Allyson McMackon (she/her): Allyson is a director and educator working in the Toronto community for 34 years. In 1998, she founded Theatre Rusticle whose work has been seen in partnerships with Theatre Passe Muraille, Harbourfront Centre, The Theatre Centre and, since 2013, with Buddies in Bad Times ~ most recently with ground-breaking productions of Our Town (2017) and Midsummer Night’s Dream. Theatre Rusticle has received 16 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations. Other collaborations include work with Zata Omm Dance Projects, Blue Ceiling Dance, Eclipse Theatre and Soulpepper. A sought-after teacher, she has taught at The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Sheridan College Musical Theatre, George Brown Theatre School, The University of Toronto and four seasons at the Globe Conservatory in Regina. Contract faculty at York University since 2008, she has taught devising, physical theatre and movement in Theatre Studies and the BFA/MFA conservatories. She has guest directed at George Brown, York, and Sheridan College. She has led Master classes for the Director’s Lab North, Buddies in Bad Times and Factory Theatre Training Enhancement Programme. Allyson was three times nominated for the KM Hunter Artists Award, received Dora nominations for direction, production and choreography and was Harolded in 2008.  She has mentored with Buddies’ Young Creator’s Unit and the Paprika Festival. She is a contributor to Evan Tsiatsis’ The Director’s Lab (Playwrights Canada) and has an MFA in Acting from York University and a BA in Drama and English from the University of Toronto. Upcoming is Rusticle’s Tempest at Buddies in Bad Times in January 2024.