Signy Lynch

Signy Lynch is an Assistant Professor in English and Drama at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and a graduate faculty member at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies. Her research focuses on contemporary intercultural/diasporic performance, Black theatre, participatory performance, audience research, and critical theatre criticism in Canada.

• Education: PhD and MA from York University, Hon. BA from Queen’s University

Her work explores the intersections of digital media and intercultural performance, including immersive theatre practices and audience dynamics in pandemic-era performances. She co-edits Canadian Theatre Review and investigates epistemic violence in traditional criticism frameworks.

In the 15 most recent publications, Lynch examines topics like racial dynamics in theatre criticism, intermedial performance technologies, audience complicity in Indigenous storytelling, and pandemic-era performance adaptations. Her articles appear in Theatre Research in Canada, Contemporary Theatre Review, and New Theatre Quarterly.

• Awards: Barbara Godard Prize (2021), Governor General’s Gold Medal (2022), CTCA Outstanding Critical Essay runner-up (2022)

Lynch co-directs the Centre for Spectatorship and Audience Research and serves on Cahoots Theatre’s board. Her SSHRC-funded research addresses hiring equity in Canadian theatre academia and reimagines critical dramaturgy for digital futures.