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isabella cesari
THEATRE PORTFOLIO
directing
HIGHLIGHTS
The Glass Menagerie
JUNE 2025
By Tennessee Williams
Stage Managed by Niamh Moll
Dramaturgy by Mila Frumovitz
Dialect Coaching by Mia Aubuchon
Photography by Isabella Cesari
Videography by James Bottomley
Lighting & Set Design by Isabella Cesari
Intimacy Direction by Sheila Gatensby
Fight Choreography by James Goldman
Dogfight: The Musical
NOVEMBER 2024
Photography by Isabella Cesari & Niall Durcan
Videography by Astrud Robichaud and Megan Smalley
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Book by Peter Duchan
Based on the Warner Bros. film and Screenplayby Bob Comfort
Choreography by Emily Sugianto
Stage Management by Caitlyn Grant
Lighting Design by Niall Durcan
Sound Design by Maia Wells
Sound Engineering by Casey Belland
Fight Direction by Michelle Lewis
Music Direction by Hillary Chu
Costume Desing by Xurui Wang
Set Design by Isabella Cesari and Rees Ferguson
Hair & Makeup Design by Kara Ruiz Austria
Intimacy Direction by Corey Tazmania
Assistant Stage Management by Clark Steeves & Nicole Hayward
"Ambitious"
"Explores [a] profound inquiry with sensitivity and vigor."
"Thought-provoking"
"The large ensemble cast excel in both group numbers and individual moments, operating with precision and an infectious exuberance"
"Under the energetic direction of Isabella Cesari, the production makes maximal use of the theatre’s unique architecture"
"Emotionally stirring"
"[One] moment of catharsis prompted the audience to erupt in cheers"
Low Pay? Don't Pay!
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
"A non-stop parade of comedic set pieces"
"One of the most strange, surreal and thought-provoking conclusions you’ll see in a Toronto theatre this year."
"A rare treat: an epic farce that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply resonant with the contemporary milieu and practical challenges of the audience watching it."
By Dario Fo & Translated by Joseph Farrell
Stage Management by Robyn Shepherd
Costume Design by Cameron Ashley
Assistant Stage Management by Bini Shah & Shelley Hogeveen
Set & Lighting Design by Isabella Cesari
Produced by Kimberley Ann Croscup
& Tsipporah Shendroff (Alumnae Theatre)
Videography by Nicholas Porteous (@picolas)
"In the hands of this skilled cast and director, Low Pay? Don’t Pay! is not a piece of historical theater, but a biting critique of modern capitalism."
"Lively and raucous"
Much Ado About Nothing
JULY 2024
By William Shakespeare
Co-Directed with Caitlyn Grant
Produced by Elžbieta Chernyak
Choreography by Emily Sugianto
Twelfth Night
JUNE 2023
By William Shakespeare
Stage Management by Caitlyn Grant
Costume Design by Kara Ruiz Austria
Lizzie: The Musical
APRIL 2023
Photography by Nika Gottlieb (@nyka.jpeg) and Nathan Gregory
By Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt
Choreography by Gabby Noga
Stage Management by Caitlyn Grant
Technical Direction by Nathan Gregory
Deputy Stage Management by Amitai Heyl
Music Direction by Rowyn Campbell & Spencer Glassman
Costume, Hair, and Makeup Design by Nika Gottlieb
Set, Lighting, and Sound Design by Isabella Cesari
Assistant Stage Management by Nina Katz
"Compelling"
"A delight to watch"
"A very entertaining production"
MARCH 2023
Cabaret
Photography by Chris Anderson
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music Direction by Max Darlington
Choreography by Noam Citrin
Stage Management by Caitlyn Grant
Based on the play by John van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Costume, Hair, and Makeup Design by Nika Gottlieb
Set Design by Emelia Findlay
Lighting and Sound Design by Isabella Cesari
Dramaturgy by Noam Citrin and Nika Gottlieb
Assistant Stage Management by Sabah Kahnemuyipour, Amitai Heyl, Collins Runxin Hu, and Mandy Yerin Munkhzorig
"A frenzied, heart-wrenching display of complicity"
"Embodied the sharp, sickening energy of its source material"
"At once deeply immersive and discomfiting"
"A dizzyingly camp portrayal of hedonism"
Carrie: The Musical
OCTOBER 2022
“A terrific introduction to the story.”
Music by Michael Gore
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Book by Lawrence D. Cohen
Based on the book by Stephen King
Directed with Caitlyn Grant
Stage Management by Chelsea Young
Assistant Stage Management by Lizzy Sayers and Anneke Lee
Music Direction by Hillary Chu & Jonah Nung
Choreography by Cass Iacovelli
Costume Design by Kara Ruiz Austria
Set Design by Emelia Findlay
Lighting Design by Isabella Cesari & Caitlyn Grant
Sound Design by Rowyn Campbell
"Serves up spooky thrills"
"[Said] something meaningful, not only about the politics of kindness but also about the very spirit of... U of T drama itself"
Miss You 'Til Tomorrow
MAY 2022
Music and Lyrics by Ian Chan
Book and Lyrics by Isabella Cesari
Music Direction by Rowyn Campbell and Hillary Chu
Choreography by Cass Iacovelli
Stage Management by Ness Wong
Costume Design by Kara Ruiz Austria
Set Design by Emelia Findlay
Lighting Design by Isabella Cesari
Sound Design by Ness Wong
Assistant Stage Management by Caitlyn Grant
Spring Awakening
MARCH 2022
Music by Duncan Sheik
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater
Music Direction by Hillary Chu
Choreography by Emily Sugianto
Stage Management by Ness Wong
Photography by Colin Darling, Videography by Rahul Parhar
Costume Design by Kara Ruiz Austria
Makeup and Hair Design by Nika Gottlieb
Set Design by Emelia Findlay
Lighting Design by Isabella Cesari
Assistant Stage Management by Chelsea Young and Emelia Findlay
"Biting triumph."
"Under the direction of Isabella Cesari, the well-known musical...[created] an atmosphere of minimalistic yet unwavering tension."
"The type of performance that has been dearly missed during online productions."
"Tangible."
"Vibrant energy."
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