Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre has announced the appointment of arts leader and Soulpepper Academy alum Paolo Santalucia as the next Artistic Director. The announcement came after a nation-wide search for a new leader to take over from Weyni Mengesha’s groundbreaking seven-year tenure in the role.
Santalucia will step into the position on September 1, 2025, and will curate the company’s 2026/27 Season.
“Paolo is an award-winning director, performer and artistic leader, with deep roots at Soulpepper, and rich leadership experience at Crow’s Theatre and The Howland Company” said Robin Cardozo, Chair of the Board of Directors, in a statement. “His passion for the performing arts, commitment to collaborative and inclusive leadership, and his deeply held personal values will be powerful drivers for Soulpepper’s continued success.”
As a graduate of the Soulpepper Academy, Santalucia has been part of Soulpepper family for more than a decade. Predecessor Weyni Mengesha was also a Soulepepper Academy alumna.
“I am deeply grateful and humbled by this appointment. It’s an extraordinary honour to return to a place that so powerfully shaped my artistic life, and to serve a company whose work has helped redefine what Canadian theatre means for my generation,” said Paolo Santalucia.
Canadian actor and playwright Paolo Santalucia is a two-time Dora Award winner. He also won a Canadian Screen Award as part of the ensemble of the TV series Pillow Talk, and was shortlisted for the John Hirsch Award for Directing.
He has performed in productions with prominent companies across North America, including Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, The Grand, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Young People’s Theatre, Chicago Broadway Playhouse, and the New York City Pershing Signature Centre.
Paolo is a co-founder and Artistic Leader of the award-winning Howland Company, and teaches classical performance at the University of Toronto.
“I believe theatre is an engine for building community — a lightning rod that gives people a stake in the place they call home. Soulpepper is exactly that: a galvanizing force that inspires civic pride and exemplifies the world-class work we are capable of creating here. I’m proud to have been shaped by it, proud to follow Weyni’s transformative tenure, and profoundly excited to help steward the next chapter of this extraordinary institution,” he adds.
Weyni Mengesha’s leadership was transformational for Soulpepper, and resulted in a company that has continued a reputation for artistic excellence while remaining rooted in the community.
“I am so excited to enter into this next chapter of Soulpepper’s evolution with Paolo. His infectious energy, deep capacity for listening and learning, and commitment to delivering what audiences are truly seeking will mean that our momentum as a company will only continue to accelerate.” said Gideon Arthurs, Executive Director of Soulpepper Theatre.
“Paolo is part of the extended Soulpepper family and will be an extraordinary steward for many years to come.”
The Creative Collaboration Initiative (CCI) is an important part of the company’s mandate going forward, building and strengthening relationships with other Toronto theatre organizations, including more than 10 co-producing companies, and multi-year strategic initiative with Crow’s Theatre.
Best of luck to Soulpepper and Paolo Santalucia as they begin their new adventures.
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