Learn more about Thousand Miles of Bricks Productions

Cassel began his career in 1984 as a lead dancer in the show The Best of Broadway at Canada’s Wonderland. Dance companies followed: Judith Marcuse Repertory Dance Company of Canada, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, and The National Tap Dance Company of Canada. He has played at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, in musicals, on television, and in commercials. He earned a Dora Award nomination in 1997 for his role in the Canadian Stage production of Angels in America Pts 1 & 2. He played ‘Mr. Bojangles’ in the U.S. National Tour of Fosse directed by the late great Ann Reinking. Other credits include: The Meeting, Driving Miss Daisy, Harmonia, American

Son, Kinky Boots, The Prom, Bakersfield Mist, and The Darktown Strutter’s Ball.

In 2018, Cassel began collaborating with Kingston writer Charles Robertson to develop JOSIAH. The production was refined through performances at Kingston high schools and has since been staged at prominent venues including The Red Sandcastle Theatre (Toronto), Kingston Baby Grand Studio Theatre, Theatre Orangeville, The Alumnae Theatre (Toronto), and The Gladstone Theatre (Ottawa). JOSIAH is scheduled to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2026, at two different theatres with a week each engagement, and will return to the Gladstone in Ottawa for Black History Month in 2027. Cassel Miles and Sandy McFadden plan to tour the show further, aiming to raise awareness of Josiah Henson’s significance in Canadian history.

Jim is best known as a playwright: Bondage Plays for My Country (DeadHeat, 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. Jim founded SALON Theatre in 1981 as an after-show performance bar for artists visiting the Toronto International Theatre Festival. From 1983 to 1987, SALON was resident theatre company at Queen Street West’s The Great Hall. In Kingston, SALON partnered with the Grand Theatre Kingston to produce the Kingston Summer Festival (1993- 1999), and, independently, the John A. Macdonald Festival (2010 - 2015). Jim wanted a company that was working at the crossroads between art and history. He retired as Artistic Director of SALON in 2015. In August 2021, he performed the solo role in Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett for the Kingston Fringe Festival.

Anne Marie Mortensen is the owner and Artist-Educator at Bottle Tree Productions (BTP) (https://bottletreeinc.com). BTP is both a theatre production company and drama school with classes for children and youth,

clinics and occasional workshops for all types of organizations and adults, and shows for all ages, ranging from Shakespeare to Sondheim.

Anne Marie is a sought-after stage & site manager and designer, having worked with Skeleton Park Arts Fest, @The Gertrudes, Theatre Kingston, Kingston Theatre Alliance, @Calliope Collective, @The Dan School, @Thousand Miles of Bricks Productions, Kingston Meistersingers, and more. She is probably best known for her work with young actors, having developed and refined Bottle Tree Productions' Stage Right Acting program over the last several decades. Anne Marie is looking forward to seeing her 'little studio' filled with creative energy and audiences.

Amanda is proud to be part of the team bringing the powerful story of Josiah Henson to the stage. As a marketing professional in the theatre industry, she’s used to wearing multiple hats to build the buzz and success (i.e., ticket sales) needed for a show to thrive, and she’s been enjoying doing just that with this amazing JOSIAH creative and production team.

With a 25-year career focused on marketing strategy and business operations across multiple industries, Amanda has recently found her new home with Theatre Orangeville and, with it, an introduction to a new career in the arts. She has discovered a new passion, marrying her love for theatre and the arts with her expertise in marketing and her commitment to helping build successful organizations, one step at a time.

Growing up as an avid lover of theatre, ballet, and musicals, Amanda is now raising her “Irish Twins” (born one year apart on the same day!) to also love and appreciate the arts. Everything she does, she does with a smile and a passion for life. 

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Sandy McFadden spent a lifetime working as a Construction Project Manager in the Canadian Air Force and private industry. "Josiah" marks his first foray into theatre, working as Co-Producer to re-launch this remarkable play. As the curtain rises and a new spotlight shines, Sandy embraces the creative journey, illuminating the path to bring "Josiah" to audiences everywhere.