Cast
Jesai (aka Jeff Burnett)
Director, actor, writer and teacher who has staged works in Europe, the US, England, Australia and Beijing. As a director, he gravitates towards site–specific, audience interactive experience, and has staged many physical theatre and multi-disciplinary projects while teaching at Yale University in the Theater Studies program. Upon moving to Vancouver 16 years ago, he taught at Simon Fraser University'sSchool for Contemporary Art and was Director of Special Projects for the Learning and Instructional Development Centre. Currently, as a member of Vancouver Playback Theatre, Jesai is involved in stimulating multi-cultural awareness in the City of Richmond through storytelling and drama. www.jesai.org
Michael Antonakos- Kamaswami/Co-Director
Michael Antonakos is so grateful to be to such an amazing show with such anamazing group of individuals! Acting since the age of seven. He spent his early teens performing with The Rocky Mountain Shakespeare Company, and at The Banff Centre of Fine Arts. He has studied Classical, Modern and Musical Theatre, and over six years formal voice training with world-renowned Russian Master, Nikoli Kolesnicov. He began dance at seventeen, training in a wide array of styles: Ballet, Jazz, Ballroom, Swing, Hip-Hop, Tango, and Robotics! In Theatres across Canada, he has had the honour to perform in such shows as Forty Deuce, The Wild Party (1st Canadian Production, All Shook Up (1st Canadian Production), A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Sweeny Todd, Annie, and John & Jen (Michael received a nomination for Best Actor and the Production received Ovation Award for Best Musical).
Sarah-Cole Burnette
Is a Vancouver-based performing artists trained extensively in both theatre and dance. Throughout her teenager years, she studied with the Arts Umbrella Junior Dance Company, where she had the privilege of working with world-renowned choreographers Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite, Dominique Dumais, and many others. She was a member of the Magee Mainstage Theatre Programme, and also attended Rosedale Heights School for the Performing Arts in Toronto, where she specialized in musical theatre and contemporary dance.
Zamir Dhanji
Is an interdisciplinary performer devoted to bringing peace through culture. He has performed in many countries, with music, dance and storytelling as his primary mediums. His inspiration is the creative principle of life; this way he's always inspired. His art and life are dedicated to marrying mystical traditions with material concerns - illustrating the interdependence of art, science and religion - with the intention of contributing to a more holistic understanding of our place and purpose on this planet. As founder of Akasha Arts, he is very excited to weave a tapestry of magic and knowledge in the Siddhartha Project. www.akasha.ca
Ra'Amayan
Ra'Amayan grew up in the biggest cities in the world from Vancouver to Hong Kong to Bangkok to Boston to Toronto. At his young age, he's a successful entrepreneur, with three companies launched and sold. He is passionate about the arts, music, and about shifting our global paradigm economically, socially, and politically. As a cultural revolutionary, he's interested in Siddhartha's potential to allow people to glimpse a window into the self-realization of each human being and their journey in the quest towards it.
Playing Govinda with his Biological Brother as Siddhartha has been a challenge for him to rise up to. www.varunizer.com
Crystal Clear
I am an eternal soul. Here to remember and awaken to greater understandings of my WHOLEself. I've done make-up artistry and modeling professionally and have danced in the jamacian dnacehall community for a few years. Im constantly learning form my fate and fulfilling my destiny, my purpose! And right now, I am here..... and Im loving it! :)
Joseph Pepe Danza
Is an active studio musician, composer, arranger, producer and Musical Director, presently working and touring with jazz-funk supergroup Soulstream, as well as with world music group JouTou, Tambura Rasa, the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, First Nations choral group M'Girl, and Jazz/World music fusion group Koan. For four years he was Artistic Director for the Vancouver Sacred Music Festival. He has received countless award nominations including Musician of the Year in 1999 (West Coast Music Awards), Juno for his work with Asza, Leo awards for his work in film music, and Jessie awards for his theater scores. www.pepedanza.com
Buckman Coe
Is a rising local soul-folk musician, Buckman Coe, pushes the boundaries as the musical bard for the Siddhartha Project. Musician, Yogi, and eco-spiritualist, Buckman Coe is finding his dharma in samsara and singing about the journey.
He has composed a number of songs on his new album "Under The Mountains Feet", based on the novel Siddhartha, seamlessly weaving them into the performance with a voice smooth and rare as a vintage wine. www.buckmancoe.com
The Waylon
Was born in the forest and mountains of British Columbia, Canada. He spent the first six years of his life on the farm establishing a deep connection with nature spending time with the animals and trees. His youth was consumed with a need to heal himself and help the world. From the moment he began his first experience with yoga, Waylon discovered his purpose. Travelling the world over he has been honoured to have studied and practiced with many great teachers. He now travels teaching Zuddha Yoga, and helping the earth and all its beings, connecting to communities through music, yoga and helping others to live simple sustainable yogic lifestyles. www.zuddhabuddha.com
Greg Valou
Likes making music and pretty things. A detail-oriented, big-picture thinker, Greg's creative impulses and post-ancient-pre-futuristic perspective add "Valou" to any project. www.dronelove.com
Mahara Brenna
Mahara Brenna is an International Facilitator, Speaker, Master Rebirther, Mediator and Community Builder.
She currently performs with the Radiant Rose Actor's Guild and sings, dances and plays percussion whenever
she has the opportunity. As a long time student of the lost knowledge of the Ascended Masters, she is thrilled
to be involved with this inspired project. www.maharabrenna.com
Dallas
Dallas came into being in the wide open skies of Fox Valley, Saskatchewan and has spent most of her life devoted to rhythm, movement and the wonders of the human form. Technically training in piano and choral singing provided the structure, but it was 'the dance' that, with explosive fervor, had to be expressed daily with no form, no agenda, just pure, sweet freedom. Whether wrathful, peaceful or ecstatic, it is the connection. Divine. Dallas is a registered yoga teacher, trained in Kundalini, Hatha and Vinyasa Flow, an emerging visual artist studying painting, ceramics and sculpture and a life-long student of the sacred arts. The human body continues to be a vital inspiration and her dance, the embodiment of that vision.
Crew
Janice Valder (Assistant Director/Stage Manager)
Janice was born in the Philippines and raised in Kitimat, B.C. Her background in theatre is varied with over 12 years of experience designing and facilitating drama and theatre-based workshops for youth, adults and their service providers in New York City, Victoria, and Vancouver. This production of Siddhartha is Janice's first time stage managing and assisting direction in this unique capacity. Janice received her acting and voice training from the University of Victoria, the National Voice Intensive and numerous master teachers from across North America and Europe. Based in Vancouver, Janice sings in three choirs and is an apprentice member of The Vancouver Playback Troupe. She writes about her progress and curiousities at www.janicevaldez.com
Rohit Chokhani (Production Manager)
Rohit Chokhani brings his production and creative experience with clients such as FOX, Pixar, Disney, Nickelodeon, Citibank, Majesco and Bethesda to Siddhartha as the production manager. His previous titles include entertainment products for popular movies and TV shows such as Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Incredibles: When Danger Calls, Fairly Odd Parents: Shadow Showdown, Playhouse Disney and Tetris Elements. He is currently launching a film production company named Raghupriya productions with a goal to complete two short films and a feature film by 2012.
Anna Czapiewska
Anna has recently moved to Vancouver from Poland. She graduated with a Masters Degree in Psychology focusing on the relationship between "addiction," "flow" and the artistic experience. Her interest in the Performing Arts has led her through an inspiring journey from exploring one of its classical forms in Indian Kathakali to undergoing intensive training in Butoh—a modern avant-garde dance originating from the artistic revolution of 1960's Japan. She works in social justice in the Downtown Eastside, dances Tango and embraces opportunities to extend her vocabulary in performance, choreography and collaboration.
