Joe Vaz

Infobox Actor
name = Joe Vaz


imagesize = 200px
caption = Joe Vaz in London 2007
birthdate = birth date and age|1972|07|29
birthplace = Johannesburg, South Africa
birthname = Jose Moreira Vaz
website = http://www.joevaz.com

Joe Vaz (July 29, 1972 – ) is a South African actor/writer/director. His most recent work includes "10,000 BC" and "". Joe runs his own "micro-budget" production company [http://www.inklessmedia.net 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" (play)", "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 "", "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 Dreamcoat"to 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 "" and numerous television mini-series and movies.

Professional Life

Filmography

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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)
- 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 [http://www.inklessmedia.net Inkless Media Productions] , a micro-budget independent multi-media company created with the specific aim of busting the myth that cheap equals poor quality.

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

* [http://www.joevaz.com JoeVaz.com (official site)]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1978748/ Joe Vaz imdb.com page]
* [http://www.tenathlone.co.uk ten Athlone official page]
* [http://www.somethingwicked.co.za Something Wicked Magazine]