郝邦 宇Steven Hao

郝邦宇 Steven Hao is a Toronto-based director, actor, and writer passionate about creating work that breaks the boundary of what theatre can be. Born and raised in China, Steven is very open about how his upbringing and cultural influence have often impacted how he tells stories and leads his process. In his directing work, there’s a huge emphasis put on ‘play’ that usually guides his staging process and the creative yet efficient application of design. For that reason, his work is often highly sensorial and heavily conceptual: compact with innovative stage pictures and invigorating sound and lighting design. In recent years, Steven has taken a particular interest in Asian stories in the context of Musical Theatre as he’s fascinated by the interception of cultural differences. He most recently directed the latest iteration of A Perfect Bowl of Pho, the only show to receive four stars from the Toronto Star and the best-selling show at the Toronto Fringe Festival. In his continued journey toward artistic revelation, Steven is very interested in crossing theatrical forms and reimagining what theatre can look, sound, and feel like onstage. Steven is also committed to discovering ways to make theatre more accessible and sustainable for all involved onstage and off.

His Selected Credits Include:
For Directing: Director, Ordinary Days (Shifting Ground Collective); Assistant Director, Heroes of The Fourth Turning (The Howland Company/Crow’s Theatre); Assistant Director, The Chinese Lady (Crow’s Theatre/Studio 180 Theatre/fu-GEN Theatre); Director, A Perfect Bowl of Pho (Toronto Fringe Festival/Kick & Push Festival).

For Acting: Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage); Cockroach, Cockroach (Tarragon Theatre); Bartender/Zeus, Trojan Girls & The Outhouse of Atreus (OtM/Factory Theatre)

Photo by Calvin Thomas @calvinthomasstudio