Nina Arsenault recently visited us for an artist’s talk, part of Dramatic Arts 3P96 Studies in Praxis II: Queer Theories and Performance Practices.
Arsenault is a “transsexual cyborg” theatre and performance artist whose one-woman show, The Silicone Diaries, has had sold-out runs in Toronto and Montreal, and will be touring the country this coming Spring. Ms. Arsenault gave a short talk about her process followed by an interview with Praxis course director, Paul Halferty.
(Source: The Brock News, Monday, February 14, 2011)
Suppressed desire and ancient power struggles collide in this week’s production of Phèdre at Brock.
Phèdre, written by Jean Racine, will be presented by the Department of Dramatic Arts at the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Phèdre – translated into English by British poet Ted Hughes – mixes poetry, political intrigue and sexual jealousy.
The play contains a principal love triangle of Phèdre, her husband Theseus and his son Hippolytus. Phèdre has a forbidden passion for her stepson that unleashes a wave of tragic consequences.
The roles are played by Dramatic Arts undergraduate students, including Kasey Dunn, Michael Pearson, Eric Frank, Emma Bulpin, Lauren Beaton, Josh Davidson, Kedie McIntyre, and Madison Roca. The play is directed by Virginia Reh and designed by David Vivian, both Dramatic Arts faculty members.
The myths around Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolytus have fascinated playwrights for ages, Reh said.
“Racine’s masterpiece distils the best of his major sources, particularly Euripides’ Hippolytus,” she said. “From Euripides he borrows the fundamentally principled Phaedra, an essentially moral woman who is tormented by a forbidden passion and chooses to die rather than surrender to it. The tragedy is at once epic and domestic.“
Performances:
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. To order, call 905-688-5550 x3257 or email boxoffice@brocku.ca
Are you interested in Acting, but not a Dramatic Arts Major?
OR
Are you a Primary/Junior Concurrent Education Student looking for an introductory course in Acting?
OR
Are you looking for an active, engaging Spring Intensive Course?
DART 1F01: Acting for Non Majors
Monday, May 2 – Friday, May 13, 2011
M T W TH F 9:00h – 16:30h TH 141
This course is a rigorous introduction to acting for non majors. There are no pre requisites and no restrictions.
Contact dramatic@brocku.ca for more information, ext. 5255
Brock University
DEPARTMENT OF DRAMATIC ARTS
acting, acting for non majors, DART 1F01, Dramatic Arts, new course, spring session
Categories: Announcements, News
8 Day ALBA Emoting workshop
Dates: April 22 – 30 (with the 26th off)
Location: TH141
The workshop will be taught in four hour sessions daily, with one day off. The work is described as intimate, intense, and emotional. The workshop is limited to 12 participants.
ALBA Emoting: Alba Emoting was developed by neuroscientist Dr. Susana Bloch as a safe, purely physical alternative to emotion memory for releasing, maintaining, and controlling emotional states on stage.
Alba Emoting identifies six “basic” emotions from which all others derive. Each of the basic emotions, as well as emotional neutrality, has its own unique, identifiable set of bodily responses (“effector patterns”) which are universal to all humans. By reproducing aspects of these patterns — breathing, posture, and facial expression — an actor can experience and express genuine, organic emotion at will, without the use of memory or images.
Instructor: Professor Nancy Loitz teaches directing at Wesleyan University in Illinois. Nancy received her MFA from the University of Minnesota. Nancy studied with Susana Bloch, and is one of the only certified instructors of ALBA emoting in North America. She has taught professional actors in Zurich, Switzerland; Milan, Italy; and in Chicago.
Due to limited space, interested students are asked to apply for a space in the workshop by contacting Kasey Dunn, and explaining why you would like to take the workshop.
Contact info: kd07ws@brocku.ca
Alba emoting, ALBA Emoting workshop, Nancy Loitz, Susana Bloch
Categories: Announcements, News
The Department of Dramatic Arts lost a cherished colleague and friend, Dr. Marlene Moser, on December 21, 2010. In her honour we have established the Marlene Moser Memorial Scholarship. To contribute to this Scholarship please send donations to the attention of Norm Bradshaw, Faculty of Humanities, Brock University. The cheque or gift should be made out to Brock University and indicate Marlene Moser Memorial Scholarship. All donations are eligible to be matched dollar for dollar by the provincial government.
For more information please contact Norm Bradshaw.
Marlene at the Humanities Research Institute Symposium in December, 2006
It is with deep sadness and grief that we share with you the news of our dear colleague Marlene Moser’s passing on the evening of December 21, 2010.
Marlene’s courageous five year battle with breast cancer developed into metastasis this past summer. Her condition started to deteriorate rapidly Monday morning and she was admitted to the Juravinski Hospital Tuesday morning and passed away peacefully Tuesday evening surrounded by all of her family.
Marlene has been a member of the Brock Community since 2000. During her tenure as professor, researcher, creator, Director and Chair she provided leadership and love to her colleagues and students in the Department of Dramatic Arts. She was instrumental to the development of the Department as a site of luminous and rigorous investigation of theatre praxis. Her mentorship of five colleagues through tenure and promotion is but one facet of her legacy to the future of our research, pedagogy, and community. Her presence in the burgeoning theatre scene of St. Catharines was only recently curtailed as she focused her creative energies to meet the challenge of cancer – the vision of her initiatives remains undiminished and in our hearts.
Marlene fought this cancer with such strength, courage and determination. The Department greatly mourns her passing.
for more information please see her web page
see the Brock News article here
Information about the visitation and an upcoming celebration on January 4th, 2011 is found in the obituary in the Hamilton Spectator. Here are the details:
Family and friends may gather at the BAY GARDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1010 Botanical Drive, BURLINGTON, on Tuesday, December 28th between 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A celebration of Marlene’s life (reunion) will take place on her birthday, January 4th at the Royal Botanical Gardens at 2 p.m.
There is also an online Book of Condolence at the above webpage.
The department will host a memorial event in the new year, with details to come. Download the PDF for the Department of Dramatic Arts’ celebration of her life here.
In her honour we have established the Marlene Moser Memorial Scholarship. To contribute to this Scholarship please send donations to the attention of Norm Bradshaw nbradshaw@brocku.ca, Faculty of Humanities, Brock University. The cheque or gift should be made out to Brock University and indicate Marlene Moser Memorial Scholarship. All donations are eligible to be matched dollar for dollar by the provincial government.
Name: Derrick de Kerckhove
Location: Naples, Italy
How did you know Marlene?: I directed Marlene’s Phd. thesis
Your comments: Since I have been away in Europe most of the time since 2008, having lost touch with Marlene a couple of years after she passed her oral – brillantly – I had not heard this heartbreaking news. I remember her elegance, intelligence, determination and freedom of spirit. This is the kind of loss that sinks deep in a community. My best wishes for the recovery of this community.
if you wish to submit a comment or share a memory about Marlene, please contact dramatic.arts@brocku.ca
DART faculty, in memoriam, Marlene Moser
Categories: Announcements, Faculty & Instructors, News
Artists who will be visiting DART this season include:
Nina Arsenault
February 15th, 2011 13h-14h30 DART 3P96 Studies in Praxis II
Open to the public 15-16h30
ST 107
www.ninaarsenault.com
Jen Capraru
Thursday February 17, 9h00
DART 1F95 Drama in Education and Applied Theatre I
TH 243
Artistic Director > Theatre Asylum
ISÔKO | The Theatre Source
Modern theatre for social harmony and cultural growth in Rwanda
www.isoko-rwanda.org/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6YoNN6RyKU
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage1011/themonument.cfm
www.theatreasylum.com
Greg Grainger
Thursday February 17 10h00
DART 2F41 Stage Craft
ST 108
Join students in DART 2F41 for a special presentation by a former student of DART. Grainger will speak of his academic and professional career in theatre. Now a professional technician, Grainger will answer your questions about how to succeed in the Canadian entertainment industry. Followed by a Q & A
PDF poster
8 Day ALBA Emoting workshop Guest lecturer Nancy Loitz
April 22-30 (with the 26th off)
TH141
The workshop will be taught in four hour sessions daily, with one day off. The work is described as intimate, intense, and emotional. The workshop is limited to 12 participants.
ALBA Emoting: Alba Emoting was developed by neuroscientist Dr. Susana Bloch as a safe, purely physical alternative to emotion memory for releasing, maintaining, and controlling emotional states on stage.
visiting artists
Categories: Announcements, News, Visiting Artists
The Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University will host Dr. Jonothan Neelands, a world leader in Drama in Education on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010.
Neelands will provide an invitational workshop to local Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) and the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) secondary teachers between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., held at Denis Morris Secondary School, 40 Glen Morris Dr., St. Catharines.
Later that day, between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., he will give an open two-hour workshop at Brock University held at the Schmon Tower Room ST103. This is a free workshop with a few openings remaining. Interested registrants can contact Joe Norris directly.
Neelands will conclude his visit to the Niagara region with a one-hour workshop with a Drama in Education class for the Department of Dramatic Arts.
Joe Norris states, “This is a remarkable opportunity for all those wishing to teach/learn through experiential and role play models of instruction that incorporate multiple intelligences and the use of the imagination.”
Dr. Jonothan Neelands is a National Teaching Fellow, Chair of Drama and Theatre Education and Director of Teaching and Learning at the University of Warwick. He is an experienced trainer and workshop leader with a national and international reputation for delivering high quality professional training and development opportunities. He is an associate of the CAPITAL Centre for creativity and performance in teaching and learning, which is a joint initiative between the University of Warwick and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Neelands plans to return to Brock University next summer to teach a six-day course for the Department of Dramatic Arts about learning through process drama.
For the first time in CODE’s 40-year history DART students presented a workshop as part of Celebrate Drama and Dance.
Twenty-four DART students volunteered at CODE. DART faculty Ken Garrett, Glenys McQueen-Fuentes, and Helen Zdriluk were workshop presenters. DART hosted a pre-conference wine and cheese for the CODE executive and conference committee. Six of the Friday night Carnival entertainment events were presented by Brock students and DART was part of the trade fair on Saturday.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
KICK OFF CODE!!!!
Join us for a wine and cheese drop-in to meet, greet, build bridges, strengthen connections, explore possible initiatives, and enjoy, as we celebrate 40 years of CODE!
Who’s hosting? Brock’s undergraduate Drama in Education/Applied Theatre Concentrations (Department of Dramatic Arts)!
When? Thursday, October 28th
What time? 8:00–10:00 pm
Where? Queen’s Landing Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, in Suzanne Burchell’s room (watch for info near Front Desk).
Celebrate Drama and Dance, CODE
Categories: Current Students, News
Assistant Professor Virginia Reh in the DART Props Shop
Canadian musical theatre is a little like Canadian film and Canadian writing. It takes place in our own backyard, but our brightest stars are often hidden from public consciousness.
Virginia Reh is on a mission to change that.
An assistant professor of Dramatic Arts, Reh is the driving force behind an upcoming conference called Lyric CANADA 2010 from Oct. 21 to 23. David Vivian, associate professor and director of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture, is also an organizer.
With the conference, Reh hopes to push Canadian musicals and opera into the minds of academics and the general public. That way, she said, more people will write about it. More people will study it. And most importantly, more people will know that it exists. (See the full article here.)
DART, DART faculty, David Vivian, musical theatre, STAC, The Brock News, Virginia Reh
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News