I am a theatre director, arts educator and community collaborator. In February 2025, I will begin work as the Artistic Director of Ten Thousand Things Theater in Minneapolis. Since 2018, I have served as the Producing Artistic Director at Theatreworks Colorado Springs, the Equity theatre-in-residence at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

Prior to Theatreworks, I came from Chicago, completing coursework for an MFA in Directing at Northwestern University, with thesis currently in process (yes, Mom, it will get done!) with Anna Shapiro, Michael Rohd, Jessica Thebus, Shana Cooper, Bonnie Metzgar, and Mary Zimmerman, among other amazing artists. Prior to Northwestern, I served as Associate Artistic Director and Director of Education at Greater Boston Stage Company (formerly Stoneham Theatre), an Equity Theatre north of Boston, as well as a freelance director, teaching artist, and dramaturg in New England. 

Recent directing highlights include summer 2024’s ACT OUT: 2 Gents, the fifth installment in a Ten Thousand-Things-inspired community tour (formerly Free-For-All) ; Into the Woods in Concert with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs; a gender-swapped Taming of the Shrew in Summer 2023 (all for Theatreworks); and Rocky Horror Show for Phamaly Theatre Company, the oldest professional theatre company for actors with disabilities. Upcoming projects in fall/ winter 2024 include Branden Jacob-Jenkins’s Everybody at Colorado College and Kate Hamill’s Sense and Sensibility at Theatreworks.

As an Artistic Director, representative joys include: Around the World in 80 Days, engaging Desi-American director Lavina Jadwani on Laura Eason’s updated adaptation to evolve from an annual Christmas Carol into an inclusive holiday tradition of family-friendly literary adaptations; The Mitten, writing and co-creating with Katy Williams Design and JParkerArts, a February 2021 outdoor, walking shadow puppet production, in which solo indoor masked puppeteers performed for bundled-up outdoor audiences by transforming arts center windows into large-scale shadow screens; and Aubergine, programming the first-ever fully bilingual production of Julia Cho’s play about a Korean-American chef, by super-titling the complete play in both English & Korean, accessible to the Springs’ large Korean diasporic community, work which continues in 2025 with Korean & Tagalog super-titles for Lloyd Suh’s Heart Sellers.

The world’s most basic directing resume can be found here. Yes, I would be happy to send you more details.

What energizes me as an artist…

As a director, I love using heightened language and dynamic physicality to engage and empower audience members. I’m jazzed by new work and [rediscovered] classics that explore shared humanity across time. My theatre invites everyone in: actively feminist, anti-racist, inclusive, and full of joy. My rehearsal methods are informed by Shana Cooper’s Essence Work and Actioning, as developed by Mike Alfreds, with a sprinkling of Laban’s efforts, and overall delight in the genuine audience connection of Direct Address. And all that while also acknowledging those approaches don’t work for everyone; I love finding the overlap in the Venn diagram of process which does! As an educator, I center learners to facilitate the wonderful ideas of students of all ages. I work to be transparent about how I am always learning.

To contact me directly:

caitlinlowans [at] gmail.com

Representative media and writings…