Artistic Director Soheil Parsa
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.
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full bio.
Artistic Vision
Director
of all the company's productions, Artistic Director Soheil Parsa's initial
explorations of Persian theatrical forms engendered the roots of Modern Times’
simplicity of design, mise-en-scène and acting style.
With
time, a study of performance styles common to other forms of Eastern theatre
as well as an investigation of the techniques of major European theatre artists
helped to layer the company's theatrical references.
The synergy of these converging interests has given Modern Times its unique
theatrical vocabulary.
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company brochure.
Artistic Philosophy
Modern Times is
attracted to plays of mythic inspiration. Themes of loneliness,
the mystery of existence, the search for happiness and truth, and the conflict
between fate and will are often at the centre of these works. Most of these
plays are deeply political too; but their political aspects are always
historical.
The productions are usually placeless and timeless: design elements--regardless
of their cultural origin--are ultimately more like archetypes. Archetypes
transcend cultural and political borders, and this is what the company strives
for in its work: a move away from ideology towards a human vocabulary that
speaks across civilizations.
Photo of The Daughters of Sheherezad by Stephan Droege