| 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. |
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Jonathan Garfinkel Canada Writer, Dramaturge Jonathan Garfinkel is the author of a book of poetry, Glass Psalms (Turnstone Press, 2005) and three other plays, Walking to Russia (Theatre Asylum, TPM Backspace 2002), The Trials of John Demjanjuk: A Holocaust Cabaret (Theatre Asylum, 2004, published by Playwrights Canada Press), and House of Many Tongues (Tarragon Theatre Mainspace, 2009). An earlier version of House of Many Tongues played at the Bochum Schauspielhaus in Germany (Fall 2008). In 2008 Jonathan received the KM Hunter Award for theatre. His memoir Ambivalence: Crossing the Israel/Palenstine Divide was published by Penguin Canada, Norton USA and Saqi U.K. Jonathan lives in Toronto. |
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Parwin Mushtahel Afghanistan Actress Parwin is an actor and writer who lives in Kabul. As a stage actor she recently acted in Sisters (which she co-created) and in William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labours Lost (this production was the source of a CBC Television documentary), both in collaboration with Kabul’s Foundation for Culture and Civil Society. She has acted in over sixteen theatres across Afghanistan and was awarded Best Actress in Kargardan. She has performed extensively in film and television in over 24 films and 100 short films and she is currently on the Afghan television series Bulbul. |
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Samiya Mumtaz Pakistan Actress |
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Janet Porter Canada Creator Janet is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School and a member of Actors Repertory Company (ARC). She has had the pleasure of performing in theatres across Ontario, and is excited for this new adventure in Petawawa. Some of her favourite credits include: Family Stories: Belgrade (ARC); Metamorphoses and Mary's Wedding (Theatre and Company); Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad (Showboat Festival); The Swearing Jar (Toronto Fringe/6AM Tango) and most recently The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Birdland Theatre). Upcoming: Orson's Shadow (Pilot Group) and The City (ARC). |
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Benjamin Clost Canada Creator Benjamin Clost is a graduate of George Brown College's Theatre Arts Program. He has worked with Christopher Morris on several projects including: Road at Equity Showcase, I Am Yours also at Equity Showcase and most recently he traveled with Chris to Nunavut to help with his production of Night. Ben's past credits include: Mozart in Amadeus at Theatre Aquarius, Timon in the Chicago production of The Lion King, Kelly in My Fellow Creatures at Theatre Passe Muraille and Ashmol in the world premier of Pobby and Dingan at LKTYP. Ben can be seen acting just about anywhere in Canada or performing with his band the Emotionally Unavailable Mariners. |
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Christopher Morris Canada Director 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. |





