Langham Directors’ Workshop – DEADLINE: 2026/09/13

The Langham Directors' Workshop nurtures directorial talent by giving participants the resources to explore, play, and hone their craft — supporting work not only on the Festival's stages, but for their careers beyond it. Participants explore innovative Shakespeare and classical works, support large-scale productions on some of the country's most unique stages, and develop new plays with Canada's finest playwrights, all while gaining mentorship, growing their networks, and building practical knowledge of how the Festival works.

The Program

Participants work as Assistant Directors on Festival productions during an initial residency (typically 11–16 consecutive weeks between February and August), attend group meetings with guest artists throughout the season, and take part in two intensives featuring panel discussions and creative workshops. After the initial residency, the Festival may place interested participants in further Assistant Director roles, at the Festival or elsewhere, subject to mutual agreement.

What's Offered

Participants receive a fee (typically $9,000–$10,000 for the initial residency), housing subsidy, and travel expenses, along with mentorship from established Festival directors and access to Festival perks — tours, tickets, the Archives, company classes, and opportunities to connect with senior staff and visiting artists.

Who's Being Sought

The Workshop is looking for directors with at least 4 years of experience, foundational training, and a proven commitment to the craft — ideally with confidence leading a room of Stratford actors and experience in a professional theatre setting. A demonstrated interest in Shakespeare or the classical canon is a plus for some productions, and preference is given to those at least 1 year removed from an MA/MFA program. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Care is taken to pair participants with directors whose interests align, and both parties must agree to work together — applicants will interview with both Langham leadership and production directors.

The Festival is committed to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, and actively seeks to partner with artists from equity-seeking groups.

How to Apply

Applicants should review the program details carefully, then submit the following in written, audio, or video format:

• An artistic introduction (2 pages or 5 min)
• A response to "How do you define Artistic Risk?" (1 page or 2 min)
• A resumé or CV (3 pages)
• 2 references (name, contact info, and relationship to the applicant)

Support with access needs (ASL interpretation, deadline extensions, etc.) is available on request.

Applications can be submitted here.

Deadline: September 13, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.