Mimi Katano
交野 みみ
Director - Choreographer - Producer
“Working artistically with Mimi feels like plotting with practical magic: she entertains all ideas and finds a way to make “yes” a reality while fairly sticking to “no” when needed. Through logistics and artistry, I am always inspired.”
-- Gillian Jorgensen,
Theatre Educator, Playwright
"Mimi surrounds her students (at YTN) with talented artists to work with them but most importantly, she creates a community with caring, kind, and passionate people.”
--Manual Cawaling,
Executive Director of Inspire Washington
"More than any other director I've had the privilege of working with, Mimi manages to strike the perfect balance between disciplined rigor on one hand and playful creativity on the other."
--Ellen Zahniser,
Former student of Youth Theatre Northwest
“Mimi has the ability to share her artistic vision while allowing collaborative artists to use their strengths and skills in a seamless process. It is always a joy to work with her and I always feel respected as an artist and person in her productions. And she's also just fun…”
--Heather MacLaughlin,
Musical Director
"I always love working with Mimi as a director, both as an actor and as a producer. As an actor, she creates a rehearsal environment where I feel safe to experiment and take risks. She allows me room to play while also providing very specific, clear guidance so that I feel like I have something to strive towards. She offers the perfect balance that I appreciate so that by opening I have a confidence in my performance that I don't find when directors are either too rigid or too directionless. As a producer, I love how organized and responsive Mimi is. She comes in with a clear sense of what she would like to accomplish and is always gracious and respectful of everyone on the team. She is always a pure joy to work with. She's smart, thoughtful and has a wonderful sense of humor that allows the entire team space to get the work done while also having fun doing it."
- Kathy Hsieh, Freelance actor and Co-Executive Producer of SIS Productions
“Working with a pro like Mimi is a joy. From handling designers to scheduling rehearsals to managing tricky actor dynamics, Mimi was a consummate professional to work with. And the end result? Well…we were doing a rolling world premiere with four other theatres whose size dwarfed ours…but you sure couldn’t tell it from the finished product.”
--Roger Tang,
Pork Filled Productions
"Mimi Katano is the rarest of directors, in that she has a clear vision combined with a supportive, flexible rehearsal style that allows for each member of the production to contribute their creativity and ideas to the vision in a delightful and rich process! And able to help her actors through the roadblocks they sometimes encounter with patience, humor, enthusiasm and kindness."
--Larry Coen,
Boston Actor
"I find Mimi's process to be seamless and effortless. She understands what it takes to be a full fledged partner in collaboration."
--Craig Wollam,
Scenic Designer
"I love working with Mimi Katano, it is always a wonderful and creative experience. She is able to articulate her vision in a precise and understandable manner that makes working on a design an enjoyable and fruitful endeavor. She is trusting of her teams and always gives her designers and actors a safe place to grow and challenge themselves."
--Jocelyn Fowler,
Costume Designer