Dr. David Fancy

Professor,
Theatre Praxis

BA Mount Allison,
PhD Trinity College, Dublin

Office: MW 306
905 688 5550 x3584
dfancy@brocku.ca

Dr. Fancy received his doctoral training at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland working on questions around the ontology of stage presence and their intersection with postcoloniality in the work of playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès and director Patrice Chéreau. His research interests and current publishing deals with questions of ontology, immanence and performance, with a specific interest in immanence and performativity, immanence and performance training, and immanence and technology. Fancy has an extensive creative practice as a playwright and director. He has been awarded a Brock Chancellor’s Chair for Excellence in Teaching, (2005-08, with Sue Spearey), as well as disABILITIES and Best Practices teaching awards. David served as Chair of Department from 2009-2012, and 2020-21.

Fancy, David, and Hans Skott-Myhre, eds. Immanence, Politics and the Aesthetic: Thinking Revolt in the 21st Century. McGill Queens University Press, 2019.

Fancy, David. “Patrice Chéreau: Staging the European Crisis.” Contemporary European Theatre Directors. Second Edition. Ed. Marie Delgado and Dan Rebellato. New York: Routledge, 2020.

Fancy, David. ‘When Simulation Becomes Simulacrum: “Reversing Platonism” in Live Role Play.’ Immanence, Politics and the Aesthetic: Thinking Revolt in the 21st Century. Eds. David Fancy and Hans Skott-Myhre. McGill Queens University Press. 2019.

Fancy, David. Our Lady of Delicias. North American Drama. Mexico: Teatro Sin Paredes Publishing, 2019.

Fancy, David. ‘Geoartistry: Invoking the Postanthropocene Via Other-Than-Human Art.’ Interrogating the Anthropocene, Ecology, Aesthetics, Pedagogy, and The Future in Question. Ed. Jan Jagodinski. Palgrave, 2018. 217-36.

Fancy, David. “Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘becoming-child’ in Zacada Circus.’ Richard Mitchell and Shannon Moore, eds. Special issue of World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research entitled ‘Transdisciplinary Child & Youth Studies: Critical Praxis & Global Perspectives’. 2018.

Fancy, David. “Affirmative Freakery, Freaky Methodologies: Circus and its Bodies Without Organs in Disability Circus.” Performance Matters. 4.1-2 (2018) 151-163.

Davis, Nancy; David Fancy; Jen Rinaldi; Kate Rossiter; Alex Tigchelaar. “Recounting Huronia Faithfully: Attenuating our Methodology to the ‘Fabulation’ of Truths-Telling.” Cultural Studies, Critical Methodologies. 17:6 (2017).

Fancy, David. “Escaping “The Organism, Signifiance, and Subjectification” in the Recounting Huronia Project.” Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. 6:3 (2017): 184-210.

Fancy, David. “‘Affective Assemblages,’ in Migrant Worker Theatre.” Contemporary Theatre Review. 26:4 (2016): 457-467.

Fancy, David. “Sustainability, Immanence, and the Monstrous in Caryl Churchill’s The Skriker.” Sustainability and the Globalized Classroom. Ed. Shannon and Richard Moore. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2015. 95-106.

Fancy, David. “Deleuze & Guattari, Architecturality and Performance.” Intensities and Lines of Flight: Deleuze, Guattari and the Arts. Ed. Antonio Calcagno, Jim Vernon, and Steve Lofts. London: Rowman and Littlefield, 2014. 67-82

Fancy, David. “’A Sacred Affirmation’: Immanent Performativity in Gilles Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition.” Performance Research. 19.2 (2014): 74-83.

Fancy, David. “Becoming Imperceptible: Affect in the Studio en trois temps.” Ed. Erin Hurley. The Theatre of Affect (Essays), Volume 4 in the New Essays on Canadian Theatre series, Gen. Ed. Ric Knowles. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2014. 62-75.

Fancy, David. “‘I Scream the Body Electric’: Performance, the Field Body, and Zombies in Societies of Entrainment.” Performance, Identity, and the Neo-Political Subject. Eds. Matthew Causey and Fintan Walsh. London: Routledge, 2013. 63-83.

Fancy, David. “St Nina and the Abstract Machine: Aesthetics, Ontology, Immanence.” TRANS(performing) Nina Arsenault. Ed Judith Rudakoff. Chicago: Intellect, 2012. 173-189.

Fancy, David. “Geoperformativity: Immanence, Performance, and the Earth.” Performance Research, 16.4 (2011): 62-72.

Fancy, David. “Difference, Bodies, Desire: The Collaborative Thought of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari.” Science Fiction Film and Television. 3.1 (2010), 93–106.

Fancy, David. “Patrice Chéreau: Staging the European Crisis.” Contemporary European Theatre Directors. Ed. Marie Delgado and Dan Rebellato. New York: Routledge, 2010. 49-68.

Fancy, David and Susan Spearey. “Mindfulness and Embodiment Practices as Teaching Pathways in the Humanities.” Power, Pedagogy, and Praxis: Social Justice in the Globalized Classroom. Ed. Shannon and Richard Moore. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2008. 179-198.

Fancy, David. “L’Affaire Koltès: a Contextualization.” Contemporary Theatre Review. 18.4 (2008). 487-96.

Fancy, David. “The Gathering of the Gurus: Spiritual Capital and the Shambhala Authentic Leadership Program.” Theatre Research in Canada. 26.1-2 (2005): 84-101.

Fancy, David. Sallinger in Koltès Plays: Two. Ed. David Bradby and Maria Delgado. London: Methuen, 2004. 27-97.

Fancy, David. “The ‘Darkness’ at the End of the Theatre: Chéreau, Koltès, Nanterre.” Contemporary Theatre Review. 14.4 (2004): 68-82.

Fancy, David, Alex Johnston and Joseph Long. Quay West in Koltès Plays: Two. Ed. David Bradby and Maria Delgado. London: Methuen, 2004. 99-185.

Fancy, David and Maria Delgado. “Bernard-Marie Koltès and the ‘Other’ Spaces of Translation.” New Theatre Quarterly.  17.6 (2001): 41-60.

Fancy, David and Maria Delgado. “Koltès et le monde anglo-saxon.” Koltès: la Question du lieu. Ed. André Petitjean. Metz: Cresef, 1999. 85-103.

PRODUCTIONS OF PLAYS:
Fancy, David. Our Lady of Delicias. Play commissioned by Monica Dufault and Essential Collective Theatre. Directed Monica Dufault. Robertson Theatre, First Ontario Centre for the Arts. 2018.

Fancy, David. Shotgun Wedding. Writer, Librettist, Co-Director. Greg Frewin Theatre, Niagara Falls, Ontario. 2017.

Fancy, David. Circus Labyrinth. Writer/director. Circus show for young audiences Oakville Centre for the Arts, Milton Centre for the Arts, Stocky Centre in Parry Sound. 2016.

Fancy, David. GOYA: Techno-Opera, for Auto Repair Club Ensemble. Librettist, stage director. Performed at Universidad del Claustro sor Juana, and Universidad Anahuac, Mexico City, Shubox Theatre, Regina. 2015-16.

Fancy, David. Major Predictions, Barbara. Writer. Funded collaboration between the Shaw Festival and the Department of Dramatic Arts. 2015.

Fancy, David. That Woman. Writer/director. Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre, St Catharines. 2011.

Fancy, David. Khalida. Writer. SummerWorks Festival. Director Sasha. 2008. Restaged as part of Director’s Lab at Lincoln Centre for the Arts. NYC, in 2009.

2009 – ‘Best Practices’ Teaching Award. Centre for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies. Brock University.
2009 – Annual ‘Making a Difference Award,’ Students with DisAbilities. Brock University.
2008 – Enbridge Alberta Theatre Projects playRITES Emerging Playwrights Prize
2005 – Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence, with Sue Spearey. (2005-2008)

Dr. Fancy has received extensive internal and external granting and contracts from a range of agencies, including SSHRC and the Canada Council for the Arts for a total of over $1 million of funding.

March 2017 – Opening Ceremony Sampler and cultural presentation (circus, dance, song) for Niagara Canada Summer Games 2021 Bid at Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Centre for the Performing Arts, St Catharines. 850 spectators. 30 minute program featuring indigenous presenters, youth performers, cirque acts form Montreal, rock and roll.

December 2016 – Co-writer, director, Dream of Christmas / Rève de Noël. Co-production between Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Zacada Circus at Partridge Hall, St Catharines Performing Arts Centre. 2000 spectators in three sold-out shows.

May 2016 – Producer, co-creator, co-director. Huronia Cabaret. Performance with survivors of institutional abuse at provincially run centres for those living with intellectual disabilities. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto.

April 2016 – Tour of Circus Labyrinth (writer/director) children’s circus show to Stockey Centre for the Arts, Parry Sound, Ontario, for two performances.

July 2015 – Circus Revolution (writer/director) with Zacada Entertainment, Huntsville Theatre.

July 2015 – Theatre and social change workshops for migrant worker advocates. Quest Healthcare, St Catharines.

October 2014 – Circus Revolution (writer/director) with Zacada Entertainment, Milton Centre for the Arts.

July 2014 – Lundy’s 200. Large scale poetic and spatial re-creation of elements of the battle of Lundy’s Lane featuring 100 performers and 2000 spectators on the original site of battle. Commissioned by the City of Niagara Falls. (Writer/Producer)

May 2014 – Creation of Mystery Train (Writer/Director) for Zacada Entertainment, presented at Grand Hall, Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls.

April 2014 – Creation of Circus Revolution  (Writer/Director) with Zacada Entertainment, 10 Performances in Hamilton at Zacada Circus.

March 2013 – Producer and writing co-ordinator of Arab Spring Monologues, a community engaged performance on issues around Arab Canadian and Muslim identity in Niagara.

May to December 2012 – Director of Niagara Travelling Roadshow. Fifteen spontaneous moments of culture presented as part of the Cultural Capitals of Canada campaign.

August 2012 – Director and co-producer of the Opening Ceremonies of the World International Junior Swimming Championships at the Illuminaqua stage on the Welland Canal. Featuring 50 performing artists.

2011 – Growing Together: A Celebration of Niagara Migrant Workers. Wrote and directed piece about migrant worker issues for cast of 35. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Sept 18th, 2011. Based on a two year collaborative process with migrant agricultural workers and twenty four regional social service organizations.

March 2006 – Workshop leader and project co-ordinator, Kairon Project. A year-long series of expressive arts workshops designed for women living with and beyond breast cancer.

2002 to 2003 – Stage director, Untold Stories Project, Teesri Duniya Theatre. Montreal. Directed two large productions in this ongoing series of projects designed to give voice to untold stories from members of diverse cultural communities from various socio-economic strata.

2002 to 2003 – Artistic Director, Youthworks, Black Theatre Workshop. Trained actors aged 16-22 on a weekly basis. Secured $50,000 per annum Heritage Canada funding to begin three-year Afrocentric curriculum with Black Theatre Workshop’s Young Company.

MEMBERSHIPS

  • Deleuze and Guattari Studies
  • Posthumanism Research Network
  • Playwrights Guild of Canada