Karen O'Meara, department head of dramatic arts at Richmond Green Secondary School in Richmond Hill, Ont., was one such teacher. Determined to forge ahead with her combined Grade 11 and 12 musical theatre production, she reached out to听, professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre in 91亚色鈥檚 School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, whom she had been collaborating with on workshops for drama teachers. They both decided that this was the perfect opportunity to combine forces in a new way.

鈥淎t the time,鈥� explains O鈥橫eara, 鈥淚 was putting on a production, which I then had to translate into an online production. What ended up resulting from that conversation was a number of 91亚色 theatre students saying, 鈥楬ey, we don鈥檛 have anything to do. It鈥檚 the pandemic and everything is locked down; we would love to help with your show.鈥� So those were the initial seeds of this project.鈥�

With the help of those enthusiastic student volunteers, Richmond Green presented its first online production in spring 2020 鈥� and it was a huge success. Heading into the next pandemic-impacted school year, Schweitzer decided to take the project one step further by officially incorporating it into 91亚色鈥檚 theatre curriculum as a for-credit experiential education offering called the Independent Production Practicum.

The course kicked off in January of this year and the seven enrolled students 鈥� Isabella Liscio, Megan Keatings, Hannah Smith, Rachel D鈥橝rpino, Dave Harack, Laura Nigro and Joshua Kilimnik 鈥� jumped right into planning mode, joining O鈥橫eara for a two-hour meeting on Zoom every Monday night. When the high-school semester began the following month, the 91亚色 students took the high schoolers through a series of theatre workshops, which O鈥橫eara says 鈥渟et the bar high for the students and gave them a fantastic foundation to continue with creative exploration.鈥�

Through breakout rooms on their weekly Zoom calls, the 91亚色 students went on to provide mentorship in areas where they had passion and interest. There were rooms for choreography, vocals, directing, producing and script-writing, to name a few. They attended the high-school classes whenever they could, and provided leadership within the classroom setting 鈥� running scenes and coaching students on various aspects of the show. Their contributions did not go unnoticed.

鈥淭he 91亚色 students were outstanding,鈥� says O鈥橫eara. 鈥淭hey had so much genuine enthusiasm for what our students were doing. They were always willing to offer their expertise, make suggestions and provide great feedback.鈥�

One of the 91亚色 theatre students, Liscio, who just finished her third year specializing in performance creation and research, started working with O鈥橫eara in May 2020 as a volunteer to get classroom hours for her teachers college application. She has now helped Richmond Green put on three productions. 鈥淭丑颈蝉 experience has meant so much,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to be a drama teacher and I didn鈥檛 have much experience working with high-school students before. I got to learn and explore with them what this genre of online theatre is and work with them in the areas of acting, directing, marketing and production.鈥�

Another third-year student, D鈥橝rpino, who is majoring in performing arts and concurrent education, originally applied for the course thinking it was a volunteer opportunity that would serve her well as she pursues a future as a high-school drama teacher. She was thrilled to discover that it had become a for-credit course and she hopes to continue her involvement with the school. 鈥淜aren wants our opinion, asks us to help and gets everyone involved,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he kids are so immersed in everything, learning it all and putting it together from scratch. It has been such an amazing opportunity to give input and watch the whole experience come to life.鈥�

Like the others, Harack, who will be heading into his third year of 91亚色鈥檚 theatre production program in the fall, plans to attend teachers college post-graduation. He knows this experience with Richmond Green will help him thrive in that setting and in the industry at large. 鈥淪eeing the students take the lead has been really awesome,鈥� he says. 鈥淭o see them progress from an idea to filming scenes and then editing, it was a really rewarding experience.鈥�

Putting on a large-scale production during pandemic times certainly had its challenges, though, requiring the students to adapt on the fly to the ever-changing restrictions. 鈥淲e knew we were only going to get a very short time together in person and we had to take advantage of every minute,鈥� says O鈥橫eara. 鈥淥ur biggest learning was that if you want to produce work virtually, you have to be very organized, have a solid plan and be flexible to change.鈥�

And change they did. The 28-person high-school class was expecting to have two in-person blocks for filming, but when everything was shut down after the first block, they had to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the script accordingly. 鈥淏ut because we had such a good plan at the start and a very good scene-by-scene vision, that really helped guide us when we had to make a change,鈥� says O鈥橫eara.

The end result was "Out of Sync," a completely student-written musical that went live on the evening of June 23 via Zoom, of course. The show was about four high schools 鈥� one private, one public, one arts-focused and one sports-focused 鈥� competing against each other in a lip-sync battle. As the rival schools went from cut-throat saboteurs to considerate allies, the show left its audience with the feel-good takeaway that music has the power to unite people from all walks of life.

Understandably, signs of the pandemic were everywhere in the production 鈥� students in masks, physical distancing, scenes filmed in students鈥� homes, in parks, on Zoom and some spliced together to make it appear that the cast was in the same place when in reality they were not. And perhaps that was part of the show鈥檚 charm, serving as a sort of time capsule for the strange and surreal year that was.

No one yet knows what the next school year has in store, but one thing is certain: the educational experience gained from putting on this production in such turbulent times will have a lasting impact for all involved.

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that our students have had such an exciting opportunity to work closely with Ms. O鈥橫eara and the students at Richmond Green on the development of a new musical,鈥� says Schweitzer. 鈥淭hrough this collaboration, they鈥檝e developed leadership and teaching skills that will enhance their careers, whether they decide to go on to become high-school drama teachers themselves or pursue other creative avenues. I look forward to seeing this kind of partnership grow in the future.鈥�

By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer,听驰贵颈濒别

The post The show must go on: How 91亚色 theatre students helped adapt a local high-school musical for pandemic times appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The $15,000 prize, given annually to a professional Canadian costume designer in mid-career working in Ontario, allows recipients to further enrich their careers through research and travel. Osborne received her award June 18 at a ceremony at the council鈥檚 Toronto office.

One of Dana Osborne鈥檚 renderings for Hosanna, Stratford Festival, 2011

鈥淚 was thrilled,鈥� said Osborne. 鈥淚 plan use the award to travel to London, England and New 91亚色 City, plus purchase some drafting and rendering programs for my computer and some new art reference books. 听This comes at the perfect time with everything that鈥檚 going on in my career and my life. I鈥檝e been very busy lately and was desperate to take some time to recharge.鈥�

Osborne was selected as the winner from an outstanding group of nominees. Citing her strong, creative interpretations, the jury of theatre professionals said: 鈥淸Osbourne] is a modern designer for today鈥檚 theatre. She uses her strong sense of today鈥檚 fashions, cleverly blended with historical looks, to give her shows unique designs. She also makes excellent use of found objects and has strong technical skills.鈥�

Osborne has been working as a theatre designer across Canada for 15 years. In this, her 12th season at the Stratford Festival, she is the creative force behind the costumes for the mainstage production of You鈥檙e a Good Man, Charlie Brown and the world premiere of Morris Panych鈥檚 musical Wanderlust. Her other Stratford credits include costumes for Hosanna, As You Like It, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Moby Dick, The Comedy of Errors, The Lark, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Timon of Athens, Agamemnon and set and costumes for King Henry IV, Part One.

Dana Osborne (centre)听with the Ontario Arts Foundation Vice-Chair John McKellar, and friend of Virginia Cooper (left) and听 Alan Walker (right), executive director of the Ontario Arts Foundation (right)

Her听work can also be seen this season in Soulpepper Theatre Company鈥檚 Speed-the-Plow, currently playing at the Young Centre in Toronto鈥檚 Distillery District, and Pacific Opera Victoria鈥檚 upcoming production of 惭补肠产别迟丑.听Osbourne's designs have graced the stages of Regina鈥檚 Globe Theatre, the Grand Theatre in London/Ontario, and Canadian Stage, Young People鈥檚 Theatre, Pleiades Theatre and Factory Theatre in Toronto.

Blossom Lady from As You Like It, Stratford, 2010

After earning her BFA at 91亚色, Osborne began her career in costume management, working with the Canadian Opera Company, Shaw Festival and Mirvish Productions, before choosing to specialize in design. She was named one of the Young Designers to Watch in Entertainment Design in 2004 and received the 2010 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Costume Design for Theatrefront鈥檚 production of The Mill.

鈥淪tudying theatre at 91亚色 gave me a great foundation to build upon,鈥� said Osborne. 鈥淚t taught me how to navigate the politics of the theatre, how to survive working long hours under stress, and to be flexible and creative. Theatre design is a collaborative art. A lot of people are involved in getting it from the page to the stage and they will all leave their mark on your design, so it鈥檚 important to embrace that.鈥�

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Theatre grad wins prestigious Ontario Arts Council prize appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Titled Breath is Alive, the film鈥檚 intent is to capture the essence of Smukler鈥檚 work by following him into the studio as he teaches young artists who are discovering their vocal potential and established actors as they hone and rejuvenate their process. Interviews with 91亚色 students and alumni, professional colleagues and others who have worked with Smukler will flesh out the story, providing a glimpse into the delicate, intricate process of vocal practice.

David Smukler

As co-producers and directors, Nelles and Paetz bring firsthand experience studying under Smukler to their research-creation project. Both have worked as voice coaches and professional actors, applying and sharing the skills they learned with Smukler both behind the scenes and in the spotlight.

鈥淲hile David听shows no signs of slowing down, he is a senior practitioner and we feel it鈥檚 crucial to capture his work now, while it continues to be vital and energetic,鈥� said Nelles, who is currently pursuing doctoral studies in theatre at 91亚色. 鈥淲atching David work with actors can be as transformative as the work itself. In the company of his energy, you鈥檙e reminded of the innocence of creativity and the sheer joy of discovery.鈥�

L.J. Nelles

Before he began teaching at 91亚色 in 1980, Smukler served as voice coach for the Royal Court Theatre, English Opera Group and Royal Opera, Covent Garden in the UK and held appointments as head of voice at the Toneelschool, Amsterdam, the Department of Drama at Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburg, and Ontario鈥檚 Stratford Shakespearean Festival. He joined the full-time faculty in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Theatre in 1984, serving three stints as acting area coordinator over the next two decades. He developed a strong voice and speech training component and played a pivotal role in founding the MFA program in Acting, the only program of its kind in Canada. Since his retirement in 2004, he has continued to teach in 91亚色鈥檚 Graduate Program in Theatre, overseeing the Graduate Diploma in Voice Teaching which he established in 2001.

鈥淒avid was at the forefront of a kind of actor training that was new to Canada when he first began coaching at Stratford and teaching here at 91亚色. His work with actors and directors in the Department of Theatre defined an approach to actor training that forms the heart of our program and has served our students well for more than 30 years,鈥� said Eric Armstrong (MFA '94), who has followed in his mentor鈥檚 footsteps in both the professional and academic arena. A respected dialogue and dialect coach in his own right, Armstrong is professor of voice and acting at 91亚色, where he currently directs the Graduate Program in Theatre.

Hollywood star Rachel McAdams听 (BFA '01), award-winning Shaw and Stratford Festival veteran Deborah Hay (BFA '95), and stage and screen actor Christine Horne (BFA '04) are among Smukler鈥檚 many former students at 91亚色 who have gone on to remarkable performance careers. Other notable Canadian actors he has coached include Shawn Doyle (Desperate Housewives, The Eleventh Hour, 24) and Arsin茅e Khanjian (The Sweet Hereafter, Ararat, Sabah).

鈥淒avid has a remarkable ability to challenge actors to go deep, to confront their personal demons in order to tap the well of their imagination,鈥� said Armstrong.

In addition to his work at 91亚色, Smukler has given professional workshops across Canada for Equity Showcase Theatre and has coached voice and dialect for innumerable film and theatre productions. As director of training for in Vancouver, which he established more than 25 years ago, he has worked extensively with performers, directors and broadcasters in theatre, opera, film and television. He has recently returned to acting, in works ranging from Theatre Rusticle鈥檚 production of Peter and the Wolf to Wordsmyth Theatre鈥檚 staging of Chekhov鈥檚 The Seagull.

Smukler has been recognized by the international Voice and Speech Trainers Association as a Distinguished Member for his lifetime contributions to the field. His accolades include the 91亚色 Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award, given in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of academic excellence and the quality of graduate teaching at 91亚色.

When completed, Breath is Alive will stand as a tribute to Smukler as artist and teacher, and a record of the development of his art form and a generation of theatre practitioners in a pivotal period in Canadian theatre history.

To help fund the film, Paetz and Nelles have turned to crowdsourcing. Their 鈥榠ndiegogo鈥� campaign has surpassed the initial goal of $5000 needed to kick-start the project and cover basic production costs. Now they are seeking additional support to expand the scope of the film with more footage and interviews, and for post-production.

To make a contribution, visit the today, or e-mail ljnelles@yorku.ca.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Grads team up to honour prof's life with a documentary film appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Theatre artists Ted Witzel and Ker Wells are going about it somewhat differently. They鈥檙e the inaugural participants in the 91亚色 MFA in Theatre 鈥� Stage Direction in Collaboration with Canadian Stage, a landmark initiative that鈥檚 breaking new ground in Canadian theatre training.

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DiW7xTLylgzU img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/iW7xTLylgzU/0.jpg embed=false share=false width=400 height=300 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

Launched last fall as a partnership between one of Canada鈥檚 preeminent theatre schools and one of the country鈥檚 leading not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, this innovative graduate program offers highly specialized, advanced training in large-scale theatre directing. 听Its mission is to support the development of directorial talent for the national and international stage.

鈥淲hen directors make their mainstage debut, they often feel they鈥檙e getting one kick at the can, and if they fail they鈥檒l never get to do a large production again,鈥� said Professor Eric Armstrong, director of 91亚色鈥檚 MFA theatre programs. 鈥淗ere, you get to work with large casts on big shows in a mentored setting 鈥� something that just听doesn't听happen in the professional world.鈥�

The collaborative MFA program allows students to develop their creative and technical skills to the highest level, integrating their academic and studio work in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Theatre with involvement in artistic projects at . The opportunity to direct a Canadian Stage production and an internship with a major national or international theatre are key elements of the two-year program.

Canadian Stage Artistic and General Director Matthew Jocelyn and听Resident Artist Kim Collier serve as personal mentors for the MFA candidates. 听Collier, co-founder and artistic director of Vancouver鈥檚 Electric Company Theatre and winner of the 2010 Siminovitch Prize for directing, works closely with the students to support their professional development.

The program is customized for each student based on their background, artistic orientation and goals, so Wells and Witzel鈥檚 experience over the past year and their plans for the next are highly individual.

Wells assisted Collier in her direction of the Canadian Stage production of Red last fall, and served as assistant director to Richard Rose for , Canadian Stage鈥檚 30th anniversary Shakespeare in the Park presentation, running in Toronto鈥檚 High Park until September 2.听 This coming season, Witzel will assist Kim Collier on a production for Vancouver's .

On the international front, Wells heads to the Netherlands this fall for an internship with acclaimed director Ivo van Hove at ,听working on a play by Ingmar Bergman. Witzel has an internship lined up with the renowned Canadian-born, Europe-based opera director Robert Carsen听(LLD Hons. '05)听for a production of Mozart鈥檚 The Magic Flute at the in Baden-Baden, Germany听in March 2013.

Both MFA candidates bring a wealth of experience to their work at 91亚色, at Canadian Stage and abroad.

Active in Toronto鈥檚 independent theatre scene for the past five years, Witzel is artistic director of , a company he co-founded in 2006. His directing credits include a number of bold, site-specific adaptations of classics in non-traditional venues such the Gladstone Hotel, Drake Underground, Whippersnapper Gallery and Trinity Bellwoods Park. His most recent productions for Red Light District have been La Ronde, an adaptation of the Arthur Schnitzler play, at the downtown club Wicked, and Tennessee Williams鈥� Suddenly, Last Summer with the Tennessee Project at the Gibson House Museum in North 91亚色. Witzel divides his time between Toronto and Germany, where he has worked as assistant to leading directors such as Johanna Schall and Sebastian Baumgarten.

Wells is an actor, director and teacher who has toured across Canada and in the US, England, Denmark, France, Italy and Serbia. He was a founding member of Primus Theatre in Winnipeg, where he worked for nearly a decade before moving to Toronto and co-founding Number Eleven Theatre in 1998. His productions with Number Eleven include Icaria, The Prague Visitor and The Curious History of Peter Schlemihl. Other credits include The Confessions of Punch and Judy for New 91亚色 State-based NACL Theatre and solo shows Living Tall for Public Energy, Peterborough and Swimmer (68) for Toronto鈥檚 Hopscotch Collective.

91亚色鈥檚 Graduate Program in Theatre is now accepting applications for the next cycle of the MFA program in Theatre - Stage Direction in Collaboration with Canadian Stage. Two new students will be admitted into the program in September 2013. The听 application deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. Directors with extremely strong individual and interpretive voices and substantial professional experience are invited to apply. Candidates should be committed to developing their artistic and technical skills and have a clear interest in working on a large scale.

For more information, visit听the Theatre -听Stage Direction in Collaboration with Canadian Stage website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Master's students study direction at Canadian Stage and beyond appeared first on Research & Innovation.

World Scenography 1975-1990 documents lighting, set and costume design

The book covers set, lighting and costume design for all forms of performance, from theatre and dance to opera and spectacle. Encompassing material from hundreds of contributors, it highlights some 430 significant works from more than five dozen countries.

Co-editors Peter McKinnon, professor of stage design and production in the Department of Theatre, Faculty of Fine Arts at 91亚色, and Eric Fielding, professor emeritus of scenic design at Brigham Young University, Utah, led an international team of researchers and associate editors for the project.

The editors point out that the publication is neither encyclopedic nor a collection of "greatest hits".听 The intent, they say, is to showcase, contextualize and document for posterity 鈥渄esigns that mattered, that made a difference鈥�: seminal designs that had a major impact on the development of the art form, its practice and reception.

Groundbreaking productions cited in World Scenography 1975-1990 include the political puppetry of the American Anti-Bicentennial Pageant at the University of California (1975); English director Peter Brook鈥檚 Mahabharata (1985), which was staged in quarries in France and Australia, as well as in theatres in the US and Spain; and the opening ceremony for the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.

Notable designers featured include Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner Maria Bjornson of France/UK (Phantom of the Opera, 1988); German designer Achim Freyer, winner of the Prague Quadrennial lifetime achievement award (Woyzeck, 1989; The Magic Flute, 1982); Sun-Hi Shin of Korea (A Bicycle, 1983; An Encounter, 1990); Canadian designer Andr茅 Caron (Cirque R茅invent茅, 1987, 听for Cirque du Soleil); veteran Broadway designer Robin Wagner (A Chorus Line, 1976; On The Twentieth Century, 1978; Dreamgirls, 1981); and 91亚色 theatre听 Professors Teresa Przybylski and Phillip Silver.

World Scenography 1975-1990 is the first publication in a projected three-part series. It builds on the foundation established by Stage Design Throughout the World, a four-volume series edited by Ren茅 Hainaux that concluded in 1975. McKinnon and Fielding are already planning volumes two and three of World Scenography, to span 1990-2005 and 2005-2015, respectively. When complete, the World Scenography series will be the largest, most comprehensive scholarly work on theatrical design ever created.

McKinnon notes that the motivation and passion behind this epic endeavour is the transitory nature of design for live performance. 鈥淭heatre design work is as ephemeral as the work of the actor,鈥� he says. 鈥淥nce the show is over, it disappears. If we don鈥檛 photograph, catalogue and preserve our design work, we run the risk of losing it forever.鈥�

The editors of World Scenography are themselves leading contributors to the field.

Peter McKinnon

McKinnon has served as lighting designer for some 450 shows, principally dance and opera, across Canada and internationally, and has produced shows off- and on-Broadway and in Edinburgh, Scotland. A past president of the Associated Designers of Canada, he was an organizer of the Canadian exhibit at the 2007 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. His editorial credits include the international lexicon Theatre Words听补苍诲 One Show, One Audience, One Single Space by Jean-Guy Lecat.

Fielding has designed scenery and/or lighting for more than 250 productions for stage, film, television and special events. He designed the gold medal-winning American exhibit at the 1991 Prague Quadrennial and created the World Stage Design exhibition, directing its premiere showing in Toronto in 2005. He is a 30-year member of United Scenic Artists 829, a Fellow and former vice-president of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, and former editor of the journal Theatre Design &Technology (TD&T).

World Scenography 1975-1990 is designed by Randal Boutilier (BFA '00), an alumnus of 91亚色鈥檚 Visual Arts Program. The series, to be published both in print and online, is an official project of听the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT). Both McKinnon and Fielding are long-serving executive members of OISTAT, a UNESCO-recognized organization that draws together theatre production professionals from around the world. The long list of international supporters of the World Scenography project includes the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

McKinnon and Fielding will be in attendance at a reception marking the Canadian launch of the publication on Thursday, April 5, 7 to 10pm at TheatreBooks, 11 St. Thomas Street, Toronto.

For more information, visit the听World Scenography series website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Book showcases stage 'designs that mattered' appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter and accomplished American playwright Bruce Jay Friedman has a new collection of selected works coming out, and it鈥檚 being published by 91亚色鈥檚 Leaping Lion Books, which is run by students in the Professional Writing Program.

The launch of 3.1 Plays will take place Thursday, March 1, from noon to 3pm, at the Eleanor Winters Art Gallery, 129 Winters College, Keele campus. Friedman won鈥檛 be in attendance, but there will be a video message from him specially created for the occasion and 91亚色 theatre students will perform excerpts from his book.

鈥淧ublishing an accomplished writer like Bruce Jay Friedman raises the profile of Leaping Lion Books,鈥� says Alan Borenstein, Leaping Lion Books publisher and fourth-year professional writing student. 鈥淲e鈥檝e proven that we can work with any calibre of author, and put out a product worthy of your bookshelf.鈥�

贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 four works in 3.1 Plays are known for their sharp, black comedy and a punch of wit, and include the Obie award-winning play Scuba Duba: A Tense Comedy and Steambath. Both were off-Broadway hits. The other two plays in the collection are Sardines and The Trial. The plays are billed as capturing the surreal with a flair that is uncompromised by 贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 ability to write real and flawed characters. His plays have delighted audiences since the 1960s and earned him rave reviews from The New 91亚色 Times and The New 91亚色er.

In addition to playwriting, Friedman has published six collections of stories, several novels, as well as a nonfiction collection. His novels include Stern (1962), A Mother鈥檚 Kisses (1964), The Dick (1970), The Current Climate (1989) and Violencia! (2002). A couple of his stories were also adapted for film 鈥� The Heartbreak Kid and The Lonely Guy.

Fourth-year students in the book stream of the Professional Writing Program of the Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, are required to take the Book Publishing Practicum course and participate in the publication of a real manuscript, such as 贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 3.1 Plays.

Bruce Jay Friedman

Just how the opportunity to publish 贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 work came about was serendipitous. 鈥淲hen I was an editor at the University of Chicago Press, I published a collection of Bruce 贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 essays titled Even the Rhinos Were Nymphos. We had been talking about another book, a collection of his plays, when I left Chicago in 2001,鈥� says 91亚色 English Professor Geoffrey Huck. 鈥淲hen a few years ago I put together Leaping Lion Books for the Book Publishing Practicum at 91亚色, I resurrected the idea with him, and he graciously agreed to let us publish.鈥�

Friedman sent several plays and Huck chose four. 鈥淚 wish we could have included more in the collection, but length 鈥� and hence cost 鈥� were considerations,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he students, along with course director Mike O鈥機onnor, have done the rest. I hope other readers will find these plays as delightful as I have found them to be.鈥�

Borenstein says the experience the publishing practicum provides is invaluable. 鈥淎s jobs have become scarce for graduates in all fields, students are eager for a hands-on education and applicable skills. 91亚色鈥檚 publishing program simulates a professional working environment, in a program unique to Canada. With changes in how we read and receive information, the publishing industry is asking itself a lot of questions. We are the group of individuals who will provide the answers. That鈥檚 exciting.鈥�

Having the opportunity to published 贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 book means a lot, says Huck. 鈥淲hat I think Bruce鈥檚 and our other books prove is that the students in the Book Publishing Practicum are highly competent publishers. They are the future of book publishing, and they鈥檙e already showing their stripes.鈥�

Everyone is invited to attend the launch. Refreshments will be provided and copies of the book will be available. There will also be a raffle courtesy of Leaping Lion Books sponsors for a chance to win gift certificates to the 91亚色 Bookstore, gift certificates and merchandise from the Hard Rock Caf茅, sunglasses from Anders & Flynt, tickets from Stage West Mississauga and a makeover from Kliks Beauty Centre. Sponsors also include the 91亚色 Writing Department, Z-teca Gourmet Burritos, Blueberry Hill, ASRock America Inc. and NZXT Crafted Gaming Armor.

贵谤颈别诲尘补苍鈥檚 3.1 Plays is available in print and in e-book format through Kobo Inc.

For more information about Leaping Lion Books, 3.1 Plays or Friedman, visit the Leaping Lion Books 飞别产蝉颈迟别.听

The post Bruce Jay Friedman plays published by 91亚色 students appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Established and emerging artists in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Fine Arts bring their collective talents to a riveting new production of a baroque classic: Henry Purcell鈥檚 opera Dido and Aeneas. This epic story of love and betrayal plays out at the Sandra Faire听& Ivan Fecan Theatre on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus for two performances only, March 1 and 2.

Lead artists Joseph Farahat and Charlotte Gagnon

Based on a chapter from The Aeneid, penned by the Roman poet Virgil in the first century BC, Dido and Aeneas recounts the tragic tale of Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero Aeneas. Dido loses her heart to the fierce, handsome warrior Aeneas after he is shipwrecked on her shores, only to be devastated when he abandons her to continue his quest to find Rome.

This story of doomed love has resounded through two millennia. 91亚色鈥檚 production, a collaboration between faculty and students from the departments of Music, Theatre and Dance, is a strikingly contemporary but timeless re-imagining. Thirty performers play the characters as well as the place, forming a living set on an otherwise empty stage.

鈥淭丑颈蝉 Dido project is the realization of a dream I鈥檝e had since I joined 91亚色,鈥� said Professor Catherine Robbin (left), who heads听91亚色鈥檚 classical vocal music program. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much talent and expertise in our performance programs, and it鈥檚 a joy to bring it together in an opera production. The experience of combining our creative energies is tremendously exciting and rewarding, both for the students involved and for those of us who teach and work professionally in the field.鈥�

An internationally renowned mezzo soprano, Robbin fills the dual roles of music director and producer for the production. She is no stranger to Dido and Aeneas, having sung the title role in the 1982 Stratford Festival production, which earned her critical accolades as听 鈥渁 voice which is unquestionably the greatest, in its range, that Canada has produced in several decades鈥� (The Globe and Mail). Her discography features many baroque composers, including Purcell, Handel and Vivaldi, in collaborations with leading conductors such as Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock and John Eliot Gardiner.

Presiding over the orchestra pit for 91亚色鈥檚 Dido and Aeneas is Robbin鈥檚 Music Department colleague, award-winning choral conductor and composer Professor Stephanie Martin (above). Martin, who serves as music director for the historic Church of St. Mary Magdalene and conductor of Toronto鈥檚 Pax Christi Chorale, directs the 16- member 91亚色 Baroque Ensemble.

The stage director is theatre Professor Gwen Dobie (left), who brings extensive directing credits in contemporary opera and theatre to the table. Dobie鈥榮听most recent productions include 翱辫别谤补听贰谤辞迟颈辩耻别 and Sound in Silence for her company, Out of the Box Productions; the Canadian premiere of the Danish opera On this Planet by Anders Nordendoft; and the world premiere of the opera Eyes on the Mountain by Canadian composer Christopher Donison.

Susan Lee (BFA 鈥�90, MFA 鈥�10), an alumna and current faculty member in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Dance, brings her long-standing interest in interdisciplinary collaboration to Dido and Aeneas. In a performance career spanning two decades and three continents, Lee has originated roles in almost 50 world premieres by some of Canada鈥檚 most highly acclaimed choreographers. Her own choreography has been described as 鈥溾�� a tour de force of magic and mystery鈥� (The Globe and Mail). She brings that magic to bear on this production, contributing original choreography to the work.

Starring in the role of Dido is fourth-year music major Charlotte Gagnon. Gagnon recently won first prize at the Newmarket Voice Festival Senior Scholarship Competition, as well as two awards for opera performance and the prize for outstanding performing ability and career potential in classical singing. She also placed second in her class at the 2011 National Association of Teachers of Singing Ontario chapter competition.

First-year music student Joseph Farahat sings the role of Aeneas. Both young artists are studying with eminent soprano Norma Burrowes in 91亚色鈥檚 classical vocal performance program.

In total, the cast for Dido and Aeneas features 21 singers, four actors and five dancers. Not only performers, they also play an active role on the production side. Dressed all in white, they have designed their own costumes based on their personae in Purcell鈥檚 opera 鈥� or 听in the case of the non-speaking roles, inspired by characters drawn from the classical literature of five centuries, who were betrayed or betrayers in their time.

Eschewing a physical set, Professor Elizabeth Asselstine, chair of the Department of Theatre, and Professor William Mackwood, who teaches design and production in the Department of Dance, have created elaborate lighting and projection designs for the show. Working with a technical team of four theatre students, they paint the white-costumed canvas of the performers with evocative colour and special effects.

Tickets听are $17, or $12 for students and seniors.听For tickets, contact the Box Office at 416-736-5888.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post 91亚色 artists offer fresh take on Dido and Aeneas appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Graduate students Shannon Roberts, Nancy听Latoszewski Greyeyes and Ilse Gudi帽o, candidates in 91亚色鈥檚 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in choreography and dance dramaturgy, premiere new choreographies for ensembles in Temenos. The show, performed by professional and pre-professional dancers, runs Feb.听15 to 17 in the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre at听the Keele campus.

Shannon Roberts. Photo by听David Hou

The Greek word temenos refers to a piece of land cut off from common use, often dedicated as a place for worship. Historically, the proscenium stage has been regarded as a space reserved for particular users and dedicated to expressing the meanings that infuse our bodies and relationships.

As well as addressing the concept of the stage as a special site, the three emerging choreographers build on the idea of the dancing body itself as temenos 鈥� simultaneously separated from society鈥檚 imposed meanings, and infused with individual sources of meaning for each artist.

鈥淭heir dances focus on navigating the proscenium stage as a site for researching the body鈥檚 memories and cultural constructions,鈥� said Professor Darcey Callison, the production鈥檚 artistic director. 鈥淔rom delving into the historical roots of flamenco, to exploring a family narrative of coal miners in Pennsylvania, to challenging the complexity of the male gaze, these choreographers investigate the proscenium theatre as temenos: a theatrical space that frames these works in order to make visible the body as a conduit for memories and social conditions that permeate their choreography.鈥澨�

Fusing modern dance with her athletic background, Shannon Roberts incorporates Bollywood, ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, figure skating and flying trapeze into her work. Her choreography is inspired by social issues and the people, artwork and cultures she has experienced in her travels around the world.听听听听听听听听听听听听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Roberts鈥� work, A Way of Seeing, is a discourse between Edvard Munch鈥檚 painting Woman in Three Stages and writer John Berger鈥檚 influential book Ways of Seeing. Investigating how a woman鈥檚 experience is informed through youth, sexuality and aging, this trio explores a sensual physical language that frames the private experience as public display.

听Ilse Gudi帽o Barthold. Photo by David Hou

In her piece, In the Marrow: A听Crucial Journey, Ilse Gudi帽o Barthold explores the history of flamenco as cultural memory and personal expression. Four dancers and four live musicians bring to the stage this complex journey, from a dance form infused with cultural significance to a movement vocabulary that is both personal and contemporary.

Trained in flamenco dance in Madrid and Seville, Gudi帽o Barthold has been a member of the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company since 1997 and has performed as a soloist and with other flamenco dancers across Canada and internationally.

In Valley of Coal, Nancy Latoszewski (Greyeyes) tells the story of her grandparents. Both her grandfathers were Pennsylvania coal miners, and her choreography charts memories of the challenges they faced and the personal sacrifices they made. This narrative choreography is Latoszewski鈥檚 way of exploring oral history through her work as a dance artist.

Nancy Latoszewski (Greyeyes). Photo by听David Hou

A former soloist with Feld Ballets NY, Latoszewski has also been a principal dancer with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet and Alberta Ballet. Her work has been performed at Nuit Blanche and by Ballet J枚rgen, and she has also choreographed for film.

The Temenos program concludes with a structured improvisation created by the 91亚色 Dance Ensemble鈥檚 (YDE) artistic director Holly Small in collaboration with the ensemble, and听performed by the 16 dancers and five musicians of the YDE.

For tickets, contact the Box Office at 416-736-5888.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Emerging dance masters unveil new works appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The event, Queering Theatre in Toronto, will take place Thursday, from 2 to 4pm, in Winters Senior Common Room, 021 Winters College, Keele campus.

Newton, recently appointed a Winters College Fellow, is the founding artistic director of Ecce Homo Theatre. His newest musical, , is scheduled to run from Jan. 5 to 15, as part of the 2012 Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Theatre in Toronto.

Written and directed by Newton, Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert, introduces the audience to Montreal鈥檚 Peter Flinsch, a theatre designer, visual artist and gay survivor of Nazi Germany, who was arrested in 1942 for kissing a friend at a Luftwaffe Christmas party. It takes in everything from the cabarets of 1920s Berlin and the battle over gay marriage to the office of the prime minister, and is billed as a provocative expressionist cabaret.

His previous work includes three consecutive productions for the SummerWorks Theatre Festival in which he was playwright and director of The Pastor Phelps Project: a fundamentalist cabaret, The Ecstasy of Mother Teresa or Agnes Bojaxhiu Superstar and Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert. Newton鈥檚 work has also been performed at the Rhubarb Festival 鈥� Leni Riefenstahl vs. the 20th Century 鈥� and the Victoria Fringe Festival 鈥� Woyzeck Songspiel.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Playwright and director to discuss his work tomorrow appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The event, Queering Theatre in Toronto, will take place Thursday, Jan 5, 2012, from 2 to 4pm in Winters Senior Common Room, 021 Winters College, Keele campus.

Right: Marie Rickard

Newton, a recently appointed Winters College Fellow, is the founding artistic director of Ecce Homo Theatre. His newest musical, , is scheduled to run from Jan. 5 to 15, 2012, as part of the 2012 Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Theatre in Toronto.

Written and directed by Newton, Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert, introduces the audience to Montreal鈥檚 Peter Flinsch, a theatre designer, visual artist and gay survivor of Nazi Germany, who was arrested in 1942 for kissing a friend at a Luftwaffe Christmas party. It takes in everything from the cabarets of 1920s Berlin and the battle over gay marriage to the office of the Prime Minister, and is billed as a provocative expressionist cabaret.

鈥淭he goal of my work is to balance politics and entertainment, to combine dance, music, text and design into a total theatrical experience in the hopes of challenging my audience intellectually and emotionally,鈥� says Newton.

鈥淚 agree with Schiller's notion of the stage as a moral institution and I endeavor to create work on big themes for troubled times. My output as a playwright and director with Ecce Homo Theatre seeks to achieve intimacy through artifice using a queer aesthetic as a tool for destabilization, to draw attention to hypocrisy and deflate the un-ironic. As one of my former teachers, Charles Marowitz, once said, 鈥淟aughter can be a hammer-stroke in the hands of deft satirists.鈥�

Newton听is听a contributor to the forthcoming collection,听TRANS(per)FORMING Nina Arsenault: An Unreasonable Body of Work (Intellect Ltd.), edited by 91亚色 theatre Professor听Judith Rudakoff.

His previous work includes three consecutive productions for the SummerWorks Theatre Festival in which he was playwright and director of The Pastor Phelps Project: a fundamentalist cabaret, The Ecstasy of Mother Teresa or Agnes Bojaxhiu Superstar and Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert. Newton鈥檚 work has also been performed at the Rhubarb Festival 鈥� Leni Riefenstahl vs the 20th Century 鈥� and the Victoria Fringe Festival 鈥� Woyzeck Songspiel.

In addition, Newton was a participant in the inaugural presentation of The Ark at The National Arts Centre English Theatre in 2006, and is a past member of the听BASH! Emerging Artist Program at the Canadian Stage Company, the Ante Chamber Creator鈥檚 Unit with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and the Director鈥檚 Lab of the Lincoln Center Theater.

He has also served as apprentice director for the Ensemble Studio of the Canadian Opera Company for its 2009-2010 season, where he directed a production of Pergolisi鈥檚 La Serva Padonra. Newton鈥檚 recent work includes a stint as director/dramaturge for Bella: The Color of Love with Teresa Tova and Mary Kerr at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. It was a commission for the 2011 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts.

The show is being supported by the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Next Stage Theatre Festival and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Playwright discusses his recent work onstage in January appeared first on Research & Innovation.