Articles from:February 2025

• Brock to make splash with Metamorphoses mainstage

  Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – February 25, 2025 – R0028

  Creative minds in Brock University’s Faculty of Humanities have joined forces to bring an epic ancient Roman poem to life on stage.

  The Department of Dramatic Arts (DART) will present playwright Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning adaption of Metamorphoses — complete with a challenging stage element sure to make waves with audiences.

  The play, which includes a large pool of water central to the production, opens Friday, Feb. 28 at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre stage in downtown St. Catharines.

  Though the original literary work dates back more than 2,000 years, Metamorphoses continues to capture imaginations across creative and academic disciplines. Written in Latin by Ovid, a Roman poet exiled by emperor Augustus in 8 CE, the collection of myths explores themes of transformation, beauty and struggle in the ancient world.

  “Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation shows how powerless people are empowered through Ovid’s stories, and we hope the hilarity and poignant drama will open similar transformations for audiences,” said retired DART Associate Professor Gyllian Raby, who is directing the production.

  Adam Rappold, Assistant Professor of Classics and Archaeology, teaches a course dedicated to Ovid’s Metamorphoses and worked on the mainstage as Dramaturge — an expert in the interpretation and composition of theatrical works, often advising on the text and how it is represented on stage.

  Rappold advised on the poem’s literary devices and shared insights with the cast about storytelling and the construction of myths.

  “Contemporary artists and scholars have re-examined the rebelliousness of Ovid’s poem and rediscovered the critique of the Roman Empire, revealing the full compassionate range of the exiled Ovid’s vision,” he said.

  Raby says that theatrically, this has been the most challenging play she has tackled to date. She credits the production team at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts for rising to the occasion.

  The DART cast and production crew created a technically advanced and visually stunning stage environment, including the large pool of water famously called for by Zimmerman’s adaptation.

  DART Technical Director Gavin Fearon said throughout rehearsals, the production crew have continued to discover new aspects of the pool’s impact on every element of the show including choreography, props and lighting.

  “Students in every role are navigating challenges introduced by the water,” he said. “The costumes team in particular, needed to track wet and dry quick changes in under 30 seconds.”

  Audiences will also experience original music of composer and DART sound design Instructor Joe Lapinski (BA ’99) who has drawn inspiration from the ancient Greek philosophical idea that celestial bodies make music, known as the “music of the spheres.”

  Voice Instructor and soprano Leanne Vida in the Department of Music coached individual singers in the production, including fourth-year actor Maddox Keller, who also took on the role of Choral Conductor.

  Metamorphoses opens Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre in the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines. Performances will also take place Saturday, March 1; Friday, March 7; and Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 2.

  General admission tickets are $25 and tickets for students and seniors are $20. Visit Brock University Tickets to reserve seats.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

   *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Bullies likely to have more children than their peers: Brock research

  Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – February 25, 2025 – R0027

  A bully asserting their dominance on the playground or in the high school halls is likely to have more children in adulthood than their peers, new Brock University research has shown.

  In its recently published work, the Brock Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences (BRAVE) group examined the link between adolescent bullying and the number of children a person has as an adult.

  The research findings indicate bullies tend to have more children than their non-bully counterparts, which may offer insight into the motivations behind their actions, says Professor of Child and Youth Studies Tony Volk.

  In addition to enhanced reproduction, research has also shown that other potential benefits of bullying include social dominance and popularity as well as obtaining resources such as money, academic rankings and scholarships.

  “This study shows us that bullying seems to be associated with some meaningful outcomes that help explain why kids do it,” Volk says. “This isn’t just ‘broken kids’ doing bad behaviour; it’s getting them important things that matter.”

  The recent findings build on previous BRAVE research that has indicated adolescent bullies date more and engage in more sexual activity than their peers — attracting potential mates by publicly asserting their dominance and establishing their position socially.

  In its latest work, the research team examined data from a longitudinal study that began in 2008 with hundreds of Grade 5 students from more than 50 southern Ontario schools. The long-term study is ongoing, with participants followed up with annually.

  To supplement this data, researchers gathered information from adults aged 24 to 35 who reported in retrospect on their bullying during adolescence.

  The research shows that higher levels of bullying in both men and women were associated with having children in young adulthood (by ages 23 or 24) in addition to having more children overall.

  Volk says the results support the idea that adolescent bullying is, at least in part, an evolutionary adaptation that may help individuals pass on their genes to future generations.

  “This research reinforces that bullying echoes beyond adolescence, affecting lives beyond high school — not only for the victims but also for the perpetrators,” he says.

  “We must pay attention to youth who achieve success and become popular through bullying, as they’re translating those actions into adult behaviour and may be passing that behaviour on to future generations,” Volk says. “If we don’t, they’re going to be the next bullies in our politics, our businesses, our hospitals — in critical areas of our lives.”

  By better understanding the motivations and the long-term outcomes, better interventions can be established to prevent bullying in the first place, he says.

  With the connection now established between bullying and reproduction, the BRAVE team has turned its attention to examining the upbringing of children born to bullies.

  “Are those kids being raised to be bullies? Are these parents being bullies to their kids?” Volk asks. “That’s the next important step to determine what’s happening after these kids are born and as they’re growing up.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases