Invitation to high school drama teachers and drama students to attend our Mainstage Show, Kostroma.
We are thrilled to invite you and your senior year drama students to a special invited dress rehearsal of our Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies (CDTPS) 2026 Mainstage Show, Kostroma, written by CDTPS alumna Polly Phokeev and directed by faculty member Beatriz Pizano. The performance will take place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 10am to 1pm at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse located at 79 St. George Street in downtown Toronto, the central hub for our classes, gatherings and performances at the University of Toronto.
Kostroma is a post-communist fever dream about a woman trying to wrangle together a fair election in an autocratic regime run by clowns.
Director Beatriz Pizano is an acclaimed director, actor, playwright and dramaturge and the artistic director of Aluna Theatre: a multi-award-winning company that creates, develops, produces and presents interdisciplinary and intercultural theatre.
This performance showcases the culmination of intensive training, tutelage and experience CDTPS students gain during their four years studying in a world-class university. Our undergraduate program, with the option to gain a drama specialist, major or minor Bachelor of Arts degree, offers interdisciplinary courses and rigorous practical training. Along with courses in theatre and performance theory and history, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, technology, and practice-based lab courses, the CDTPS offers introductory and advanced studio courses in acting, production, design, directing, and playwriting.
In 2026, we’re excited to be moving into a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility in University College’s north wing, featuring:
- A reconfigurable black box theatre and rehearsal studio
- Modern seminar rooms and student lounges
- Hoteling workspaces and a cutting-edge studio for the BMO Lab for Creative Research in the Arts, Performance, Emerging Technologies and AI
Program highlights include:
- Specialized education in the field of performance, emerging technologies and AI;
- International research and internationally renowned researchers;
- Faculty members who are active creators in the theatre industry;
- Professional networking and international opportunities;
- Five creative streams: acting, directing, playwriting, production & design, and performance & technology;
- Small classroom settings allowing for enhanced interaction between instructors and students;
- Opportunities for students to meet some of the best scholars and artists in the world;
- Guest artist workshops, international theatre trips, and summer courses abroad
- Opportunities to participate in campus theatre, the Hart House Drama Festival and the U of T Spotlight Playwriting competition.
Our students often combine drama with majors in English, cinema studies, psychology, computer science, anthropology, biology, environmental studies and more — making CDTPS a vibrant place to begin a creative and academic journey.
To attend, please complete our Mainstage Show RSVP Form with the estimated number of students you plan to bring. Seating is limited to 65, and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Kindly respond by February 2, 2026.
Additionally, if you’d like one of our undergraduate students to visit your school before the winter break to speak with your grade 12 or senior drama class about studying at CDTPS, we’d be happy to arrange a 30 to 60-minute visit. These sessions can include a Q&A and, time permitting, a few drama games.
For questions or to arrange a school visit, please contact us at comms.cdtps@utoronto.ca or call 416-978-7987.
We look forward to welcoming you to Kostroma!
Kathleen Gallagher
Director, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies
Seika Boye
Associate Director, Undergraduate, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies