The following is a list of short biographies of the key personnel associated with the "Les Mers Rouges" project . Liliane Atlan: Playwright Liliane Atlan is recognized as one of the most talented playwrights of the past half century. In addition to receiving highly successful stage productions, all of her important plays, Monsieur Fugue (1967), Les Messies (1969), La petite voiture de flammes et de voix (1971), Les Musiciens, les emigrants (1976), Lecons de bonheur (1997), Un Opera pour Terezin (1997), Les Mers Rouges (1998), have been presented by the cultural network of the French National Radio, “France Culture”. In 1994 Mme Atlan was honoured with a retrospective of her works by the most important drama festival in the francophone world, “Le Festival d'Avignon”. This festival is the equivalent in stature to our Stratford Festival in Ontario. Several weeks ago, “France Culture” aired her monumental drama about the horrors suffered by Jewish artist in the so-called “showcase” concentration camp of Terezienstadt, Un Opera pour Terezin, to commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the liberation of the nazi concentration camps. In all of her works, Liliane Atlan asks the same anguished question: How can we believe in an all-merciful, all-loving God after giving Him a failing grade for His silence and immobility during the Holocaust? Her answer: The divine form exists within mankind, and when we draw from our reservoir of spiritual energy we are sometimes capable of transcending our known limits. This explains acts of sublime abnegation in the most dreadful circumstance and the determination to pick up the shattered pieces of one's existence after living through devastating crises. Her vision of our human condition is implacably lucid yet never despairing of our ability to rise above ourselves. She has always preferred to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. Many of her works have been translated into Italian, English, German, Japanese and Hebrew.
Kalli Paakspuu: Director Kalli Paakspuu (B.A., English, UBC, M.A. and Ph.D. (ABD), University of Toronto) wrote, produced and directed "Time. Out", a noir comedy that critiqued the privatization of Canadian medicine for the Bad Dog Short Play Festival in Toronto last year. She has written, produced, directed documentary and dramatic films after forming October Alms Productions in Vancouver in 1978 (became Calipix Productions). Her films have exhibited in festivals in Australia, Europe, Asia and North America and have been broadcast on CBC (nationally), TVO, Knowledge Network, ACCESS, Bravo!, PBS and various American cable systems. In 1983 she co-founded Womenfilm/Womenart Inc., a nonprofit film and arts organization in Ontario to produce films and art works from a feminist perspective and create the Genie winning "I Need a Man Like You to Make My Dreams Come True". Her last documentary, When East Meets East" won awards in Arts, Multicultural Education, and Higher Education and was screened at over thirty festivals. She teaches screenwriting in the Film and Video Dept. of York University. Leonard Rosmarin: Translator Leonard Rosmarin (B.A. and M.A. McGill University, Ph.D. Yale) is Professor Emeritus of the Dept. of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Brock University. He has authored scholarly books: "Elie Wiesel: le refus du desespoir". (Wolfville: Les Editions du Grand-Pre, 2005), "Liliane Atlan ou la quete de la forme divine". (Toronto/Paris: Les Editions du GREF and L'Harmattan, 2004), "When Literature Becomes Opera". (Amsterdam: Editions Rodopi, 1999), "Robert Pinget". (New York: Macmillan, 1995), "Albert Cohen, temoin d'un peuple". (Wolfville: Editions du Grand-Pre, 1992). In 1993 the Government of France awarded him the highest academic distinction, "Chevalier dans l'Ordres des Palmes Academiques", for distinguished service in the cause of French letters and in 2001 he was promoted to Officier. He is the translator of Liliane Atlan's "Les Mers Rouges" which will soon be published by Les Editions du GREF and L'Harmattan. Imbi Kannel: Director of Development Imbi is an accomplished film and video producer who has pioneered the translation of stage works to the film and video mediums. Her credits include "Crack Diary", a stage work, that was taped during performances and was subsequent;y broadcast on CBC and Bravo Network. Ms. Kannel has a long history of film and video production and distribution of dramatic films, documentaries, corporate communications, educational materials and mainstream motion pictures. As one of the partners at Kiwa Productions she continues her committment to the development, production and distribution of live theatre, film and video works to a diverse audience. Eyal Bitton: Music Director (B.A. Jewish Studies, McGill University) a composer, lyricist, librettist, musical director and Executive Producer of Kahina Productions. Eyal wrote the book, music, and lyrics for KING DAVID The Musical (Winter Garden Theatre Mar. 2005, Monument-National Dec. 2003, Oscar Peterson Concert Hall May 2003, Saidye Bronfman Centre 2002), MOSES The Musical Saga (Saidye Bronfman Centre, June 28, 2004),FREEDOM: The Moses & Martin Luther King, Jr. Eyal Bitton is currently the Choir Conductor of Toronto's Beth Tikvah Synagogue Choir and Kol Shira, formerly conducted by Srul Irving Glick. Eyal's choral compositions and arrangements have been performed in synagogues, churches, and concert halls in Montreal, Ottawa, New York, and Israel. He has conducted choirs for The Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue (Canada's first congregation), Adath Israel Poale Zedek , Jewish Peoples and Peretz Schools, La Chorale Kinor of the Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québec, and others. Timothy Sullivan: Soundscape Timothy Sullivan (Ph.D. Music, University of Toronto) has composed music and soundscape for theatre, dance, film, opera and concert performance. Marija Barac Jandric: Art Director Marija Barac Jandric was born in Bosnia Hercegovina. She is an honours graduate in Drawing and Painting from OCAD and has an Engineering degree from Zagreb University. She is an artist primarily in painting and has art directed for film and stage. Her first project in video was “Road Journey”, a documentary by Kalli Paakspuu filmed on location in Estonia in 1999. Marija is currently also working on the film, “Time. Out” by Kalli Paakspuu. As founding member of Propeller Center for the Visual Arts she has served on its board and on the Board of the Scarborough Arts Council. Matt Birnbaum: Stage ManagerMatt is a graduate of the Stage and Screen program at Queens University. Recent Stage Management credits include SM/PM “King David: The Musical” (Kahina Productions), ASM “This is Our Youth” (MacIDeas), SM “How I Learned to Drive” (Theatre Kingston). Other credits include: Director “Songs for a New World” (Little Voices), Set Designer “The Rivals” and “Swollen Tongues” (Queens Drama Dept.) and “Lucky Stiff” (Queens Musical Theatre) in which he also played Vinnie.The Cast Shel Goldstein Artistic projects include roles in Paul Mazursky's feature ENEMIES: A LOVE STORY, Ken Finkleman's THE NEWSROOM, Vancouver Touchstone Theatre's UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS & THE TRUE NATURE OF LOVE, Richard Rose's ELECTRA and BOOM!, title role in Arturo Fresolone's MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, "Aunt Shirley" in QUEER AS FOLK. Shel is grateful to have participated in a great diversity of productions with wonderful talented collaborators across North America, after having trained at York University's Theatre Fine Arts Program and McGill University.
Originally from France, Genevieve trained in various disciplines before deciding to pursue an acting career in Toronto. A triple threat performer and graduate of the Randolph Academy, she has toured in both French and English with Little Red Theatre and acted in various independent films in the city. Credits include: The Crucible (Randolph School), Bye Bye Birdie (Randolph School), Circus Group (LIFT), Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Theatre), Solace (Laika Films/Syndicate Films).
A graduate of Randolph Academy, this trilingual actor put her language skills to work in the last season of CTV's "The Eleventh Hour" in which she played a Columbian mother. Most recently, she reprised the leading role of Bathsheba in "King David" at the Winter Garden Theatre. Michèle's other credits include "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding", "Abandon" starring Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt, Holocaust docudrama "Undying Love", Tzipporah in "Moses The Musical Saga" at the Saidye Bronfman Centre and writer and host of "The Actors" and "The Producers" for Star and Bravo. First professional productions include SONG FOR A NISEI FISHERMAN (Toronto Free Theatre) and CBC's BREAKING ALL THE RULES (1987). Took a detour into coaching, writing, production and administration work with The Young Actors Performance Troupe (1990-1992), with projects such as a theatrical presentation of FAME and an original rock-musical, entitled TWIST. Recent film works include SUGAR (2003) and the yet to be released independent short, REBIRTH. Upcoming theatrical projects: WEEKEND COMEDY (August - Century Church Theatre, Hillsburgh). Prior Fringe productions include: RICE PUDDING (as director and producer, 2004) and MAYBE IT'S MABELEEN (2001). Philip Cairns Philip is an actor/writer/visual artist from Toronto. He recently starred in the hit play, “Drag Queens Talk About Their Vaginas”, at Paddy's Playhouse in Toronto & at the Hamilton Fringe. “Eye” magazine called it one of the 5 best shows of 2004. THEATRE: Toronto Fringe, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Nightwood Theatre, DNA Theatre, Tempest Theatre, Queere Shakespeare (TAGLARC), Upstart Crow Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Solar Stage, Theatre Offstage, Bushwack Theatre & Magic Circus Theatre (Peterborough). FILM & T.V. : Fluff, Most Guys Today, Transparent, God, Of Urban Myths and Other Stories, Metal Messiah, Game Attics & Hack Kerouac. T.V. Commercials: Roadrunner Internet, Ontario Big Game Lottery.
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