drama Archives | Research & Innovation

91��ɫ dance and theatre professors begin work on 'Bugzzz'

fmaquito — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Creative partners William Mackwood and Gwen Dobie are collaborating on a new project called Bugzzz, a post-apocalyptic, post-mammalian tale told by the surviving insects in a mix of drama, dance and opera.

The 91��ɫ fine arts professors co-founded to present drama, dance and opera in novel, multidisciplinary projects performed in one-of-a-kind venues, such as nightclubs and other ‘found’ spaces. This more intimate experience, that Mackwood and Dobie refer to as “lounge opera”, encourages audiences to sit on carpets, pillows, chairs, or couches. Their productions use music and movement to provide an emotional and spiritual experience expressive of the human condition. Their unique aesthetics attract new and diverse audiences.

Although Out of The Box Productions is always interdisciplinary, the freedom of performance fusion can be problematic. Mackwood, a professor of production and design in 91��ɫ's Dance Department, admits that funding is a constant issue. Multidisciplinary work often does not fit into any one category of performing art.

“Committees have a hard time classifying us, hence our name,” quips Mackwood. “But having said that, both the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council have granted much appreciated development funding for Bugzzz.”

On the other hand, artistic tension is the kind of conflict Mackwood welcomes. He explains how everyday artistic visions vary to create a healthy tension in which everyone has a voice – evidence of a creative team hard at work.

aims to challenge the notion of progress, particularly our uncritical obsession with technology. The project proceeds as if human civilization has self-destructed because of our over consumption of resources. Only insects remain and it is they who take an archeological look at the value of civilization through art, specifically through Giacomo Puccini’s opera, Tosca.��

Mackwood enthusiastically admits: “I’ve always wanted to do a play inhabited by insects.”

Bugzzz will be an exciting musical, movement, and design challenge.

As co-creator, Dobie, a movement professor in 91��ɫ's Theatre Department, will be the dramaturge and co-produce, direct and choreograph the production. She will interpret how different insects move, implementing core proprioceptive training (CPT). CPT develops one’s awareness of direction, orientation in space, and the extent and rate of limb movement based on information relayed from sensory receptors in the joints, tendons and muscles.

The staging for Bugzzz is also contemporary in its rejection of Brecht’s principle of defamiliarization (or verfremdungseffekt) in favour of recent mirror neuron theories that emphasize the human capacity for emotionally empathetic response.

Thomas Sandberg is on board to work as Bugzzz’s composer. One of his creative challenges is to imagine an insect interpretation of the original Tosca score. He must compose the piece using found objects, imagining what bugs might use for musical instruments.

Mackwood will write, co-produce and create the lighting design. By working with the approach of sustainable “design on demand”, which involves all members of the production for the creative process, Mackwood is able to explore choices in colour, texture and imagery instantly, on the spot. This approach to lighting design allows for more flexibility and efficient collaboration between directors, choreographers and designers, while also being ecologically friendly.

Mackwood’s interest in “green” or sustainable theatre practice was sparked by James McKernan, with whom he worked on Sound in Silence (2008). Noting the lack of money allocated to sets in dance, Mackwood recognized a desire in the industry for materials that could be recycled such as lights, projections and soft goods. Green initiatives, however, need to produce superior quality results if they are to offer an alternative to current production practices.

Mackwood experimented with LED lights with great success during the remounting of Opera Erotique (2010). LEDs use one third the power and produce less heat than conventional lights, providing savings on electricity and air conditioning, while making it more comfortable for the performers. The LED lights are also almost always built with red, green and blue optics for full colour mixing.

Professor Don Sinclair joins the Bugzzz team as the sound and interactive projections designer. Sinclair will map performers’ bodies on stage using 3-D motion capture technology to create a mesh outline. From the 3-D model, Sinclair can manipulate exact projections of colour, image and light onto performers’ bodies, permitting them to be illuminated without background spill.��

The software developed by Sinclair will advance the field of interactive technology in theatre performance. Undergraduate and graduate students in 91��ɫ’s dance and theatre programs will have access to the technology in a new course, The Interactive Stage: Developing Digital Design Tools for Live Performances.

A.C. Lighting Inc. and managing director J.F. Canuel are uniting once again with Mackwood as industry partners for Bugzzz. A.C. Lighting previously worked on the LED remounting of Opera Erotique, providing outstanding support with equipment, technicians and Canuel’s participation in the round table discussion on opening night. The partnership with A.C. Lighting will provide Mackwood with a team of engineers and researchers to assist in the development of LED costumes and sets. In turn, by observing first hand artists’ design needs, A.C. Lighting gains useful information for the continued evolution of LED technology.

Knowing the value of a good story, Mackwood will soon shift his attention away from the design components and towards script development. 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Fine Arts has offered the use of studio space and a multimedia lab for rehearsals and creative development, for which Mackwood expresses his gratitude: “I have not had any issues – the staff and facilities are all world class."

Bugzzz will premiere June 2012 in Toronto, with the possibility of another performance in Vancouver and an international production in Copenhagen the following year.

Written by Crystal Basaez, Faculty of Fine Arts research assistant, and reprinted from the summer issue of the Faculty of Fine Arts Research Newsletter

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Music professor's new book teaches the South Indian art of konnakkol

fmaquito — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

It is a human urge to imitate percussive sounds, says 91��ɫ music Professor Trichy Sankaran, whose new book, The Art of Konnakkol (Solkattu), delves into the rhythmic spoken syllables of south Indian drumming.

A master percussionist, Sankaran wrote the book and used selections from his albums Laya Vinyas and Catch 21 on the accompanying CD to outline and demonstrate the principal rhythmic concepts of konnakkol. He will launch the book on Thursday, May 27, at 8pm with a short concert along with members of (featuring his daughter and 91��ɫ grad Suba Sankaran) and other special guests at The Music Gallery, 197 John St., Toronto. A reception will follow. Admission is free.

Konnakkol is the art of reciting drum syllables (solkattu). “Sol” means syllable and “kattu” means group, says Sankaran, who is a master of the south Indian drum, the mrdangam. “All the patterns played on the drum can be translated into spoken words. You can verbalize what you play and play what you verbalize. It can go both ways. These rhythms are structured and arranged in highly complex and comprehensive ways.”

Learning the art of konnakkol can enhance anyone’s rhythmic skills, he says, and not just a drummer’s – it can help a vocalist, instrumentalist, composer or dancer improve their sense of rhythm. The book outlines the principal rhythmic concepts and contains numerous exercises and compositions suited for the beginners as well as the advanced. In addition, there are 42 tracks on the accompanying CD corresponding to different chapters and lessons.

This is Sankaran's second major publication; both are instructional, as it is his goal to teach others and keep the art form alive. He was a pioneer in introducing konnakkol as a university course back when he first started teaching at 91��ɫ in 1971. Since then, other colleges and universities have followed suit. “Students have appreciated it and have immensely benefited by learning to adapt to their own instruments,” says Sankaran, a recipient of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Award for teaching excellence and the Professional of the Year Award by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce for artistic excellence.

Left: Trichy Sankaran performing. Photo by Greg King.

Konnakkol has been widely used in the film and music industries in India in one form or the other. But it doesn’t stop there. “It has far-reaching effects. It’s a great art form,” says Sankaran. "Many artists are fascinated by these drumming syllables and this has really attracted many musicians from around the world. From simple counting to conceptualizing musical ideas to creating musical compositions, the konnokkal has played a major role.”

In his research in 91��ɫ's Faculty of Fine Arts, Sankaran has traced the history and origin of konnakkol back to 2nd century treatise Natya Sastra. "This work is a dramaturgy dealing with dance, drama and music. So from the beginning solkattu has been part of drama, dance and music,” he says. The history of konnakkol is explained in detail in the book to give the readers a better idea of the context of the art form.

Indian music is essentially based on oral tradition and so there is no formal notation. Sankaran, however, has created a notation to help preserve the traditional way of playing the drum so students in the West who are used to reading music would better understand it. “That way they learn the fingering and hand techniques in the proper way, and so it won’t get changed along the way,” he says.

Sankaran, recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria in 1998 in recognition of his contributions to music in Canada and abroad, has performed many concerts with leading Indian musicians and has given numerous solo recitals. He has also played with jazz, electronic, African and world music ensembles besides his own fusion band, Trichy’s Trio. He has also composed works for various ensembles. His recordings include Laya Vinyas (1990), Sunada (1993), Lotus Signatures (1997), Ivory Ganesh Meets Doctor Drums (1998) and Catch 21 (2002).

For more information, to purchase a copy of The Art of Konnakkol, to listen to or watch the art form being performed, visit 's Web site.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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