Theatre at UBC

Kirsty Johnston is an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Film where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in theatre theory and history. Her research focuses on intersections between theatre, disability and health with particular interests in contemporary theatre and performance.  This year, McGill-Queen¹s University Press will publish her book Stage Turns: Canadian Disability Theatre. She is currently working on a SSHRC-funded research project entitled "Stages of access: theatre and inclusion in Canada".

 

Pickman, who is Marketing and Communications manager for Theatre at UBC, along with Wilson Wong from UBC Athletics, joined five other staff, alumni, students and faculty who were  highlighted. Pickman and Wong were singled out in this, the Ubyssey's final issue of the year, as "The Unsung Communicator's." 

There are plenty of games screenings and performances happening on campus nearly every weekend of the school year. But aside from periodic write-ups from this paper, most of the students competing and performing would go unnoticed if not for the yeoman's work of Deb Pickman and Wilson Wong, who handle communications for UBC Theatre (Pickman) and UBC Athletics (Wong). They write up previews of events, tweet anything related to their respective performers and work diligently to raise the profile of some of the most involved students on campus." - The Ubyssey 

Earlier this year The Ubyssey profiled Pickman for their Our Campus feature: http://ubyssey.ca/features/our-campus-deb-pickman-a-theatre-evangelist 

In tandem with her career in communications, Pickman is also an theatre creator, she is a two time Jessie Richardson Award nominated actress and recipient of the Vancouver Sun's People's Choice Award. She is presently an active ensemble member of the Vancouver company she co-founded in 1992 with BFA Acting alumna Renee Iaci and Costume Designer Lana Krause - shameless hussy productions. The company has a mandate of "telling provocative stories about women, to inspire the hand that rocks the cradle to rock the world." More at http://www.shamelesshussy.com.

This award is given annually to honour of one of Canada’s well loved and respected professional actors. The Sam Payne Award recognizes professional performers “displaying humanity, artistic integrity and encouragement of new talent” –  all attributes that were often used to describe Sam Payne’s personal qualities and his contribution to Canadian theatre, film, radio and television.

Originally from New York City, Jerry Wasserman started acting at college in the mid-60s. Moving to Vancouver in 1972 to teach English and later Theatre at UBC, Jerry became an integral part of Vancouver’s burgeoning professional theatre scene, performing on stage as well as in many American and Canadian film and television shows. He is now a well-known theatre reviewer and sees part of that function as a responsibility to encourage and in some cases showcase new talent. In addition, Jerry is Editor of Modern Canadian Plays, the anthology used in many Canadian theatre courses. In the 40 years that Jerry has been teaching, thousands of drama students have been influenced by his mentorship, tutelage and enthusiasm for the craft of acting.

A hearty congratulations from all of us on this well deserved recognition!

Main Street Theatre presents Samuel Beckett's timeless avant-garde classic Endgame as part of Rumble Theatre's 2012 Tremors Festival. The production is directed and designed by Theatre at UBC Professor Stephen Malloy and features BFA Acting Alumni Sasa Brown and Ryan Beil with Josh Drebit and Daryl King.

Endgame is the story of Hamm, who is trapped between life and death with his young servant, Clov. Together they engage in a chess match of wits in this vivid exploration of the end of life. Along with Waiting For Godot, Endgame is considered one of Samuel Beckett's finest works.

ABOUT MAIN STREET THEATRE: Main Street Theatre is a Vancouver based theatre company dedicated to producing contemporary classic plays in an intimate environment with a focus on storytelling. With four hit shows and 11 Jessie nominations under their belt, the company is ready to surprise Vancouver audiences again. More: http://www.mainstreettheatre.ca

The Tremors festival will take place April 10 ­ 28, 2012
At two venues: The Cultch (1895 Venables St) and at Little Mountain Gallery
(195 26th Ave at Main).

ENDGAME at Little Mountain Studio
Map: http://bit.ly/zGALLo
Individual Tickets from $15 + s/c
Tremors Festival passes also available - $40 + s/c
Contact the box office at tickets.thecultch.com or 604.251.1363

Rumble Productions' emerging arts festival, Tremors, returns to showcase contemporary works created by some of Canada's most innovative new companies. For a list of all the participating works see http://www.rumble.org.

Congratulations to our Department of Theatre & Film Head, Professor Jerry Wasserman, who's recently been re-engaged as resident theatre critic for The Province newspaper. Wasserman reviewed plays for CBC Radio's Afternoon Show in Vancouver for over 15 years and for The Province for five years before a brief hiatus from  2008-2010. Jerry is also the proprietor of the informative and entertaining vancouverplays.com web site. A professor of English and Theatre at UBC since 1972, Wasserman is just winding up his term as Department Head.

For all the latest news in what's happening in Vancouver theatre bookmark his theatre blog at www.vancouverplays.com.

Jerry’s night in the hot seat was reviewed in The Vancouver Courier:

TheatreSports meets autobiography in The Life Game
Jo Ledingham

“What a fascinating evening at the theatre...Wasserman was an excellent subject: candid, thoughtful, funny and fearless.” Read complete review

The Life Game ensemble (including Brian Anderson, Jeff Gladstone, Ryan Gladstone,  Denise Jones, alumnus Tom Jones, David Milchard, Veena Sood, Lori Triolo and Tallulah Winkelman)  will tell Jerry’s life story using renowned improvisation artist Keith Johnstone’s Life Game technique – and presto - a magical piece of improvised theatre.

Venue: Studio 1398  (in Festival House – top floor)
1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island
Tickets: 17.50 advance $20.00 at the door 
Box Office: www.ticketstonight.ca or 604.684.2787
More info: http://www.thelifegamevancouver.com
Studio 1398
1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island
Sunday Jan. 8 at 8pm

 

TRUE WEST
by Sam Shepard
Main Street Theatre
Little Mountain Studios
195 East 26th Ave & Main Street 
Nov. 29-Dec. 10, 7:30 PM
Pay-what-you-can (suggested $20)
tickets: 604-992-2313 
www.mainstreettheatre.ca

Main Street Theatre, one of Vancouver’s favourite independent theatre collectives, is set to open Sam Shepherd’s True West. This award winning, darkly humourous script is an enthralling examination of brotherhood, blood connections, and the dusty emotional landscape of a dysfunctional family. Shepard's characters are locked in a deadly dual as they struggle to create a screenplay for a contemporary Western, based on a true story. Their journey into the unknown territory of the imagination turns into an excavation of their collective past.

Theatre at UBC faculty Stephen Malloy returns to Main Street to direct a stellar cast of Theatre at UBC BFA acting alumnus Ryan Beil, Josh Drebit, Daryl King and Barbara Pollard. Stage managed by Theatre at UBC BFA production alumna Stephanie Meine. Design by Stephen Malloy.

Staged at the company’s home base, Little Mountain Studios (195 E. 26th Ave.) the “super-intimate”, “film-like” style that has become Main Street’s signature, will again be at play.

TRUE WEST
by Sam Shepard
Main Street Theatre
Little Mountain Studios
195 East 26th Ave & Main Street 
Nov. 29-Dec. 10, 7:30 PM
Preview: Nov. 28
Pay-what-you-can (suggested $20)
tickets: 604-992-2313

7:30 PM Start Time.

ALL PERFORMANCES ARE PAY WHAT YOU CAN!!! (suggested $20)

www.mainstreettheatre.ca

For reservations call: 604-992-2313

 

This holiday season, treat yourself to a classic - and laugh till you cry.

Blackbird Theatre presents Samuel Beckett's profound comedic masterpiece 
Waiting for Godot
Previews: Dec. 27 & 28 | Opening: Dec. 29 - January 21, 2012  
Vancouver East Cultural Centre

Directed by Professor Emeritus John Wright 
Starring Alumnus Anthony F. Ingram with Simon Webb, William Samples, Adam Henderson.

The Creative team includes BFA Acting Alumna Kathy Duborg (Assistant Director) Adjunct Professor Jayson McLean (Production Manager)

Blackbird Theatre has turned everything it’s done so far into gold and... there’s no end in sight.” 
- The Vancouver Courier

"It's harrowing, it's funny, it's human: go and see it, and laugh till you cry." - Charles Spencer, Time Out (London) 2010

Brilliant? Absurd? A lot of meaningless nonsense? Blackbird Theatre presents that play - Samuel Beckett's harrowing, funny, and deeply human masterpiece. The award-winning company behind 2009's smash hit Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? brings to life a seminal work of the 20th century where nothing happens...twice. Find their blog and more at www.blackbirdtheatre.ca

DEC 27, 2011 - JAN 21, 2012
Dec 27-30, Jan 3-7, 10-14, 17-21: 8PM
Jan 1, 8, 15: 2PM
Post-show talkbacks: Jan 1 & 3
Tickets: From $16 Online: http://www.thecultch.com Phone: 604.251.1363

Havana Theatre, 1212 Commercial Drive
Tickets: http://ticketstonight.ca

Asymetry chronicles the halting first steps of three fledgling relationships, as six damaged people fumble for intimacy and balance. Each of these broken relationships comes to a head in one night, in the same physical space, each couple unaware of the others even as their stories intertwine.

Starring UBC Department of Theatre and Film Head Jerry Wasserman with Jessica Charbonneau, Leah Gibson, Cara McDowell, Paul Piaskowski and William C. Vaughan. Stuart Aikins directs. More: http://www.realitycurve.com

"...Robinson creates a perfectly balanced play about the imbalance that seems so painfully inherent in every relationship."‹Backstage West

Sexual Content and language not suitable for young audiences.

Frederic Wood Theatre (Offices & Classrooms, Room 112 Map: http://bit.ly/r0HOtC

"The National School of Drama, located in Delhi, is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India. Training in the School is highly intensive and based on a thorough, comprehensive, carefully planned syllabus that covers every aspect of theatre and in which theory is related to practice. The NSD operates a wide variety of other exciting and innovative programs." More: http://nsd.gov.in

Presented by
UBC DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND FILM

BRING YOUR LUNCH!

Congratulations to Professor Robert Gardiner who recently won Edmonton's Sterling Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for his work on Studies in Motion ­ a play which was work shopped and first premiered here at the Frederic Wood. Studies in Motion was written by alumnus Kevin Kerr who is a co-founder of Electric Company Theatre.

More awards news ­ our favourite funny man, BFA Acting alumnus Gavin Crawford (of TV's This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame), won Toronto's Dora award for Outstanding Actor, Leading Man for his performance in Sky Gilbert's new play The Situationists which premiered at Canada's renowned Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Kudos to all our talented faculty, students, alumni - and yes even staff - who continue to inspire us with their dedicated work in theatres both near and far.

Photo Credit: David Hawe
Caption: Alumnus Gavin Crawford (BFA Acting) in Sky Gilbert's The Situationists. (Actors L-R: Haley McGee, Gavin Crawford and Gil Garratt)

In the small theatre category, Professor Stephen Malloy was named outstanding director for the Main Street Theatre equity co-op production of A Lie of The Mind (actress Barbara Pollard earned best supporting actress for that production, as well.) Alumna and adjunct professor Susan Bertoia won outstanding lead actress for the Firehall Arts Centre/Western Canada Theatre's Mambo Italiano. Outstanding costume design for small theatre went to alumna Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh for Touchstone Theatre's Mimi; or A Poisoner's Comedy.

In the large theatre category the alumnus founded Arts Club Theatre Company came away the biggest single winner of the evening, taking 10 Jessies for six of its productions. Professor and alumna Alison Green took outstanding set design and alumnus Phillip Clarkson won outstanding costume design for George Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer at the Arts Club Theatre. The innovative multimedia production Tear the Curtain!, an Arts Club co-production with Electric Company Theatre, earned two prizes – one for lighting design going to alumnus Alan Brodie (with Brian Johnson) and another for outstanding original script which went to alumnus Kevin Kerr (with Jonathon Young).

Two of the evening’s most notable awards went to alumnus Dave Deveau, who received the Sydney Risk Award for emerging playwright for My Funny Valentine, and alumnus Evan Frayne who received the Sam Payne Award for most promising newcomer.

The artistic achievement award in Theatre for Young Audiences went to alumna Yulia Shtern, Al Frisk, Jeff Harrison, Jeff Tymoschuk and Heidi Wilkinson), the design team behind Carousel Theatre’s Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire.

Last but not least distinguished UBC alumna Jane Penistan earned the Georgia Straight’s Patron of the Arts Award.

A round of applause is due to our entire Vancouver theatre community for an inspirational year in our theatres – bravo! Read about all the winners at: www.jessies.ca

Professor Stephen Malloy earned a well deserved Jessie nod for his direction of Main Street Theatre’s Lie of the Mind, which was recognized with four additional nominations for Outstanding Performances and another one for Outstanding Production.

Faculty member and alumna Alison Green was nominated for both Outstanding Costume Design and Outstanding Set Design for The Philanderer - Arts Club Theatre Company.

One of our very own 2010 -11 season shows Jade in the Coal, a co-production with Pangaea Arts, received nominations for both Significant Artistic Achievement and Outstanding Costume Design.

See our 27 nominations below – and a complete list at http://www.jessies.ca:

29th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards:

LARGE THEATRE

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Large Theatre

• John Murphy
  Much Ado About Nothing - Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Large Theatre

• Dawn Petten           
  Tear the Curtain! - Arts Club Theatre Company (in association with Electric Company Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design, Large Theatre

• Alan Brodie           
  Noel Coward's Brief Encounter - Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company
  (co-production with Manitoba Theatre Centre)    
• Alan Brodie           
  Tear the Curtain! - Arts Club Theatre Company
  (in association with Electric Company Theatre)

Outstanding Set Design, Large Theatre

• Alison Green           
  The Philanderer - Arts Club Theatre Company 

Outstanding Costume Design, Large Theatre

• Phillip Clarkson
  The Philanderer – Arts Club Theatre Company
• Alison Green           
  Dangerous Corner - Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company
• Rebekka Sorensen           
  The 39 Steps - Arts Club Theatre Company
• Sheila White           
  Don Quixote - Arts Club Theatre Company
  (in association with Axis Theatre; co-produced with Centaur Theatre)

Outstanding Integration of Film/Video

• Kevin Kerr (with Kim Collier and Jonathon Young)
  Tear the Curtain! - Arts Club Theatre Company
  (in association with Electric Company Theatre)           

SMALL THEATRE

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Small Theatre

• Susan Bertoia           
  Mambo Italiano - Firehall Arts Centre
  (co-production with Western Canada Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Small Theatre

• Ashley O'Connell           
  The Pillowman - Wild Geese Equity Co-op

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Small Theatre

• Kathleen Duborg           
  A Lie of the Mind - Main Street Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design, Small Theatre

• Lauchlin Johnston           
  Playland - Pacific Theatre

Outstanding Set Design, Small Theatre

• Lauchlin Johnston            
  My Name Is Asher Lev - Pacific Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design, Small Theatre

• Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh             
  Mimi, or A Poisoner's Comedy  - Touchstone Theatre 

Outstanding Direction, Small Theatre

• Anthony F. Ingram           
  Playland - Pacific Theatre
• Stephen Malloy             
  A Lie of the Mind - Main Street Theatre
• Richard Wolfe             
  The Busy World Is Hushed - one2theatre

Outstanding Production, Small Theatre

• A Lie of the Mind - Main Street Theatre 

Significant Artistic Achievement, Small Theatre: Outstanding performing Ensemble

• Meghan Gardiner (with Greg Armstrong-Morris, Lauren Bowler, and Shawn Macdonald)
  Home Shark - Equity Co-op           

Significant Artistic Achievement, Small Theatre: Outstanding Work of International Collaboration

• Jade in the Coal - Pangaea Arts (co-production with Theatre at UBC)           

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Outstanding Design, Theatre for Young Audiences: Outstanding Scenery & Props Design

• Kevin McAllister
  500 Words - Green Thumb Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences: Outstanding Design Team

• Al Frisk and Yulia Shtern (with Jeff Harrison,  Jeff Tymoschuk, and Heidi Wilkinson)
  Pharaoh Serket & The Lost Stone of Fire - Carousel Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences: Outstanding Ensemble Performance           

• Naomi Wright (with Gaelan Beatty and Josue Laboucane)
  Bird Brain – Carousel Theatre

Outstanding Original Script:

• Dave Deveau
  My Funny Valentine – Zee Zee Theatre
• Kevin Kerr (with Jonathon Young)
  Tear the Curtain! - Arts Club Theatre Company (in association with Electric Company Theatre)

There are additional awards that will be presented at the Jessie ceremony – the Georgia Straight Patron of the Arts Award, the Mary Phillips Prize, the Ray Michal Prize for Emerging Director, the Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, the John Moffat & Larry Lillo Award, the Critics’ Choice Innovation Award sponsored by the Vancouver Sun and the GVPTA Career Achievement Award.

The 29th Annual Ceremony will again be held at the beautiful Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street, on Monday, June 20, 2011, doors open at 5:30pm, ceremony at 6:45pm. Tickets are $25.50 plus service charges, through Ticketmaster 1-855-985-5000 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. The ceremony is being produced and directed by Vancouver TheatreSports who will produce a festive evening.

See a complete list of the nominees and find out more about the awards party on Monday, June 20th at http://www.jessies.ca

Part One: To honour the Bard, “SHAKESPEARE’S KINGDOM” sets the stage with a medley of texts from his era sung by glorious VISI sopranos and mezzo-sopranos, with stage direction by Alan Corbishley.

Part Two: TRY ME GOOD KING: LAST WORDS OF THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII. Two divorced, two beheaded, and one sacrificed in childbirth. All five swept up in the tumultuous reign of England’s most notorious monarch, Henry VIII. While gasping for breath on his deathbed, a startling series of ghostly visitations brings Henry face to face with the human cost of his tragic legacy. Libby Larsen’s stark and searing settings of historical texts are fused with rich excerpts from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, framed with original dramatic text, illuminated with cutting edge digital scenography, and ignited by the explosive power of Bard on the Beach’s Dean Paul Gibson, soprano Robyn Driedger-Klassen, pianist Terence Dawson, and actress Barbara Kozicki (UBC BFA Acting alumna) in the premiere of a SONGFIRE Theatre work created and directed by Theatre at UBC Associate Professor Tom Scholte. 

Production Team for BOTH shows: Stage Manager - Collette Brown (BFA Theatre Design and Production), Sceneographer - Wladimiro Woyno (BFA Theatre Design and Production), Costume Design - Diana Sepulveda (BFA Theatre Design and Production), Director of Photography - Laura Good (BFA Film Production)

$25 Adults, $23 Senior or VISI member, $10 Student
More information about the Vancouver Institute of Song and SONGFIRE June 4 – 25, 2011at http://www.songinstitute.ca

 

 

Photo (above): Jean Driscoll-Bell with Theatre at UBC Business Manager Gerald Vanderwoude. Photo Credit: Don Erhardt

Jean began her tenure with UBC Theatre Dept. in 1987 as Costume Specialist working with Design Prof. Brian Jackson, Mara Gottler and Alison Green and Wardrobe Head, Rosemary Hezelton.  Following Rosemary’s retirement in 1998, and Jean’s appointment as Head of Wardrobe, the Costume Shop was moved from the Trap Room to the current space, the original Dorothy Somerset Studio. This move corresponded with the completion of the Telus Theatre. With new responsibilities and a new space, Jean designed and began teaching UBC theatre courses in sewing and costume pattern making along with insuring the costume needs for all main stage shows at the Fredric Wood Theatre and the Telus Theatre. 

Prior to Jean’s arrival at UBC, she was co-owner of Cissor’s Studio along with business partner Leslie White, worked as a cutter/sewer for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre for 4 yrs,  CBC, Arts Club Theatre, The Stratford Festival in Ontario and numerous local smaller theatre companies.   Outside of her theatre costuming work, Jean’s interests included serving as an executive member of the Abreast In A Boat, a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team for 7 yrs, a 5 yrs winning fundraising Team captain with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - RUN for the CURE and President of the sports club The Inside Edge Club.  Prior to discovering professional theatre, Jean was a publicist for Presentation House and politically active with the B.C. Liberal Party. She enjoys skiing, bridge, gardening and more recently quilting. 

We’re so appreciative of Jean’s impact on our students in the classroom and as an integral part of the production team for every show in our season over the past 25 years. For a sampling of Jean’s prowess in bringing both our student and professional costume designer’s visions to life have a look at our recent production shots posted on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/theatre_ubc

 

With a total of over 30 nominations, no less than 25 students, alumni and adjunct professors are honoured in categories ranging from Best Student Film and Best Documentary to Best Music Video and Best Feature Length Drama.

Highlights include the first Student Production nomination since the launch of the revitalized UBC Film Production program for the short Little Big Kid.

Multiple nominee Terry Miles’ feature A Night for Dying Tigers, produced by UBC alumni and Film Production Alumni Association President Sidney Chiu, is nominated for four Leo Awards.

Other multiple award nominees include Mark Ratzlaff’s short drama Voodoo, which is nominated for a total of 11 Leo Awards – 8 of which are for UBC alumni including one for Camille Sullivan in the category of Best Performance.. Cinematographer Lindsay George and director/cinematographer Glen Winter are both nominated for two awards each.

A hearty congrats to professor (and BFA Acting, MFA directing Alumnus) Tom Scholte who along with co-star Ben Ratner has received a Leo Award nomination in the category Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama for work in the film Fathers & Sons. 

We wish al our UBC Theatre & Film alumni luck at the Leo Celebration Awards Ceremony June 8th at Club 560 and the Gala Awards Ceremony June 11th at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

The Leo Awards celebrate excellence in British Columbia film and television, for a complete list of nominees, please visit: www.leowards.com 

Drum roll please? And the UBC Department of Theatre and Film nominees are....

STUDENT PRODUCTION:

Best Student Production
Kathleen Jayme – Little Big Kid

FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA:

Nominee for Feature Length Drama
Stephen Hegyes – Producer - Gunless
Nominee for Best Direction in a Feature Length Drama
Terry Miles - A Night for Dying Tigers
Nominee for Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama
Dennis Foon – Life, Above All
Terry Miles - A Night for Dying Tigers
Nominees for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Drama
Gregory Middleton - Gunless
Terry Miles & Lindsay George - A Night for Dying Tigers
Nominees for Best Editing in a Feature Length Drama
Chris Bizzocchi – Altitude
Richard Martin - Transparency
Terry Miles - A Night for Dying Tigers
Mark Shearer – Repeaters
Nominee for Best Sound Editing in a Feature Length Drama
Anka Bakker, Jeff Davis, Dean Giammarco, Gord Hillier, Maureen Murphy –Altitude
Nominee for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama
Tom Scholte – Fathers & Sons

DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM OR SERIES:

Nominee for Best Feature Length Documentary Program
Yves J. Ma, Sturla Gunnarsson, Janice Tufford – Producers – Force of Nature
Nominee for Best Short Documentary Program
Eric Hogan, Tara Hungerford, Lauren Grant, Murray Battle – Producers – A Window
Looking In

DRAMATIC SERIES:

Nominee for Best Direction in a Dramatic Series
Glen Winter – Smallville
Nominee for Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series
Glen Winter – Smallville

YOUTH OR CHILDREN’S PROGRAM OR SERIES:

Nominee for Best Direction in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series
Brenton Spencer – Smallville

SHORT DRAMA:

Nominee for Best Performance by a Female in a Short Drama
Camille Sullivan - Voodoo
Nominees for Best Short Drama
Amy Belling, A.J. Bond – Producers – Madam Perrault’s Bluebeard
Mark Ratzlaff, Jessica Cheung- Producers – Voodoo
Nominees for Best Direction in a Short Drama
Mark Ratzlaff – Voodoo
Nominees for Best Screenwriting in a Short Drama
Mark Ratzlaff – Voodoo
Nominees for Cinematography in a Short Drama
Amy Belling – Madam Perrault’s Bluebeard
Lindsay George – Voodoo
Nominees for Best Editing in a Short Drama
Lauren Mainland – Voodoo
Nominees for Best Musical Score in a Short Drama
Adam Locke-Norton – Voodoo
Nominees for Best Production Design in a Short Drama
Madeleine Grant – Voodoo
Nominee for Best Production Design in Short Drama:
Karen Mirfield - Hop the Twig

MUSIC VIDEO:

Nominee for Best Music Video
Chris von Szombathy, A.J. Bond – Producers – Soft Serve by Audio Ahdeo Awdio

INFORMATION OR LIFESTYLE SERIES:

Nominee for Best Information or Lifestyle Series
Sarah Groundwater, Producer – The Wedding Belles
Nominee for Best Host – Information or Lifestyle Series:
Sarah Groundwater - The Wedding Belles "Food or Wong Foo"

WEB SERIES:

Nominee for Best Web Series
Maureen Bradley, Julia Dillon-Davis, Eliza Robertson, Daniel Hogg – Producers –
Fisherman’s Wharf

Find out more at www.leoawards.com

Props is one of the few aspects of the theatre that, when done perfectly, often doesn’t get noticed. It blends so well into the fabric of the play that it becomes practically invisible. Yet, when properties are executed with expertise these creations amplify the enjoyment of audience and actors alike, immeasurably. Properties can be one of the most powerful sources of theatrical magic and, here at Theatre at UBC, we’ve been fortunate to have UBC Alumna Janet Bickford, one of the very best Theatrical Properties artists in the business, working her wizardry.

This April, Janet retires from her work with us after 19 Theatre at UBC seasons, gallons of hot glue and paint, rooms full of break away chairs, an armory’s worth of weaponry, countless hours of sourcing rare items, the never ending high wire act of balancing budgets with creative vision - and a tireless dedication to guiding students in the way of the “Prop Tart”. 

During her colourful career, Janet has worked for many notable stages including The National Arts Centre, Shaw Festival, Vancouver Opera, Bard on the Beach, Holiday Theatre and as Head of Properties for the Vancouver Playhouse. She also worked on numerous feature films for companies including Disney and Universal, as well as on projects for two World’s Expositions.

We will miss Janet's talents on our team, her camaraderie, delightful Christmas and end of season parties amid the props as well as her unfailing dedication to our theatre. Please visit our blog for the story of her career told in her own words.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/theatre/

 

THE GRADUATE
Adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson
April 14-May 14, 2011
at the Granville Island Stage

Mrs. Robinson, Are You Trying to Seduce Me? Benjamin Braddock (Kayvon Khoshkam) is a little worried about his future. Just out of college, he doesn't know what he wants from life—but it sure isn't plastics. Then he meets Elaine (Celine Stubel). The only problem? She's Mrs. Robinson's (alumna Camille Mitchell) daughter!

The Graduate is adapted for the stage from the popular 1967 romantic comedy film that starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft in the iconic roles of Benjamin Braddock and Mrs. Robinson. The story of Benjamin finding his way in life after college spoke to a generation about the ways of the adult world, and the loss of innocence.

"For The Graduate, I wanted a director who could balance the sensibilities of the play. Enter [alumna] Lois Anderson," says Bill Millerd, Artistic Manager Director of the Arts Club. "Lois has a warm, generous sense of humour and a singular style of theatricality that has its roots in the clown work that she did early in her acting career. The adaptation of the film into a play brings with it very challenging design and staging questions—just the kind of problem that directors like Lois relish tackling. And there's no doubt that her vision will bring fresh energy to this classic story."

The film is ranked as the seventh greatest of all time on the American Film Institute's 100 Years…100 Movies list, and in 1996, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the National Film Preservation Board of the U.S. Library of Congress and added to the National Film Registry.

Adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson. Based on the novel by Charles Webb and the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Starring Lisa Bunting, Bill Dow, Kayvon Khoshkam, Ashley O'Connell, Celine Stubel, Jerry Wasserman, and Camille Mitchell as Mrs. Robinson. Director Lois Anderson. Costume Designer Nancy Bryant. Set Designer Amir Ofek. Lighting Designer Ted Roberts. Stage Manager Marion Anderson. Assistant Stage Manager Ingrid Turk.

The Arts Club Theatre Company presents The Graduate at the Granville Island Stage (1585 Johnston Street) from April 14 to May 14, 2011 (MEDIA OPENING: April 20). Monday to Saturday at 8 pm, and Wednesday & Saturday at 2 pm. Tickets are $29 to $49, inclusive of taxes and fees. Call the Arts Club Box Office at 604.687.1644 or visit artsclub.com.

by George Bernard Shaw
Arts Club Theatre Company
Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
Mar. 17-April 17
$29-$63
604-687-1644 or www.artsclub.com

Directed by MFA Directing Alumna and Adjunct Professor Rachel Ditor, set design by MFA Design Alumna and current Faculty member Alison Green, sound design by Adjunct Professor Patrick Pennefather, stage managed by Alumna Pamela Jakobs.

 

 

Congratulations to UBC Theatre and Film Prof. Ernest Mathijs on the launch of his new book "Cult Cinema"

"Cult Cinema: an Introduction" presents the first in-depth academic examination of all aspects of the field of cult cinema, including audiences, genres, and theoretical perspectives.It represents the first exhaustive introduction to cult cinema and a scholarly treatment of a hotly contested topic at the center of current academic debate. This important new work covers audience reactions, aesthetics, genres, theories of cult cinema, as well as historical insights into the topic

From the back cover: “At once subversive, strange, and wondrous, the world of cult cinema is a wildly popular culture that blurs genres, crosses boundaries, and defies easy categorization. So what exactly do we mean, then, by the term "cult cinema"? Cult Cinema presents the first in-depth academic examination of all aspects of the field of cult cinema, including its primary audiences, myriad genres, and the theoretical perspectives that inform a film's "cult" status. Cult Cinema addresses the well-known aspects of cult cinema -- midnight movies, exploitation films, fans of various cult sub-genres, issues of censorship, cult-film festivals, and fanzines – but it also unravels many of cult cinema's deeper mysteries, tackling such issues as representations of gender, transgression, subcultures, religious cultism, music, and meta-cults (cult movies about cult movies). 

Topics are presented in sections that are organized thematically around issues relating to reception, aesthetics, and theories. Among the films discussed are such cult classics as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Donnie Darko, Blade Runner, Plan 9 From Outer Space, El Topo, Eraserhead, Freaks, Casablanca, Suspiria, The Room, and many others. For cinephiles and scholars alike, Cult Cinema is the ticket to the most complete source of information about a fascinating phenomenon in the history of film.”

About the Authors

Ernest Mathijs is Associate Professor in Film Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada. His books include The Cult Film Reader (co-editor), three books on the reception of The Lord of the Rings, and The Cinema of David Cronenberg: From Baron of Blood to Cultural Hero.

Jamie Sexton is Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, Northumbria University, UK. He is the author of Alternative Film Culture in Inter-War Britain (2008), editor of Music, Sound and Multimedia: From the Live to the Virtual (2007), and co-editor (with Laura Mulvey) of Experimental British Television (2007).

More http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405173742,descCd-authorInfo.html

Stephen Heatley has worked as a professional theatre artist for over 35 years, specializing in directing for theatre. Before coming to UBC he spent 12 years as Artistic Director of Edmonton’s acclaimed Theatre Network, where he directed 30 world premieres.  He also spent five years as Associate Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre, and five years as resident director of the Free Will Players. He holds an MFA in Directing for Theatre from the University of Alberta and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English from Brock University. Heatley joined the faculty of Theatre and Film at UBC in 1999 and will be its Head from January through June, 2011.

During his Administrative Leave Professor Wasserman will be working on his 5th edition of Modern Canadian Plays and also continuing his research on the 19th century performance troupe Captain McDonald's Indians, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Wasserman, who has been a professor of English and Theatre at UBC since 1972 and Department Head for the past three years, is also one of Vancouver’s most versatile actors. While away from UBC he’ll be acting in a play at one of Vancouver’s major theatres - watch for an announcement in the coming months. In the meantime, he’s off to Southeast Asia for some well deserved r&r.

 

Professor and UBC alumnus Tom Scholte stars alongside Stephen Lobo, Manoj Sood, Tyler Labine, Vincent Gale, Hrothgar Mathews, Blu Mankuma, Viv Leacock, Jay Brazeau, Benjamin Ratner, Sonja Bennett. Carl Bessai directs.

Fathers & Sons is an alternative feature length drama that employs aspects of the documentary and the conventional drama in its creation and execution.  Following the lives of four very different families as they confront a pivotal moment in their relationships, the film celebrates those unchosen bonds that shape our lives, the blessings and burdens.

 

Starring Theatre at UBC Alumni Ryan Beil & Kathleen Duborg, Josh Drebit, Daryl King, Rebecca Auerbach, Lara Gilchrist, Patrick Keating and Barbara Pollard. Stage managed by alumna Stephanie Meine.

>> Recent reviews:

• "Stephen Malloy directs a strong cast who, to a man and woman, understand that this masterpiece of manipulation sneaks its subtle ideas into our subconscious by shouting them out."
  Peter Birney, Vancouver Sun. >>Read review
• "Malloy ensures that the actors honour the words and rhythm of the play like a partnered dance that flows between scenes nailing the humour and the pathos in equal measure."
  Andrea Rabinovitch, The Vancouver Observer. >>Read review
• "...one of the best shows of the year."
  Jerry Wasserman, vancouverplays.com. >>Read Review
• "It's an actor's playground where each character is so meticulously crafted with psychological quirks--or downright psychoses--that once the actor has grasped the character, he or she can just let it rip. And rip they do."
  Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier. >>Read Review

Heather Davis-Fisch holds a PhD in theatre from the University of Guelph. Her research interest is in intercultural performance in the nineteenth century, with a focus on the Canadian Arctic. She has two articles forthcoming: the first, for Theatre Research in Canada, examines the connection between square dancing and interracial sexual liaisons on whaling ships; the second, for Performing Arts Resources, addresses the methodological and evidentiary challenges posed by an 1869 account of an Inuit re-enactment of a pantomime performed by Franklin expedition survivors. Heather is in the final stages of revising a manuscript adapted from her dissertation, which argues that performance is a crucial way of understanding the affective impact of the disappearance of the Franklin expedition. Her current project, entitled “Royal Arctic Theatricality: Shipboard Performance and Intercultural Contact in the Arctic, 1818-1876” examines the ways that the British Navy’s long tradition of shipboard theatre and contact performances between British and Inuit together shaped intercultural relations and understandings of race during this period.

The Stanislavski Game: Improvisation in the Rehearsal of Scripted Plays – by Tom Scholte

Abstract: Throughout theatre history, the power of improvisation to forge a deeper connection between actor and text has been made abundantly clear. And yet, in seventeen years as a professional actor in Canada, I have never once seen improvisation used in the rehearsal process for a scripted play. In the increasingly truncated rehearsal periods common to professional theatre practice in Canada, “exploratory” techniques such as improvisation may seem like an impossible luxury. However, I have come to believe that the integration of such techniques, rooted in the neglected “Later Legacies” of Konstantin Stanislaski, might, in fact, be the most effective way to make our work go further faster and to make the most of the extremely limited time available to Canadian theatre practitioners in a professional rehearsal context. This article outlines my ongoing research into the potential adaptation of these rehearsal practices to the reality of contemporary Canadian production.

Improvising the Document – by Alex Lazaridis Ferguson

Abstract: In a documentary play in which actors represent living or
historical people, textual artefact is replaced by creatively embodied document. Every stage of the construction of that document, from a subject's recall of events, to a researcher's transcription of the subject's testimony, to performance, is an act of improvisation. Reflecting on Nanay: a testimonial play, this paper examines the document as a necessarily creative construction. It describes improvisative decisions made at every stage of the rehearsal process, how they resulted in naturalistic or non-naturalistic staging, and how spectators and researchers correlated truth claims to the various theatrical genres employed. Referencing cognitive and event theories, Ferguson argues that the spectator engages with embodied performance somatically, and that “identification” based on mutual embodied encounter becomes critical to the spectator's acceptance or rejection of a documentary play's truth claims.

Published quarterly by the University of Toronto Press each issue of Canadian Theatre Review includes at least one complete playscript related to the issue theme, insightful articles, and informative reviews. CTR continues to delve into the urgent issues of Canadian theatre, providing theatre scholars with a starting point for further study of current developments in the field. Recent themes detailed by the Canadian Theatre Review include Native Theatre, Actor Training, Canadian Women Playwrights, and Scenography. Canadian Theatre Review is the major magazine of record for Canadian theatre. More at http://utpjournals.metapress.com

A real honour and well deserved for one of our most accomplished colleagues. Currently Stephen is Coordinator of the MFA Directing Program and before joining UBC he spent twelve seasons as Artistic Director of Edmonton's Theatre Network where he directed over thirty world premieres.

He is former Associate Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and has directed for many other companies in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Toronto, Blyth, and Victoria. He has taught courses at Brock University and the University of Alberta - but now he is all ours.

He will be in residence for a month discussing issues in Canadian drama, especially the intersections among traditional and new voices in early 21st century theatre in Canada. Congratulations to Reid, who will be teaching Drama 300 for Theatre at UBC this fall.

Brian McIlroy for "Vancouver Goes to the Movies: Towards a Social and Contextual History of Cinemagoing and Film Exhibition in Vancouver, 1889-1929"

Rachel Talalay for "Lewis Carroll in Wonderland: A 3-D Short Musical Film"

Steven Liu for "Cumberland: An Original Chinese Canadian Intercultural Theatrical Production"

 

"[Gerald’s] dedication and willingness to go beyond the call of duty have been truly outstanding, and I extend my warmest congratulations" - Stephen J. Toope, President, University of British Columbia

“I can think of no one with whom I’ve worked in my 37 years on faculty at UBC who better exemplifies the values of service excellence for which the President’s Award is given.” - Jerry Wasserman, Head, Department of Theatre and Film

“His business and administrative acumen is bar none, one of the best.” - Brian Lee, Director of Finance, Faculty of Arts

“[Gerald is] a man of extraordinary integrity and compassion whose ministrations go far beyond the job-description that he fills so extraordinarily well.” - Errol Durbach, Professor Emeritus, UBC Department of Theatre and Film

A medal and prize of $5,000 will be awarded to Mr. Vanderwoude at one of the ceremonies during Spring congregation (May 26-28 and June 1-2) or Fall congregation (Nov 24-26). Staff, faculty and students alike benefit daily from Gerald’s hard work, dedication, talents and extreme generosity. We heartily join in congratulating him for this richly deserved recognition.

Aside from his multitude of achievements as Administrator & Business Manager for the Department of Theatre & Film, Gerald has directed over 40 theatrical productions in Vancouver and specializes in works by Samuel Beckett. Recent credits include Errol Durbach’s new adaptation of The Master Builder, Bella Luna’s acclaimed productions of FUTURISTI! and The Return of FUTURISTI! (co-directed with Susan Bertoia) and Beckett Cent, a centenary celebration of the work of Samuel Beckett. Gerald’s publications include Framing Beckett: The success and failure of Beckett on Film (2005) and the play Chaplin Cargo Freight (1994).

About the President's Service Award for Excellence:

This is the top award presented to staff in recognition of excellence in personal achievements and contributions to UBC and to the vision and goals of the University. The President’s Service Award for Excellence (PSAE) has been awarded on campus since 1991 and since then, 92 employees have received the award.

The award is given to an individual who has accomplished some or all of the following:

• Excelled in their area of work and in personal achievements
• Excelled in their work over and above their job description
• Improved the value, efficiency and sustainability of the services they provide
• Maintained a consistently high quality of service to their clients (students, faculty, etc)
• Displayed commitment to community enhancement in either the UBC community or service to another community
• Exemplified good citizenship through personal volunteerism or by helping to position UBC as a good citizen in the wider world
• Made outstanding contributions to UBC

Stanley taught acting and directing in the department from 1966 until his retirement in 1988. He had a particular affinity for classics of the modern theatre, directing memorable Freddy Wood productions of O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and A Moon for the Misbegotten, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Endgame, Miller’s The Crucible and All My Sons, Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, Strindberg’s The Father, and Synge’s Playboy of the Western World. Stanley was also a very fine actor appearing in a number of productions around Vancouver and on the Frederic Wood Stage.

The Department wishes to honour Stanley’s request not to have a memorial service, however contributions to the charity “A Loving Spoonful” (www.alovingspoonful.org) in Stanley’s name would be appreciated.

 

Robert will be honoured in March at the Celebrate Research Awards gala.

As an award-winning professional scenographer, designing lighting and sets for theatre companies across Canada, Professor Gardiner has sustained a national reputation for over two decades. At the same time he has carried out cutting-edge technological research in scenographic projection that has garnered international attention, helping make UBC’s Theatre program one of North America’s leading sites of research in theatrical design. More about the award at http://bit.ly/bdNQQS

Crime will begin screening in rotation on a TV near you at the end of March.

Tom Scholte is, perhaps, best known for his starring roles in the films of Bruce Sweeney: LIVE BAIT, DIRTY and LAST WEDDING for which he received a Genie (Canadian Oscar) nomination for Best Supporting Actor. As a writer, he co-authored the story for Sweeney’s DIRTY. As a feature-film producer, he was part of the team behind Larry Kent’s THE HAMSTER CAGE (in which he also starred) which had its premiere at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival before appearing at international festivals around the world in. On television, Tom has been seen in many internationally broadcast television series and movies including THE X-FILES, THE DEAD ZONE, GOLDRUSH (THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY), and a Gemini winning performance on the acclaimed crime drama DA VINCI’S INQUEST.

On stage, he has performed with a number of Canada’s top theatre companies in both Vancouver and Toronto. He was also one of the founding members of Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre and directed the company’s first two productions: EVENING IN A STRANGE LAND by Bahram Beyzai and HONEYMOON by Gholamhoseyn Sa’edi. He also founded Vancouver’s Theatreshop where he produced and directed I AM YOURS and THE CRACKWALKER both by celebrated Canadian playwright Judith Thompson. CRIME is his feature-film directing debut. http://www.crimethemovie.com

 

Vancouver Sun
February 6, 2010

Nancy Gallini, Dean of Arts, UBC

Box-office champ and nine-time Academy Award nominee Avatar has hit a nerve with the public, triggering an outpouring of responses online. A virtual tsunami of reviews, blogs and commentaries on the movie reveal insights into our ideas about storytelling and technology, and the relationship between them in our lives.

Witnessing the triumph of the eight-foot-tall blue Na'vi is far more satisfying to us than contemplating the real-life fate of first cultures, few of which have not been dominated and subdued by governments seeking natural resource treasures. However, Avatar isn't just a movie made to assuage culturally inherited guilt. It also gives us an opportunity to examine the film's significance as a high-tech storytelling vehicle.

Online, a common theme emerges in most opinions of the movie: The story is predictable, but the visuals are amazing. So is it a question of technology versus story, or can technology be used to serve the story?

Google "Avatar" and "story" and you find a mashed-up hero story re-purposed from centuries of hijacked myths, but despite that, Avatar succeeds in mesmerizing even the harshest cynic with its mind-blowing visuals.

Avatar makes geeks of us all, who wish we could transplant our minds and souls into dragon-flying Na'vi in tune with nature. The story is unsurprising, but who cares? Personally, I was too busy watching translucent jellyfish float around my face.

There's no question that innovative new technology supports the director's story by allowing him to put actors into real-time interaction with fantastical settings and characters. And as technology continues to advance, reincarnations of Avatar will surface to provide us with an even better tech fix -- hopefully with more comfy glasses.

What remains to be seen is whether the impact viewers feel will translate into change in the way we live. But that's not the filmmaker's responsibility; it's ours. Avatar does not propose new ways to stop our momentum toward destroying ourselves and our planet. Some argue that the film only provides temporary solace. It gives the moviegoer a resolution more enduring than what can be found in the real world.

Yet, Avatar also reveals that the journey of the individual is the first step toward lasting change. This is nothing new, but it's a theme that needs persistent repetition.

Composer Patrick Pennefather is an adjunct professor at UBC's film and theatre department, where he teaches sound design.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

AMERICAN BUFFALO
By David Mamet
Main Street Theatre Company
Little Mountain Studios
195 E. 26th Avenue (26th and Main)
Jan. 14-26, 8 PM (Now Held Over to Jan. 26)
Pay-what-you-can (suggested $12)
604-992-2313

Malloy really proves his worth, directing his cast to not only spit dialogue but do so with a sharp sense of Mamet's gift for uncovering the reality in his rhythms...This production offers the clearest interpretation I've ever seen of American Buffalo..."
Peter Birnie, Vancouver Sun

"Malloy’s direction is as unadorned as the set...It’s a pleasure watching these guys work at such close quarters, watching them making Mamet’s warped world feel so real...American Buffalo is a great theatrical pleasure. "
Jerry Wasserman, vancouverplays.com

"Great news, David Mamet fans. Main Street Theatre Equity Co-op (producers of the critically acclaimed Glengarry Glen Ross in 2008) is back with a scorching production of American Buffalo....Under Stephen Malloy's direction, this trio absolutely nails Mamet's distinctive style..."
Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

Please note: The regular run of American Buffalo is now SOLD OUT. However, Main Street Theatre has just added 3 extra shows – Sunday (24th), Monday (25th) & Tuesday (26th). All proceeds from the Tuesday show will go towards relief in Haiti. Tickets: 604-992-2313.

From the theatre company that brought you last year’s sold-out hit GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, Main Street Theatre Equity Coop proudly presents David Mamet’s AMERICAN BUFFALO.  

Little Mountain Studio, 26th and Main, Vancouver. Run: January 14-26, 8PM. Preview on Wednesday, January 13th.

Directed and designed by Theatre at UBC faculty Stephen Malloy, AMERICAN BUFFALO stars Theatre at UBC Alumnus Ryan Beil, Josh Drebit and Daryl King.

• Click here to read Peter Birnie's (Vancouver Sun Theatre Critic)
• Click here to read Jerry Wasserman's (vancouverplays.com Editor & Theatre Critic); and
• Click here Jo Ledingham's (Vancouver Courier Theatre Critic) rave reviews of Stephen Malloy's production of American Buffalo...