Joe Vaz

Joe Vaz (July 29, 1972 – ) is a South African actor/writer/director. His most recent work includes 10,000 BC and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. Joe runs his own micro-budget production company Inkless Media and has written and directed several short films, most notable being Play By Heart (short film) (2005), Blue Valentine (short film) (2005) and Beyond Words (short film) (2006).

Biography

Early years

Joe Vaz was born on the 29th of July 1972 at Park Lane Clinic in Johannesburg. He attended Tshwane University of Technology (formerly Technikon Pretoria) from 1991 to 1994 wherein he studied Drama and Light Music, minoring in singing under the tuition of Estelle Kokot. As a student Joe starred in numerous productions, among them Sweet Charity, Teahouse of the August Moon, The Cage Birds, Fool for Love, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Fantasticks, and a student production of John Hughes' The Breakfast Club which Joe adapted for the stage.

He also attended the Grahamstown Festival as a member of Ian Fraser's Comedy Shop while also starring in Damon Berry's Corpser.

Career

Joe began his professional career in 1994 as an Ishmealite in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This was followed by the Christmas Panto Aladdin. 1995 began with California Dreamin' - a tribute to the Beach Boys and The Mammas and the Pappas, and was followed by a two-year stint as the voice and puppeteer of the ever-popular donkey Chinwag on the award-winning children's television show Kideo (TV Series). During the next 5 years Joe featured in numerous musical theatre productions including Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, La Cage Aux Folles as well as an appearing in numerous local and international commercials and a brief appearance in Egoli. in 2000 Joe returned to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatto play Jacob and Potiphar.

Later that same year he relocated to London where he worked as an usher in The Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury for three years. During this time he starred in The Way of the World at the Pentameters Teatre in Hampstead and worked on a couple of student films.

In 2004 Joe returned to Johannesburg and branched out into writing and directing. He wrote and directed his first short film Play By Heart (short film) in June of that year starring Jose Domingos, Daniel Janks, Caryn Davidoff and Dianne Simpson. This was followed by Blue Valentine (short film) in October of the same year, starring Jonathan Pienaar and Dawn Matthews.

Joe has featured in Avenger, opposite Timothy Hutton, 10,000 BC and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and numerous television mini-series and movies.

Professional Life

Filmography

Stage

Some notable productions include:
The Way of the World – (Pentameters Theatre, Hampstead, London)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Jacob, Potiphar, (Pact State Theatre, 2000, South Africa)
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story - Decca Producer, Jack Daw, understudied Highpockets Duncan and The Big Bopper. (Pact State Theatre, 1998 - 99, South Africa)
La Cage Aux Folles - Chorus, (The Civic Theatre, 1996 - 97, South Africa)
Filthy Little Giggle - Musical and Comedy Revue, Co-wrote script and Songs, (Grahamstown National Arts Festival, 1996, South Africa)
California Dreamin’ - Mama Cass, ( Theatre on the Track, 1995, South Africa)
Evergreen - Musical Revue. Performed and assisted with Vocal Arrangements (Grahamstown National Arts Festival, 1995, South Africa)
Aladdin - Wishee Washee, understudied The Dame, (Pact Pantomime, State Theatre, 1994, South Africa)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Ishmaelite, (Pact State Theatre, 1994, South Africa)
The Ian Fraser Comedy Shop - Stand-up Comedy, (Grahamstown National Arts Festival, 1993, South Africa)
Corpser - (Grahamstown National Arts Festival, 1993, South Africa)

Voice Artist

Numerous TV and Radio commercials
Kideo (Children's TV)- Puppet voice of Chinwag and Orange Juice
Mina Moo (Children's TV) - Puppet voice of Cheesy Cheddar Cat and Bac

Writer/Director

In 2003 Joe created Inkless Media Productions, a micro-budget independent multi-media company created with the specific aim of busting the myth that cheap equals poor quality.
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" !width="35" align="center"| Year !!width="190"| Title !!width="190"| Role !!width="190"| Starring |- | 2006|| Beyond Words (short film) || Adapted Screenplay, Co-Director || Dawn Matthews, Mark Sykes |- | 2005|| Blue Valentine (short film) || Screenplay, Director || Dawn Matthews, Jonny Pienaar |- | 2004|| Play By Heart (short film) || Screenplay, Director || Jose Domingos, Daniel Janks, Caryn Davidoff, Dianne Simpson |- | 2000|| Engage (short film) || 1st AD, Sound || Jean-Phillipe Füss, Michelle Douglass |}

Miscellaneous

Joe is an accomplished musician and songwriter and fronts his own band ten Athlone
He also publishes a quarterly horror and science-fiction magazine, Something Wicked

External links

• JoeVaz.com (official site)
• Joe Vaz imdb.com page
• ten Athlone official page
• Something Wicked Magazine

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