meet the team

Cassel began his career in 1984 as a lead dancer in the show The Best of Broadway at Canada’s Wonderland. He went on to dance for companies such as Maurice Hines’ Balletap USA, American Ballroom Theatre, Judith Marcuse’s Repertory Dance Company of Canada, Les Balletsjazz de Montreal and The National Tap Company of Canada. He appeared in the musicals Chicago and A Chorus Line in Vancouver, Sophisticated Ladies at The Limelight Dinner Theatre and Crazy For You at The Royal Alexandra Theatre. He spent one season at the Stratford Festival and two seasons at The Shaw Festival before earning a Dora Award nomination for his role in the Canadian Stage production of Angels in America. For two years he played ‘Mr. Bojangles’ in the U.S. National Tour of Fosse directed by the late great Ann Reinking. 

In 2014 he, and partner, Sandy McFadden moved to the Kingston, Ontario area where, in 2018, he met writer, Charles Robertson, and began co-creating what would become, JOSIAH, which played at Theatre Orangeville during their 2021 ‘COVID season.’ More recently, Cassel has played in The Meeting for Theatre Kingston, Driving Miss Daisy for the Orillia Opera House, Harmonia for Grapevine Productions in Kingston and, for Drayton Entertainment, Driving Miss Daisy, American Son and The Prom. He had the privilege of playing the role of ‘Richard Pierpoint’ in Spaciousness at Fort York Historic Site, then in Bakersfield Mist for Theatre Kingston, and The Darktown Strutter’s Ball for Theatre Orangeville. In June 2025 he will complete his third year of the three-year teacher’s training program through the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium (GLMCC) to become a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov technique. After that he decided to take six months away from productions to focus on JOSIAH which, with a stellar team, he is proud to bring to the Alumnae Theatre for Black History Month 2025.

Originally from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, Sandy joined the Air Force at age 17 to see the world. Twenty-one years later, after completing a career as an Air Force Engineer, he settled in Toronto and started a second career in Property Management, before moving on to a third career in Project Management with SNC Lavalin, MHPM and Colliers. Retiring in 2023 from the world of engineering and construction he embarked on a fourth career in Theatre Production with partner Cassel Miles, from their home base in Kingston, Ontario. JOSIAH will be his first foray into the world of theatre, working together with Cassel as Co-Producers to re-launch this remarkable play. He is thankful for the wisdom and support of Jim Garrard and David Nairn as guides and mentors on the path to bring JOSIAH to audiences everywhere.

Jim is best known as a playwright: Bondage Plays for My Country (Dead Heat, Getting Even, Cold Comfort, Spencer’s Mom and Big Ticket), Peggy’s Song, Fourteen, Sir John, Eh? (with Grant Heckman) and a new play, Deep Water Dreams, about the life of Florence Nightingale. Cold Comfort was also an award-winning feature film. His short film, Touch My Lips, produced by the Canadian Film Centre, has played at festivals worldwide. He is the founding artistic director of Theatre Passe Muraille, SALON Theatre, Kingston Summer Festival and The Macdonald Festival. He has served as Executive Director of Toronto Arts Council, President of Rochdale College, Artist-in-residence at University College (University of Toronto) and Simon Fraser University, and Playright-In-Residence at Centaur Theatre in Montreal.