Mika Laulainen

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Mika Laulainen is a freelance director and puppeteer based in Vancouver and on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She holds a BFA in Theatre, with a specialization in directing from the University of Victoria. She has further trained in directing at Directors Lab North, Directors Lab West, the Women’s Directing Intensive at the Banff Centre, and in directing ensembles with Movement Theater Studios in New York. She has further trained in puppetry with the Old Trout Puppet Workshop at the Banff Puppet Intensive.Mika has also trained in mask and clown with the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance.

Puppeteering credits include Dido & Aeneas: a puppet opera (Postmodern Camerata), Beaver Dreams/La fièvre du castor (Lost & Found Puppet Co), Somebody Loves You, Mr Hatch (Axis Theatre), and Sticks & Stones: a forest puppet show (The Only Animal). She has directed puppet production Kolejka (rEvolver Festival) and assistant directed Th’owxiya: The Hungry Fest Dish (Axis Theatre), a play utilizing mask and puppets. Next, Mika is looking forward to directing a new puppet adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk by Randi Edmundson (Project X Theatre).