Our Administrative Model
We believe that arts
creation functions best in an environment of equanimity and collective
ownership. We seek a consensus-based lateral model of stewardship in which
artistic and administrative roles are intrinsically linked.
Soheil Parsa, Artistic Director
Soheil Parsa is an award-winning
director, actor, writer, dramaturg,
choreographer and teacher,
whose professional theatre career spans twenty-nine years and two continents.
In his native Iran, Soheil completed studies in Theatre Performance at the
University of Tehran and began a promising career as an actor and director. Arriving in Canada with his family in 1984, Soheil
completed a second Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies at York University and
then went on to establish Modern Times Stage Company as one of the most exciting
culturally-diverse theatre companies in Canada.
In 1995 Soheil received a New Pioneers Award by Skills for Change for
Outstanding Contribution to the Arts by a recent immigrant to Canada.
Soheil's own work at Modern Times has
been recognized with four Dora Mavor Moore Awards, a Chalmers Fellowship
in 2002, and a senior artist creation grant from the Canada Council, as well as
a number of international prizes and master class requests. In 2007 he was
short-listed for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre Celebrating Directors, the
largest Canadian theatre award.
As a director, set and stage
designer, translator, adaptor, choreographer and actor, Soheil’s work is based
on his experience in Iran and focuses on oppression and loss of freedom
(especially loss of speech). His art is created to empower those who
are often marginalized and under-represented.
Peter Farbridge, Co-Artistic Director
As an actor and founding member of Modern Times
Stage Company, Peter has appeared in the majority of the productions of Modern
Times including the title roles of Modern Times' productions of Hamlet and
Macbeth.
Peter participates in various aspects of the company’s administrative and
artistic process.
Peter graduated from York University’s theatre program in 1989 and began to work
in the Toronto film, TV and theatre community. In 1992 Peter moved to Montreal
where he has been working in theatre and film both in English and French.
Peter's stage credits in the city include five productions with the Centaur
Theatre, as well as several seasons at Repercussion Theatre, and a French
production with le Théâtre
du Rideau Vert.
Peter writes for theatre and for film, and has written
and directed several social documentary films including Change From Within,
set in Jamaica, and is currently working on documentaries in Bosnia and Brazil.
Sue Balint,
Producer
Sue Balint is a graduate of Queen's
University (Theatre and Religion) and King's College (Broadcast Journalism).
She is a
playwright and interdisciplinary artist. Her work has been nominated for several
Dora Mavor Moore Awards and has received critical acclaim and productions across
Canada and internationally.
Her plays include Pagan Love Songs for the Uninitiated, Visiting Aphrasia and fforward. She also
acted as dramaturge for Theatrefront’s three-year Canadian-Bosnian
collaboration, The Sarajevo Project, which went on to receive five Dora
nominations including best production.
Sue is also an avid traveler and researcher of performance theory and borderless
collaboration. She is a member of Performance Studies International, The
Association of Canadian Theatre Research and has been published by The Canadian
Theatre Review. Her recent research and road trips have focused on
relationships between performance, ritual and sacred architecture. Sue is
presently collaborating with an interdisciplinary group of artists on R. Murray
Schafer’s Patria, a
labyrinthine piece to be explored throughout
a forest and farm property near Peterborough.
Naire Behjat, Office Manager
Naire has
a protracted experience in various administrative positions. She has worked as a
production coordinator with Axyz Edit. Prior to that, she worked at Ministry of
Health serving as Mailroom Team Leader and Data Entry Operator. She has also
been a receptionist for E.S Fox and Pipe Specialties in Kingston. Naire is also
an artist with many talents. Naire is a graduate of Toronto Film School – Film
Production Department. Her first film (The Soldier) was one of the participating
films in Al Jazeera Short Film Festival in 2006. In addition, Naire has worked
as an editor in many projects for both TV & film.
The Directors of the
Company
Christine Moynihan, Chairperson (Since
2005)
Executive Director, Dance Umbrella of Ontario
Azita Parsa (President Ex-officio)
Communications Specialist, MTS Allstream
Anahita Azrahimi (Since 2006)
Producer - Tour Director, Sparrow in the Room Collective
Ramin Jahanbegloo (Since 2009)
Author and philosopher, University of Toronto
Lili Nabavi (Since 2010)
Sheniz Janmohamed (Since 2010)
Poet and Writer, Founder of Ignite Poets
Board Advisory Committee
Mr. Ali Vakili
President, Luna International
Mr. Moe Fotovat
President, Shandiz Natural Foods