bio

Mika Laulainen is a stage director and playwright based in Vancouver and on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She holds a BFA in Theatre, with a specialization in directing from the University of Victoria. She has further trained at Directors Lab North, Directors Lab West, the Women’s Directing Intensive at the Banff Centre, and in directing ensembles with Movement Theater Studios in New York. Mika was a member of the 2019-2021 SDC Foundation Observership Class. She holds training in intimacy direction from Intimacy Directors International, Intimacy Directors & Choreographers, Intimacy Canada, and Theatrical Intimacy and Education. She has directed across Canada and the US. Mika is also a puppeteer and theatre producer. Elle travaille justement en français et l’anglais.

Mika directs theatre for professional companies and community engaged initiatives. From 2013-2020, Mika directed and produced her own work under the banner of star star theatre. She was the Artistic Associate at Axis Theatre, a physical theatre company for young audiences, for the 2016-2017 season.

Mika has written six professional plays to date. Mika’s first professional play, Runaway, premiered in May 2015 with Theatre SKAM. The play’s development was supported through commission by Theatre SKAM and can be found through Playwrights Guild of Canada, where she is a member. Mika has most recently written Wag, a play for young audiences developed with Concrete Theatre and presented at the Sprouts Festival in May 2021 and May 2022. She is a member of Equity in Theatre.

When she is not making theatre, Mika enjoys listening to groovy tunes, baking cakes, and exploring forests with her dog. She loves a good novel.