Liza Balkan is a Dora Award winning actor, director, teacher, writer, casting director, dancer and singer who has been working in this business for the past 29 years She has taught acting at The Academy of Film and Television, Sheridan, Seneca College, Shakesperience. She also works regularly as a private coach. Her casting credits include, Laurie Lynds’ short film R.S.V.P and Feature film, HOUSE, and Amnon Buchbinder’s The Fishing Trip. Liza’s
recent directing credits include the operas The Marriage of Figaro and Elixer of Love for COSI in Sulmona, Italy; SMASH, - University of Windsor; Half an Hour/Directors’ Project - Shaw Festival; Skylight and Trying - Persephone Theatre; Emil Sher’s Mourning Dove -Ark Collective/Tarragon Theatre; Bunnicula - Theatre Athena; The premiere of Jason Sherman’s adaptation of Gorky’s Enemies and The Good Woman of Setzuan - Ryerson Theatre School;
Little Shop of Horrors - CCPA, Victoria , BC; Opera Briefs 06/07 -Tapestry New Opera; the Toronto Fringe hit Opera On the Rocks and the a cappella song cycle Lake Nora Arms for Summerworks ‘09.She has assisted on productions at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, National Arts Centre and Soulpepper. She is a Playwright in Residence with Crows Theatre and her play Out The Window, is being developed and produced by Crows and the Theatre
Centre.

Her acting credits include productions at the NAC, Blyth Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, GCTC, Harbourfront, Elgin Theatre, Belfry Theatre, ATP, The Kennedy Centre ( Wash. DC), Theatre for the New City (NYC), Peoples Light and Theatre Company (PA) as well as several Fringe and Rhubarb Festivals. She was nominated for Calgary’s Betty Mitchell award and received a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her performance in Still The Night, which premiered at Passe Muraille and subsequently toured the country.