Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at U of T

10/14/2026

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Caitlin Gowans, the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies' newest graduate.

On October 8, 2026, Dr. Gowans successfully defended her dissertation, “Not Ordinary" Subjects in "Not Safe" Times: The Influence of Caryl Churchill on Young British Playwrights of the 2010s.

Dr. Gowans was supervised by Prof. Larry Switzky. Prof. Katherine Williams and Prof. Jacob Gallagher-Ross served on the supervisory committee. Prof. Sarah Bay-Cheng joined the exam committee as internal reader, and Prof. Sheila Rabillard served as external reader.

Congratulations to Dr. Gowans and her committee on the completion of her doctoral studies!

10/08/2026

🏰Hark thee! Hark thee! kings, queens, and other self-declared emperors shall descend on Toronto...for a special film screening sponsored by CDTPS! (But don't worry if you haven't heard of their countries).

The University of Toronto will be hosting a special screening of Micronations, Joe Kowalski’s award-winning documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival earlier this year. The film offers a lively look inside the world of people who create countries of their own.

Micronations are self-declared countries that see themselves as independent, even though they are not officially recognized by other countries or international organizations. Many create the familiar trappings of nationhood, including flags, borders, constitutions, currencies, governments, and passports.

From backyard kingdoms to international diplomatic summits, Micronations follows the people who build these unconventional countries and the communities that grow around them. Behind the flags, crowns, and elaborate titles are larger questions about how nations are created and who has the authority to define one. What makes a country real? Who gets to draw a border? What gives a nation legitimacy? And what can these small-scale experiments reveal about identity, sovereignty, community, and the desire to belong?

A Q&A with director Joe Kowalski will be hosted, along with micronational researcher CDTPS alum and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Robert Motum, and King George 2.0, the leader of a Toronto-based micronation.

Curious for more? Register right now : https://www.cdtps.utoronto.ca/events/micronations-screening

🏹 Monday, November 9, 2026
Doors open 6:30 PM | Screening 7:00 -9:00 PM
Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto
FREE for U of T students & members
Registration required

By royal decree, thou art invited.

of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science
of Toronto

10/08/2026

Check out what alum Nam Nguyen has been up to since graduation and winning the Hart House U of T Playwriting Competition.

EXTRA EXTRA: read all about it! 📰
From NTS, to Musical Stage Company to Stratford, our alumni are making waves. 🌊
We love nothing more than seeing our alumni soar in their artistic pursuits.
🎭
Read all about it: https://harthouse.ca/blog/tracking-past-winners-of-the-playwriting-competition-where-are-these-talented-alumni-today

10/02/2026

🎭 Thinking About Graduate School?

Join the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at the University of Toronto as we celebrate our 60th anniversary and welcome prospective students to explore our graduate programs.

Located in the heart of Toronto's vibrant theatre scene, CDTPS offers an MA program that invites students to pursue one of three options: (1) coursework only; (2) a supervised Thesis; (3) a Major Research Project where students can devise an original artistic work using arts-based research methods, a renowned PhD program, guaranteed funding for domestic and international students, interdisciplinary research opportunities, and access to our newly opened facilities at University College.

🏛 Our new spaces include:
• Contemporary rehearsal studios
• A reconfigurable black box theatre
• Student lounges and workspaces
• Ultramodern seminar rooms
• The BMO Lab for Creative Research in the Arts, Performance, Emerging Technologies and AI

🗓 Applications open: October 9, 2026 ⏰ Application deadline: January 13, 2027
📅 Graduate Open House Tuesday, November 17, 2026 4:00–5:45 PM ET Online via Zoom
Meet faculty, staff and current students and learn about admissions, funding, teaching assistantships, research opportunities and student life.
Register for the Open House and learn more: cdtps.utoronto.ca/events/2026-graduate-program-open-house

University of Toronto

09/25/2026

🎨 Want to combine sustainability with arts and fashion? Come to CDTPS’s 🍂 Embracing Nature: Hands-On Workshop on Dyeing Fabrics with Natural Colorant 💐 led by Professor Snežana Pešić.

🌍 This hands-on workshop supports an ecological approach to theatre making through a “craft ethic” that values slow processes, manual techniques, and the celebration of dignified labour.

🎭 Over two days, you will learn the basics of dyeing natural fabrics with dyes extracted from readily available plants and flowers. Throughout the workshop, you will document your process and recipes. CDTPS will provide materials, tools, and a variety of natural dyes. Participants may also source their own natural dyes, with a list of recommended and easily accessible options shared with confirmed participants.

⏰ Day 1: Thursday, Oct. 15, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Day 2: Friday, Oct. 16, 4:00–9:00 p.m.

🧭 Design Studio UC 306
University College, Laidlaw Wing

🍃 Join us for this magical environmental arts practice! Spots are limited. RSVP by Oct. 6 to secure your spot: cdtps.utoronto.ca/events/dyeing-fabrics-workshop

***To register, you must be available to attend both days.***

09/23/2026

Reminder: Alumni Performance Project Submissions Due October 13!

The Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies (CDTPS) invites recent alumni to submit work for the Alumni Performance Project.

If you graduated from CDTPS as a Drama Specialist, Major, MA, or PhD student between 2021 and 2026, we encourage you to apply.

This initiative highlights the exciting creative work being produced by recent alumni and celebrates the breadth of artistic practice across our community.

📅 Submission deadline: October 1

For eligibility requirements and submission details, visit: https://www.cdtps.utoronto.ca/resources/alumni-performance-project

We look forward to seeing your work!

Photo from 2026 Alumni Show: 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks directed by CDTPS alum Teodora Djuric.

09/23/2026

BMO Lab Open Studios | Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m.

Interested in the intersection of performance, technology, and AI?
The BMO Lab will host Open Studios most Fridays this fall, offering informal, drop-in opportunities to learn about and experiment with the technologies and approaches being explored in the lab.

Topics include: • Interactive sensors for performance • Speaking Images and voice-generated visuals • Real-time motion capture • Responsive theatrical lighting • Improvising with large language models • Speech technologies • AI-assisted coding for the stage

Several sessions also include meetings of the Diagonal Reading Group exploring key texts on AI, media, and digital culture.

Open to anyone curious about emerging technologies and their impact on live performance and society.

Visit: cdtps.utoronto.ca/events/bmo-lab-open-studios

09/22/2026

🎉 Please join us in congratulating Professor Barry Freeman on receiving a UTSC Teaching Award as part of the UTSC Awards of Excellence and Distinguished Service Awards.

The UTSC Teaching Awards honour teaching excellence and recognize sustained excellence in teaching, educational leadership and contributions to the teaching community.

This well-deserved recognition reflects Professor Freeman's outstanding commitment to student learning and his significant contributions to UTSC and the broader University of Toronto community.

Professor Freeman will be honoured at the UTSC Awards of Excellence and Distinguished Service Awards celebration on Sept. 22, 2026. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement! 👏

09/19/2026

Call for Proposals | FOOT35: Roots

The Festival of Original Theatre (FOOT), now in its 35th year, invites proposals for its 2027 conference, FOOT35: Roots.

This year's theme explores the many meanings of roots: as sources of sustenance, histories, lineages, knowledge systems, and futures. As the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026–27, we welcome reflections on the traditions, innovations, and connections that have shaped theatre and performance studies across generations.

We invite proposals for papers, panels, workshops, and roundtables that engage with the roots of ideas, practices and lineages in drama, theatre, and performance.

FOOT is committed to creating space for experimental and creative approaches to knowledge sharing. Research-creation, performance-based presentations, and innovative formats are encouraged.

📅 Conference Dates: January 28–29, 2027
📥 Submission Deadline: October 18, 2026

Please submit:
• A 250-word proposal
• A 100-word biography for each participant

For more information, visit: https://www.cdtps.utoronto.ca/conferences/foot35
Questions or accessibility requests? Email: [email protected]

We look forward to hearing your ideas and imagining new futures through the many roots of theatre and performance.

09/18/2026

🌎 The CDTPS welcomed a delegation from the Graduate Institute of Gender Education at National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.

The group, made up of university researchers, NGO leaders, graduate and undergraduate students, high school, middle school, elementary school health education teachers and guidance counsellors, HIV/AIDS counsellors, counselling psychologists, asexuality and non-binary content creators, Intersectionality researchers, and Gender and Equity Association leaders, met with CDTPS Director Kathleen Gallagher and KPE scholar Caroline Fusco for a conversation about equity, climate, education, theatre and sport.

The visit was especially meaningful, as CDTPS Director Gallagher first connected with members of Taiwan's Gender and Equity Association more than 20 years ago at OISE. The exchange of ideas and research collaboration has continued since that first meeting. CDTPS was very pleased to host the group and continue this international dialogue.