Jovanni Sy is a director, playwright, actor, and educator based in Montreal. He is the former Artistic Director of Gateway Theatre in Vancouver and Cahoots Theatre in Toronto.
Jovanni recently directed Salesman in China (which he co-wrote with Leanna Brodie) at the Stratford Festival in August 2024 to great acclaim; the play was then remounted at the National Arts Centre in January 2025. For this production, Jovanni was voted Best Director on BroadwayWorld.com.
Jovanni has also directed his plays The Five Vengeances (Affair of Honor), 食盡天下 (A Taste of Empire) (rice and beans), and The Tao of the World (University of Calgary). The Tao of the World is currently in development at the Stratford Festival.
Other directing credits include: Murder on the Orient Express (Vertigo Theatre); Stitch (Native Earth); The Orchard (After Chekhov) (Arts Club); Yoga Play, Valley Song, Closer Than Ever (Gateway Theatre); God of Carnage, Antigone, Blackbird (Theatre du Pif).
Jovanni has also directed at several universities and theatre school with productions such as The Five Vengeances (Humber College); The Weight of Ants (CCPA); and Wildfire (University of Alberta). In Fall 2025, he will write and direct a new piece as the Artist in Residence at Bishop's University and in February 2026, he will direct The Neverending Story at the National Theatre School of Canada.