Diane Roberts is an accomplished director, dramaturge, writer and cultural animator, who has collaborated with innovative theatre visionaries and interdisciplinary artists for the past 30 years. Her directorial and dramaturgical work has been seen on stages across Canada and her reputation as a mentor, teacher and community collaborator is nationally and internationally recognized.
Diane has directed for such companies as urban ink, Black Theatre Workshop, The Theatre Centre, Theatre Direct, The Company of Sirens, Frank Theatre, b current, Cahoots Theatre Projects, Obsidian Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, Women in View Festival, The Sudbury Theatre Centre and The Stratford Festival. She is the former Artistic Director of urban ink productions in Vancouver (2007-2014) and former Artistic Co-Director of Nightwood Theatre in Toronto. She is also a founding member of Obsidian Theatre, Co-founder of backforward collective and founder and Artistic Director of the Arrivals Legacy Project.
Some of her most exhilarating directing projects have included: Omari Newton’s Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy of (nominated for 5 Meta Awards including best production); Heather Hermant’s ribcage: this wide passage; Rooted Theatre’s Hellfighter; Valerie Sing Turner’s Confessions of the The Other Woman; Gail Nyoka’s Mella Mella!, Femi Osofisan’s Esu and the Vagabond Minstrels, Andrew Moodie’s A Common Man’s Guide to Loving Women (nominated for two Mecca awards for best production and best director, winner of Mecca Award for best ensemble), Darrell Dennis’ The Trickster of Third Ave. East, G.B. Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, M. NourbeSe Philip’s Coups and Calypsos (Dora Nominations for best director & set design), Pauline Peters’ Dryland, and Joan MacLeod’s Little Sister (nominated for best director, Dora Mavor Moore Award).
The Arrivals Personal Legacy Process, developed during Diane’s 7 year tenure as Artistic Director of urban ink productions, has birthed new Interdisciplinary works across Canada, throughout the Americas, in the UK, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. This work has allowed her to articulate, cultivate and realise a vision for theatre that encourages Indigenous ways of knowing as a stepping stone to creative expression. Upcoming ventures include directing Nicola Harwood’s Buffalo Girls for Frank Theatre in Vancouver, remounting urban ink’s national touring production of Sal Capone & an international PhD to investigate the Arrivals process on a global scale.
