Liza Balkan

Liza Balkan is an Ontario-based, multi-disciplinary theatre artist whose practices and artistic inquiries continue to evolve as she heads into her fortieth year in the profession. She works as an actor, director, librettist, writer, and educator. She has written text for music works produced by Tapestry Opera, Bicycle Opera Project, Opera McGill, Brooklyn Art song Society (NYC), Scrag Mountain Music (Vermont), and Five Borough Songbook 2 (NYC). In collaboration with composer Paul Shilton, Liza recently created, wrote, and directed the verbatim song cycle So, how’s it been? which had a sold-out run at the outdoor Here for Now festival in Stratford, Ontario during the summer of 2021. She also wrote the text for composer Brian Current’s new opera Gould’s Wall, in production in 2022 at Koerner Hall/RCM. During a multi-year residency at the Theatre Centre, she developed her documentary/verbatim project Out the Window. Liza directed its original production at the Theatre Centre and it was produced at Toronto’s International Luminato Festival in 2018, directed by Sarah Garton Stanley. Early written works include her solo shows BRANGST, and Leftovers, performed at assorted festivals and fringes across Ontario. Liza’s recent directing credits include Much Ado about Nothing for Canadian Stage’s Shakespeare in High Park, Every Brilliant Thing (starring Rebecca Northan) at Grand Theatre in London, and the premiere stage production of S