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Marie Farsi

Director

Marie Farsi is a boundary-pushing director and theatre maker recognized for her bold visual language and inventive interpretations of text. Deeply committed to the creation of new work, she has become a sought-after collaborator for some of Canada’s most dynamic theatre companies, including Crow’s Theatre, the Musical Stage Company, the Segal Centre, Tarragon Theatre, the Stratford Festival, the National Arts Centre, and Théâtre La Seizième, among others.

Her recent adaptation and direction of Fifteen Dogs, based on André Alexis’ acclaimed novel, drew critical praise for its theatrical ambition and emotional depth—playing to sold-out houses at Crow’s, the Segal Centre, Mirvish Productions, and the NAC.

Marie's artistic interests span a wide spectrum: from classical plays to musicals, contemporary puppetry, and radically intimate installations. Her work is often described as daring, intelligent, and visually immersive—driven by a desire to challenge form and invite audiences, especially younger and more adventurous ones, into theatrical worlds that feel immediate and alive.

She is the recipient of several national awards, including the Ray Michal Award for Outstanding Body of Work by an Emerging Director, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction in Musical Theatre, and the Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award for Best Director of a Musical.

 

Signature Productions

  • Fifteen Dogs Adapted for the stage by Marie Farsi, based on the novel by André Alexis - Crow’s Theatre (2023) / Segal Centre (2024) / Mirvish CAA Theatre and NAC (2025)
  • After The Rain by Rose Napoli and Suzy Wilde (2025) - Tarragon Theatre and Musical Theatre Stage
  • Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare (2025) - Canadian Stage / Dream in High Park
  • I, Claudia by Kristen Thompson (2021) - Arts Club Theatre Company
  • Ghost Quartet by Dave Malloy (2019) - Crow’s Theatre

(Praise for Fifteen Dogs:)

Two years later, Fifteen Dogs is still paw-some. (Sorry.) But at Toronto’s CAA Theatre, Farsi’s production feels more poignant, more efficient and more raw.

Globe and Mail
Aisling Murphy

(Praise for Fifteen Dogs:)

As stirring as it is hilarious, Fifteen Dogs is one of the most deceptively profound shows of the theatre season — a moving exploration, through a canine lens, of what it means to be human.

Toronto Star
Joshua Chong

(Praise for Fifteen Dogs:)

The talented artist who brought such haunting intensity to Crow’s Theatre’s production of Ghost Quartet four years ago has adapted – for the same company – André Alexis’s 2015 Giller Prize-winning novel Fifteen Dogs with whimsy, imagination and profundity. 

Globe and Mail
Glenn Sumi

(Praise for Fifteen Dogs:)

Director/adaptor Marie Farsi has managed the impossible in bringing this Canadian literary masterpiece to the stage.
With Fifteen Dogs, she confirms my belief in her brilliance as a true original — a theatre craftsperson who creates her own conventions and rules.

Paula Citron

Latest News

Spotlight: Marie Farsi

Naomi Skwarna for Intermission magazine interviews playwright, director and dramaturg Marie Farsi...

Learn More