Bios

Azeem Nathoo

Actor – Ibn Rushd, Playwright & Producer

Azeem has been a performer for over 20yrs, having trained at LAMDA in the UK before beginning his career both in London and around the country, including at the Leicester Haymarket, Soho Theatre and Greenwich Playhouse. Since his return to Canada in 2005, he has tread the boards from Prince George to St. John’s via Stratford, Toronto & Montreal.

Selected TV: HotZone – Anthrax (Disney); My Perfect Landing (Family Channel, CBBC, US Netflix), Mayday (NatGeo), Hannibal (NBC). Upcoming: You’re Never Alone (Thought For Food Productions)

1184 marks his debut as a playwright.

Walter Borden

Actor—Bookseller & Alfonso

Walter’s distinguished career has been acclaimed internationally and throughout Canada. Selected stage credits include The Odyssey, Harlem Duet, Edward II (Stratford Festival), and The Adventures Of A Black Girl In Search Of God (Dora nomination for Best Actor in Toronto). Recently, he reprised Driving Miss Daisy at Saint John Theatre Company. Upcoming productions include On Golden Pond and The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time at Neptune Theatre and NAC.

Mr. Borden’s the recipient of many awards and is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Borden currently lives in Toronto and is represented by Kishwar Iqbal at GGA.

Quancetia Hamilton

Actor —Queen & Eggseller.

Quancetia is thrilled to be working with Azeem Nathoo on his groundbreaking debut play, 1184. She has been a fixture of the Toronto stage and TV industries for many years. Stage credits include: I Marcus Garvey, The Sunshine Boys, and Seussical the Musical. Quancetia has also appeared in Da Kink in My Hair in Toronto and England. TV credits include: Carter and Call Me Fitz. Quancetia would like to say hi to Marcellous, Terren, Jalen and Gayle.

Roula Said

Actor—Buthaina & Judge, Composer & Choreographer

Roula’s a singer, dancer, musician and poet of Palestinian heritage based in Toronto, Canada. Roula plays qanun (table harp) and percussion to accompany traditional songs and modern sufi-inspired originals . Roula taught and performed Arabic dance for many years, and sang in Juno-nominated world music ensembles Maza Meze and Nomadica.

Roula appeared as an actor, musician and composer in Anita La Selva’s Dora-nominated Stones, as well as in her own radio play, 40 Days, and a few films like Ruba Nadda's Sabah and Atom Egoyan's Guest of Honour.

Ever a devotee of the Beloved, Roula is also a wedding officiant.

Neta J. Rose

Actor—Moses Maimonides and Al Arabi

Neta (they/them) is a proud queer non-binary Ashkenazi Jewish actor, visual artist, poet, and theatre creator based in Toronto/Tkaronto. They’re a founding member of Create! Performing Arts in Scotland, now entering its 13th year.

Neta's theatre credits include: Henry G20 (Luminato), Omnibus Bill (TACTICS), The Bonds of Interest (Odyssey), The Penelopiad (Hart House), We The Men (Soulo), Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night (Foxtail - UK) and Professor Preobazhensky in Nowadays Theatre's Heart of a Dog (Next Stage).

You might’ve also spotted them on-screen eating endless mozza sticks for Boston Pizza during Raptors' games.

Adriano Sobretodo Jr

Actor—Ya’qub & Fishmonger

Adriano is a stage and screen actor in a bunch of stuff. Brutus in Portia’s Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in the Ruff, Toronto Star Top Production); Mowgli in The Jungle Book (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); The Container (TheatreFix, MTA Best Supporting Actor Nominee); Matchbox Macbeth (Litmus Theatre, NOW Magazine Top 10 Production). The pilot episode of The Strain (FX, directed by Guillermo del Toro); Spinning Out (Netflix); Saving Hope (CTV); recurring roles on Covert Affairs (USA) and Alphas (SyFy).

Adriano dedicates his performance in 1184 to his dad, who unknowingly awoke the theatre bug in his son with a family outing to Phantom of the Opera.

adrianosobretodojr.com

Jennifer Villaverde

Actor—Pilgrim

Jennifer is a Filipin*- Canadian actor, singer, emerging playwright, and mom. She’s worked in theatres across Canada such as Soulpepper, YPT, RMTC, Citadel, Vertigo, Persephone, Geordie Theatre, and Seattle Children’s Theatre in the U.S. Recently, she co-created & performed Stillwater School for Mosquitos, a musical podcast for families.

Joella Crichton

Actor—Mada & Crivelli

Joella’s an actor for stage and screen. She holds a BFA in Acting from York University. Joella’s passionate about her Caribbean heritage and is the nine-time Queen of Carnival here in Toronto. She has been nominated for a Broadway World Award and My Entertainment World Award. Alongside her many years of experience in theatre, film and television, Joella also works to develop equality, diversity and inclusivity in these fields. She has created and worked on initiatives such as the Bechdel Bill, Share The Screen and The Black Pledge. Proud Mama to her happy little baby boy Solomon!

Johnny Thirakul

Actor—Various

Johnny’s a Laotian-Canadian actor who makes his professional theatre debut in 1184. Previous credits include Everybody, The Late Wedding, and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., as part of the Theatre@York Acting Conservatory.

Recently, Johnny has been the recipient of the Jean Gascon Award and The Mac Shoub Scholarship for demonstrating exceptional achievements in Acting. He will receive his BFA with Specialized Honours from York University in June.

Johnny would like to thank his parents Khamprasith and Sisomphone for their support, and Azeem Nathoo and Jamie Robinson for the opportunity to be a part of 1184.

Instagram: @johnnythirakul

Guillermo Verdecchia

Dramaturge

Guillermo is a multi-award-winning playwright, director, and dramaturge. He is a great admirer of what remains of al-Andalus. He thinks the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada, and Seville’s Giralda are three of the most wonderous structures ever made and would like a mudéjar architect to renovate his house.

Jamie Robinson

Director

Jamie is a Toronto-based actor, director, producer, educator and writer.

Selected director credits include: Madness with Rocks (CBC Gem/Obsidian Theatre), Copy That (Tarragon Theatre), Scotian Journey (Black Theatre Workshop), She Stoops to Conquer and Romeo & Juliet (Guild Festival Theatre, also as Artistic Director), and The Late Wedding (York University). This summer, Jamie will be directing Stag & Doe for the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope.

Jamie’s an assistant professor of Acting and Directing for the York University Theatre Performance Department, where his research focuses on the past, present, and future of Theatre casting practices. jamierobinson.ca

York University Theatre Performance Department

Zoe Marin

Assistant Director

Zoe (she/her) will be graduating this Spring with a BFA in Theatre from York University where she has been able to write, direct, sound design, and perform in various shows. She also recently assistant directed Jamie Robinson in York University’s production of “The Late Wedding”.

Zoe would like to thank her parents for their ongoing support, Jamie Robinson for inviting her to be a part of this project while it was still in its workshop phases, and Azeem Nathoo for creating this beautiful play!

ig: zmar_

Ash Knight

Fight Consultant

Ash is a Dora Award-nominated actor (Brothel #9) and a Critic’s Choice Award-nominated director (Tragedie of Lear). His first play, Enkidu and Gilgamesh was workshopped in London, England (2011) and NYC (2013). He’s currently working on a translation/adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac with Pleiades Theatre. Ash regularly works with the Stratford Festival on directing/teaching Shakespeare workshops and recently completed his first year at the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Directing. He’s a graduate of the BA Acting programs at R.A.D.A. and the University of London. Up next: Directing Lesson in Forgetting with Pleiades Theatre.

Corey Tazmania

Intimacy Director

Recent works include Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) -Theatre Passe Muraille;
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo - Crow's Theatre; Everybody -York University; The Gull and Untamed - The Creative School.

Corey has taught Intimacy for the Stage and Shakespeare workshops at Rosebud School of the Arts and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Corey holds an MFA from York University.

Much gratitude to Siobhan Richardson.

Sarah Kaufmann

Associate Producer & Marketing

Sarah (she/her) is a Tkaronto-based emerging performer, marketer, writer, and theatre creator. She’s a Musical Theatre graduate of RCPA.

As a marketer, Sarah has worked with solo artists and companies like Studio Brandstof/Terra Storyteller, Solar House Productions, EG:CC, and Zehra Studio. Her goal is to help her clients step into their spotlight online.

As a performer, Sarah’s had the pleasure of working with companies such as TYT Theatre, Paprika Festival, Fireworks Festival, Chalkboard Theatre, and Chemainus Theatre Festival.

1184 marks her debut as an associate producer.

Heather Bellingham

Stage Manager

Heather has worked in stage management on 80+ shows throughout Canada and internationally, ranging from small-scale Fringe productions to pieces in festivals such as World Pride and Panamania to large-scale shows at the Stratford Festival and Mirvish. She has even stage-managed a private performance for royalty.
See credits at heatherbellingham.wordpress.com Follow @blue84HB

Giuseppe Condello

Production Manager

A Toronto-based production manager, Giuseppe has managed the 2018 UofT Director's Showcase Festival, which featured five productions presented across three venues. Other production managing credits include: the touring and Dora nominated productions of Pearle Harbour's Chautauqua (2018-2020), the premiere of the Dora nominated production, Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land) (2019, Saga Collectif) and its grandiose remount on film (2022, Saga Collectif/TPM), and most recently, be sure to catch TOKA (2021, lemonTree Creations) online at Theatre Passe Muraille.
Website: www.giuseppecondello.com | Instagram/Twitter: @giusepcondello

Anahita Dehbonehie

Set & Costume Design

Anahita Dehbonehie is an Iranian performance designer, creator, and installation artist. Since making Toronto her home in 2012, Anahita has been fortunate enough to work at a spectrum of scales. Her designs have been recognized with a variety of nominations and awards. She is encouraged by this auspicious time in 2022 when all three religions of the book celebrate their holy days at once and have hope for future coexistence.

Niloufar Ziaee

Set & Costume Design and Backstage

Niloufar is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist from Iran who has made Canada her home since 2016.
Since then Nilou has worked as an art director, costume designer, set dresser and painter across multiple mediums. She is passionate about the power of collective storytelling and relishes the opportunity to introduce her audience to new worlds.
Previously, her work has been seen at the Miss Eco International Competition in Egypt. She holds a degree in Fashion Design from Geroge Brown college.

Jennifer Jimenez

Lighting Design

Jennifer is a community-engaged artist and scenographer. Her work has been seen across Canada and in Germany, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt. She holds an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, UK, a BFA in Theatre Production and Design, and a BEd from York University. She’s a recipient of the OAC Chalmers Award, a twice nominee of the OAC Pauline McGibbon Award in Design, and a member of the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC). She is an Assistant Professor in Dance Design, Technology, and Production at York University.

Maddie Bautista

Sound Design

Maddie (she/her) is a Bi, Saudi Arabia-born Filipina sound designer and composer based in Treaty 13, Tkaronto. Maddie has been nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her sound design in Eraser at RISER 2019 and nominated for the 2020 Pauline McGibbon Award. She’s part of Musical Stage’s and Prime Mover’s 2021 NoteWorthy Cohort as a new musical theatre composer. Selected sound credits: TOKA (Passe Muraille), White Girls in Moccasins (Buddies in Bad Times), I Am William (Stratford Festival), bug (manidoons collective), Wah Wah Wah (Wildside 2020), and Private Eyes (lemonTree creations). www.maddiebautista.com

Meet our Cast and Crew