James Lavoie holds a Masters Degree From Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (London, UK) in Scenography: performance design and practice. He has designed over 50 productions in Canada and abroad. Working in both set and costume design, James is most recognized for his work as a production designer. Following his specialized studies in dramaturgy through design, he creative directs multiple visual aspects of a performance (combining set, costume, props, video and puppetry) and works in tandem with a director to create a total visual environment. His approach as a designer is informed by his multi-disciplinary background as a visual and video artist as well as a performer and performance creator.
His career has been marked by his involvement in the creation of many new Canadian works, including premiere productions by playwrights Bryden Macdonald, (With Bated Breath) Michael Mackenzie, (Instructions To Any Future Socialist Government Wishing to Abolish Christmas) Colleen Curan, (True Nature), Steve Gallucccio (In Piazza San Domenico) and Colleen Wagner (Down from Heaven).
In Montreal his work has been recognized five times by the Montreal English critics circle award for best design. Internationally, he has collaborated with students from the Jerusalem School of Visual theatre, the Cape Town Theatre Laboratory in South Africa and Bios in Athens Greece.
Recently, James production designed the Cirque du Soleil’s Les Chemins Invisible, Chapitre 4: La Frontière de Pixels in Quebec City, and designed the costumes for the fifth Chapter, L’Hangar des Oubliés. He also designed the set and costumes for the Segal Center’s Sherlock, featuring Jay Baruchel, for which James received the inaugural META award for best costume design.
Other recent projects include Innocence Lost, co-produced by the National Arts Center and the Centaur Theatre, and the world premiere of PIG at Buddies in Bad times Theatre. James is also a coach/mentor for the 3rd year Scenography Students at the National Theatre school of Canada, and has been a regular guest lecturer at Concordia and McGill Universities.

Photo by Maude Chauvin (2013)