arts Festival

2018

the soft spaces

Dramaturg

Impulse Theatre

2018

Producing & arts leadership

SummerWorks

Festival Producer

2026

Theatre Direct

Artistic Producer

2025–Present

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival

Industry Producer

2024–2026

Re:Current Theatre

Founder · Artistic Director

2014–Present

SummerWorks

Associate Producer

2025

Presentation House Theatre

Artistic Associate

2023–2025

Dance in Vancouver

Associate Producer

The Dance Centre

2024

The Flin Flon Cowboy

Producer · Grant Writer

2023–2024

O.Dela Arts / Matriarchs Uprising

Managing Producer

2021–2024

Access Me

Co-Creator · Producer · Associate Director

Boys in Chairs Collective

2015–2023

Scheherazade

Producing

2022

Romeo & Juliet

Collaborator · Dramaturg · Producer

Precursor Lab / Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

2021

HIVE

Co-Creator · Producer · Performer

HIVE Performance Collective

2019 / 2021

Spotlight Festival: Australia

Producing Intern

Canadian Stage

2017

Crapshoot

Artistic Producer

Theatre Passe Muraille

2016–2017

Compass Points

Curator

Magnetic North Theatre Festival

2015–2017

Paprika Festival

Communications Manager

2014–2016

Theatre Gargantua

Assistant Producer

2014–2015

UTM Drama Club

Founder · Artistic Producer

2010–2013

Grant writing & project support

TOES FOR DANCE

Grant Writing Consultant

2026

Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

Grant Writer · Research & Consulting

2025

Beauty and the Beast: My Life

Project Coordinator · Producer / Producing Consultant

A disability-led interdisciplinary performance created by Niall McNeil. My role evolved across the development process, including producing consultation, project coordination, funding work, development logistics and support for the artist-led process.

2023–2025

Crossmaneauver

Creative Producing Support

2023–2025

Niall McNeil Productions

Creative Producing Support

2023–2025

EDAM

Grant Writer

2024

Joel Klein Consulting

Creative Producing Support

Clients included 5X Festival and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

2021–2024

Patrick Raftery

Creative Producing Support

2021–2024

The River

Production Management · Consulting

A land-based performance with Myriad Dance Projects on Widzin Kwah (the Bulkley River), in Likhsilyu Clan Territory, Witsuwit’en Territory. My work combined production management with earlier grant and organizational-development support for the company.

2023

Myriad Dance Projects

Creative Producing Support

2021–2023

Chimerik 似不像

Producing Consultant

2021

Flin Flon Cowboy Collective

Creative Producing Support

Teaching

DRS326H: Production 2

Guest Director · Educator

University of Toronto Mississauga / Sheridan

Directed and co-created the third-year devised project.

2023

DRS426H: Production 4

Guest Director · Educator

University of Toronto Mississauga / Sheridan

Directed the fourth-year mainstage production of Fefu and Her Friends.

2022

THF112: Creative Performance Studies

Sessional Instructor

Toronto Metropolitan University

Studio teaching in performance making, creative process, risk and responsibility to collaborators and community.

2022

THA100–400/101–401: Conversations module

Sessional Instructor

Toronto Metropolitan University

Created and taught a module connecting artistic practice with politics, society and culture.

2021–2022

CA170: Production Technology — sewing and needlework

Teaching Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Facilitated an online course with Kyla Gardner.

2021

CA271: Production Ensemble

Guest Teacher

Simon Fraser University

Taught script reading, analysis and annotation for stage managers.

2021

CA374: Lighting Design

Guest Teacher

Simon Fraser University

Taught collaboration between directors and lighting designers.

2021

CA357: Context of Theatre

Teaching Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Co-created curriculum and facilitated discussion on contemporary performance during COVID; supported writing and assessment.

2020

UBC MedPlay

Guest Director · Educator · University of British Columbia

Taught acting, voice and movement through production rehearsals.

2018–2020

Graduate field placement program

Research Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Researched and developed a new placement program for Master of Contemporary Art candidates, with Barbara Adler.

2019

CA170: Production Technology — production tools and processes

Teaching Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Supported woodworking, safe tool use, lighting calls and set builds with John Macfarlane.

2018–2019

CA450: Advanced Studio Skills

Teaching Assistant · Assistant Director

Simon Fraser University

Facilitated warm-ups, acting exercises and scene work for a devised mainstage production.

2018

Student learning outcomes and educational goals

Research Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Researched undergraduate and graduate course outcomes at the School for the Contemporary Arts, with Christopher Pavsek.

2018

CA257: Context of Theatre

Teaching Assistant

Simon Fraser University

Supported study of Hamlet and contemporary adaptations through text analysis, thesis development and paper revision.

2017

Facilitation

Theatre Direct

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

2026

National Theatre School Drama Festival — adjudicator training

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

2026

Black Theatre Workshop / National Arts Centre

Pitch Workshop Facilitator

2026

Bard on the Beach — Bard Studio

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

Spring 2025

Filmable

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

2025

Black Theatre Workshop

Pitch Workshop Facilitator

2025

MICHA — Michael Chekhov Association

Critical Response Process · Facilitator, four sessions

2025

Bard on the Beach — Bard Studio

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

Spring 2024

Bard on the Beach — Bard Studio

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

Fall 2023

Bard on the Beach — Bard Studio

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

Spring 2023

National Arts Centre / National Creation Fund

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

2023

Bard on the Beach — Bard Studio

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

Fall 2022

BOLDLY Creative

Critical Response Process Workshop · Co-Facilitator with Joyce Rosario

2022

PuSh Youth Assembly

Producing Workshop Facilitator

2018

Interplay Festival

Producing Workshop Facilitator

2017

PeekFest

Performance Creation Workshop Facilitator

2017

Paprika Festival

Education Outreach Workshop Facilitator

2015–2016

Talks & professional exchange

National Theatre School production students

Guest Presenter

Career in the arts

2024

Participatory Dramaturgy Symposium

Panelist

Participatory performance practice

2024

DRE420: Naturalism and its Critics

Guest Lecturer

University of Toronto Mississauga

Led a unit on naturalism and adaptation through Wild Duck Project.

2015

THF403: Landmarks in Canadian Theatre

Guest Lecturer

Toronto Metropolitan University

Taught histories of queer theatre in Canada through John Herbert’s Fortune and Men’s Eyes.

2014

Publications

Access Me — published script

Co-Creator

In Interdependent Magic: Disability Performance in Canada, edited by Jessica Watkin. Playwrights Canada Press.

2022

How Do We Document Non-Traditional Theatre?

Writer

Intermission Magazine

2017

Bibliography

Team Dramaturgy: Audiences Playing (and Caring) Together

Derek Manderson. Canadian Theatre Review, issue 204, Fall 2025. DOI: 10.3138/ctr.204.010.

2025

Play: Dramaturgies of Participation

Jenn Stephenson and Mariah Horner. Playwrights Canada Press. Discusses Access Me, New Societies and my participatory practice.

2024

Residencies

Pender Island Residency

Resident Artist

Leaky Heaven Performance

Brian & Jackie’s Hundreds of Plays…

2024

Theatre Project Residency

Resident Artist

Rumble Theatre / Presentation House Theatre

New Societies

2022

VR Micro-Residency

Resident Artist

New Media Gallery / Anvil Centre

Card Game VR

2021

Digital Performance Residency

Resident Artist

Kick & Push Festival

New Societies Online

2020

Theatre Project Residency

Resident Artist

Impulse Theatre / Peek Fest

Brian & Jackie’s Hundreds of Plays…

2019

Writing Residency

Resident Artist

Artscape Gibraltar Point

Playwright retreat

2016

Community Chest Program

Resident Artist

hub14

Open Artist Share

2015

Professional service

BC Arts Council

Peer Assessor

2024

University of Toronto Drama Festival

Adjudicator

Hart House Theatre / U of T Drama Coalition

2022

City of Vancouver

Arts & Culture Advisory Committee Member

2021–2022

Magnetic North Theatre Festival

Board Member · Secretary

2019–2022

Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards

Best New Script Jury Chair

2019–2020

Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards

Best New Script Jury Member

2018–2019

SFU School for the Contemporary Arts

Graduate Caucus Treasurer

2017–2018

Dora Awards

Theatre for Young Audiences Jury Member

2015–2016

LemonTree Creations

Energy Exchange Artist

2014–2016