A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Stéphane Roy has worked as both a set designer and artistic director on over 100 productions in Montreal and abroad. While mainly active in theatre and dance, he has also worked in film, television, advertising and variety shows.

Over the years Stéphane's career has led to special relationships with a number of directors and arts companies. For example, he has created the sets for more than 20 plays presented at Espace Go and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal. And since 1995 he has been the set designer for several productions by the internationally-acclaimed dance troupe La La La Human Steps.

His achievements have earned him many awards and honours, including being named Revelation of the Year, all categories combined, by the Association Québécoise des Critiques de Théâtre in 1989. In 1992, the same association honored him with the award for best set design. His talent has also been recognized by the Conseil des Arts de la Communauté Urbaine de Montréal, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and the Académie Québécoise du Théâtre.

Given that professional background, plus an architect father, a mother active in theatre and a unique social and artistic approach to performance space, it's not surprising that Stéphane Roy would, sooner or later, gravitate toward Cirque du Soleil – and vice versa. His formal association with Cirque began with his sets for Dralion, and he followed that with designs for Varekai and Zumanity.

"In theatre, set design gives concrete form to the author's discourse and the director's vision," he says. "At Cirque du Soleil, I discovered the blank page. It's another way of doing set design – an opportunity for me to take my artistic approach and its impact a step further. I approach each new creation with no preconceptions. No door is closed to the designers and the creative process is free and open." Stéphane says of KOOZA: "I wanted to capture the essence of circus itself by creating a scenographic environment that offers true proximity to the audience and where the danger is palpable – a scenic space in which everything is done out in the open with simplicity and transparency, where even the acrobatic equipment, the structure of the big top and the orchestra are in full view."

Stéphane Roy was born in 1963, in Quebec City.