| Bios |
Human Cargo's network of theatre professionals is vast, spanning several national and cultural divides. Find out more about the projects bringing them together. |
|
Christopher Morris Canada Director, Dramaturge Christopher is a director, actor and playwright residing in Toronto. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Human Cargo, and is co-founder/co-artistic director of the Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group, an Inuit theatre company based in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Prior to initiating these companies Christopher established himself as a director, with Mary’s Wedding (Grand Theatre/London), The Bear (Preface Theatre/The Art Gallery of Ontario), I Am Yours (Equity Showcase Theatre), Mad Forest (Guest Director -University of Toronto), The Crack Walker (Trinity Theatre, Dublin), Salt Water Moon (Queen’s University) and Riders to the Sea (Queen’s University). Christopher also assistant directed Medea (Sardapi Theatre, Republic of Georgia) and Vote (Theatre for Change, Azerbaijan). In September/2007 Christopher launched Human Cargo, a multi-disciplinary theatre company based in Toronto that uses the creation of new works as a means to expose and discuss social and political issues. Through cross-cultural exchange and professional mentorship, it offers Canadian and international performance artists, and youth, a creative environment where they’ll be inspired to express themselves by transforming their life experiences into theatrical language. Human Cargo’s vision is to spark an innovative theatrical/cultural/social movement that inspires audiences to re-evaluate their personal and global perspectives of the human condition. As a professional actor he has worked with Soulpepper, the Tarragon Theatre, Necessary Angel, Theatre Passe Muraille, the Blyth Festival, Young People’s Theatre, Canadian Stage, The Grand Theatre (London and Kingston), Shakespeare Works, Resurgence Theatre, Theatrefront, the Thousand Islands Playhouse, and Halifax’s Shakespeare by the Sea, to name a few. He is a founding member of the Toronto based, award winning company Theatrefront. With Theatrefront he spearheaded Return: The Sarajevo Project, a theatre creation between Bosnian and Canadian Theatre artists (which was nominated for five Dora Mavor Moore Awards). His international work as an actor has brought him to Ireland, France, Bosnia, South Africa, the Republic of Georgia, and Iceland. Christopher studied directing at Queen’s University and Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a BAH in Theatre/Literature and a Bachelor of Education. While directing I am Yours at Equity Showcase in 2003, Christopher was mentored by Daniel Brooks. In 2005 Christopher received funding from Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program to complete an eleven-week director mentorship in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia with the award-winning Georgian director Gocha Kapanadze. During this time he also trained with Caryne Chapman-Clarke and Theatre for Change in Baku, Azerbaijan. Christopher is the recipient of the 2005 K.M Hunter Award for Theatre, was for a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2006 as a playwright for Return: The Sarajevo Project and was nominated for the 2008 John Hirsch Award. |
|
Lyon Smith Ontario Sound Designer Lyon Smith has been playing with sound in Toronto for close to 29 years. He was a member of the rock trio Skylight, indie duo HANDSoverTime, the improvisation Something is Burning Ensemble, and co-creator of Robokitty Selected credits as a sound designer include Little Dragon (K'now Theatre-Dora award for sound design and original composition ), Dreary and Izzy (Native Earth), Return: The Sarajevo Project (Theatrefront), Generous (Tarragon), The Drawer Boy (TPM) Christmas Carol (Soulpepper), I,Claudia (Segal Centre), Dead Ahead (LKTP), Agokwe (Buddies-Dora nomination for sound design) and Bird Brain (LKTYP) Up they Flew (Theatre Columbus). |
|
Linnea Swan Canada Dancer Creator Originally from Saskatoon, Toronto-based dance artist Linnea Swan is a |
|
Jonathan Fisher Canada Actor Jonathan Fisher is Pottawattami, Muckwa Dodem (Bear Clan) from the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, Three Fires Confederacy on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. He has performed extensively as an actor, dancer and singer in numerous productions across Canada, the U.S. and most recently Europe. Favourite roles include Lupi in “Lupi, The Great White Wolf” (De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group) performed entirely in the Anishnabe language. John Pai in “The Indolent Boys” (Syracuse Stage) by Pulitzer Prize winning Kiowa novelist N. Scott Momaday. Almighty Voice in “Almighty Voice & His Wife” (Native Earth Performing Arts) by Daniel David Moses. Creature Nataways in “Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing” (Red Roots Theatre) by Tomson Highway. Teddy in Ian Ross’ Governor General Award winning play “farewel” (Prairie Theatre Exchange/Great Canadian Theatre Company/Traverse Theatre) for which he performed at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. And Mark in “Time Stands Still” (Native Earth Performing Arts). He has performed in Prague, Czech Republic in the productions “Myths That Unite Us” and “A Trickster’s Tale” (Ypsilon Theatre/De-ba-jeh-mu-jig/University of Toronto). Raven in “Raven Stole The Sun” (Red Sky Performance) for which he has done many productions of across Canada, the U.S. and for “The Dreaming” Aboriginal festival in Woodford, Australia. He has sung in the indigenous dance musical “Tribe” (Ordway Music Theatre) in St. Paul, Minnesota and in the Oji-Cree opera “Diva Ojibway” (Native Earth Performing Arts) based on Mozart’s “The Don Giovanni”. He has directed the play Toronto@dreamersrock.com (De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group) the sequel to Drew Hayden Taylor’s Chalmer’s Award winning play “Toronto At Dreamer’s Rock” for which he has also co-directed and acted in numerous productions across Canada. Jonathan has been a two year participant of the “Aboriginal Dance Program” (Banff Centre for the Arts) and “An Aboriginal Journey With Brecht” and also as a guest actor for the “Aboriginal Screenwriters Workshop” both also at the Banff Centre. Other theatres he has performed with include Magnus Theatre, Arts and Cultural Centres Newfoundland & Labradour, Theatre Direct Canada, VideoCabaret, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Catalyst Theatre, One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo, Perth Theatre Projects, Red Barn Theatre, Arbour Theatre, Carousel Theatre, Firehall Arts Centre, National Arts Centre and The Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. Jonathan can also be seen in the independent feature “Johnny Greyeyes” (Nepantla Films). Radio credits include Owen in “Owen” (CBC New Voices Series). Chris in “Peggy Delaney” (CBC Mystery Radio Series) and Teddy in “farewel” also for CBC Radio. Jonathan is also the drummer for the alt-country band “Creek Johnson”. Jonathan has also just finished performing in the National Arts Centre mainstage production of “Copper Thunderbird” based on the world of Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau. |
|
Reneltta Arluk Canada Actress Reneltta was born and raised in the Northwest Territories. Starting there, she has traveled off the unbeaten path enough times to get a BFA-Acting degree from the University of Alberta and perform in a few shows…recent acting credits include: Annie Mae’s Movement (Studio Theatre), Dead White Writer on the Floor (Magnus Theatre), The Rez Sisters (O’Kaadenigan Wiingashk), (Magnus Theatre) and (Theatre Northwest), Aklavik Journals (Stuck in a Snowbank Theatre), Toronto Fringe Festival in Artifacts (Frontal Lobe Theatre), touring northern Greece in Utopian Floes (Caravan Stage Tall Ship Theatre) and Copper Thunderbird (National Arts Centre) where she became a premier recipient of the David S.R. Leighton Fellowship Award. Upcoming projects include a playwright residency with Gwaandak Theatre, co-producing a radio drama adaptation of Richard Van Camps’ short story I Count Myself Them under her company, Akpik Theatre, and performing her play TUMIT as part of Workshop West’s Canoe Festival. Reneltta is thrilled to be part of Human Cargo and the Night cast. |
|
Gillian Gallow Ontario Set & Costume Designer Gillian is a set and costume designer and some of her credits include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (costumes, Theatre Calgary/MTC); Awake and Sing! (costumes, Soulpepper); The Mill (set, Theatrefront); Appetite (set/costumes, Volcano/TPM); The Pillowman (costumes, Canadian Stage); Ubuntu (costumes, Tarragon/Neptune Theatre); The Syringa Tree (set/costumes, The Grand Theatre); Pride and Prejudice and The Graduate (costumes, The Grand Theatre); The Bear (Preface Theatre and the Art Gallery of Ontario) and The Merchant of Venice (Associate Set Design, The Stratford Festival). Upcoming: Ruined (Obsidian) and Sherlock Holmes (The Grand Theatre). She is the recipient of 3 Dora Mavor Moore awards. |
|
Anna Treusch Ontario Props and Scenic Art Anna is Toronto based Set Designer and Scenic Painter. Her recent Credits include Night, Human Cargo ( Props), Yichud, Theatre Passe Muraille ( Paints), And So It Goes, Factory Theatre ( Head of Paint and Props), Red Machine parts 1 and 2, The Room (co-Designer), Romeo Et Juliet, Opera Dublin ( Studio Assistant), The Children’s Crusade, Soundstreams Canada and Luminato ( Assistant Designer). Other credits are A Very Polite Genocide, Native Earth ( Costume Design), Cinderella, Randolph Academy (Set Design, Paints), Gameshow: The Musical, Theatre Engine (Set Design). Anna has worked as a Studio Assistant to Camellia Koo, Michael Levine, Leslie Travers and Gillian Gallow. Upcoming Credits: The City, Actors Repertory Company, (Associate Designer), 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Fallen Rock Productions ( Set Designer). |
|
Michelle Ramsay Ontario Lighting Designer Michelle is a Lighting Designer based in Toronto, Ontario. Selected Productions include: Lighting Designer for: April 14, 1912 and The Stronger Variations (Theatre Rusticle), Mary’s Wedding (McManus Studio Theatre at the Grand), Honouring Theatre – A Tri-national Tour of Aboriginal Theatre, The Unnatural and Accidental Women and Tales of an Urban Indian (Native Earth Performing Arts), Death of a Chief (Native Earth Performing Arts and the National Arts Centre), Annie Mae’s Movement (NEPA), Twilight Cafe (Theatre Archipelago), That Time (The Theatre Centre), Banana Boys (fu-GEN) and Poochwater (Theatre Passe Muraille); Lighting Designer/Production Manager for: Cast Iron (Nightwood Theatre/Obsidian); Co-Lighting Designer: Rough House (with Rebecca Picherack for nightswimming) Russell Hill (with Andrea Lundy for Tarragon Theatre). She has been nominated for six Dora Mavor Moore Awards and has received three. She was also the 2008 recipient of the Pauline McGibbon Award. |








