Studio 58 announces Paul Moniz de Sá as its new artistic director

The former head of Theatre, Music & Film at Arts Umbrella has worked across local stages and screens

LANGARA’S STUDIO 58 has announced one of its own alumni as its new artistic director.

Paul Moniz de Sá, who graduated from the respected theatre school almost three decades ago, will now helm his alma mater.

Moniz de Sá served for more than a dozen years as artistic director of Theatre, Music & Film at Arts Umbrella, overseeing more than 20 touring and in-house productions. He has also worked as a professional actor, director, and sound designer, performing with companies including Bard on the Beach, the National Arts Centre, the Charlottetown Festival, the Arts Club Theatre Company, and Touchstone Theatre. On screen, he has appeared in everything from The BFG and Fire Country to the Shōgun series.

Kathryn Shaw, the long-serving artistic director of Langara College’s Studio 58, retired at the end of 2020. In early 2021, Courtenay Dobbie, former head of Caravan Farm Theatre, stepped into the role, but sadly passed away in 2024 and the company has been run by interim directors ever since.

“Studio 58 shaped me as an artist and a professional,” Moniz de Sá said in today’s announcement. “It taught me not only how to act, but how to work, collaborate and hold myself to the highest standards. To return now as Artistic Director is an extraordinary honour, and I am deeply committed to supporting the next generation of theatre artists as they find their voices and their place in this industry.”

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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