Articles tagged with: in memoriam

  • Brock community mourns longtime Dramatic Arts instructor

    Friday, April 28, 2017 | By

    Helen Zdriluk

    (Source: The Brock News, Friday, April 28, 2017 | by Dan Dakin)

    See below for information about the dedication of the theatre in Burlington.

    A woman who dedicated her life to teaching drama to students of all ages is being remembered by her colleagues, family and friends.

    Helen Zdriluk, who had been an instructor at Brock University for two decades, died Wednesday after a brief illness.

    “She was extremely dedicated to the power of drama in both teaching and performance,” said Professor Joe Norris, Chair of the Department of Dramatic Arts. “She lived and breathed drama 24-7 when you consider she taught high school for many years during the day and then came here and taught at least two evenings a week. And she was running an after-school program.”

    Dramatic Arts Associate Professor and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Director David Vivian said the whole school is saddened by the loss.

    “Longtime colleagues will remember Helen for her joyous and industrious leadership in Drama in Education and Applied Theatre, including her Connections projects in the old Studio theatre.”

    Norris said DART Connections was a group of education students who rehearsed and performed plays that dealt with social justice and education issues.

    Zdriluk taught drama at Burlington Central High School and was the owner and artistic director of Centre Stage Theatre School and Productions. In addition to teaching at Brock, she also completed her master’s at the University in 2010.

    “The drama in education community has lost one of the most talented, dynamic and authentic educators and practitioners we have ever seen,” said former student Rox Chwaluk. “Helen was my mentor, my friend and colleague. She was fierce, hardworking, witty and passionate about her craft. She was instrumental in my education, provided me opportunities to ignite my passions, and solidified many of my values.”

    Zdriluk is survived by her husband Gerald and children Jennifer and Beth.

    A visitation will be held at Smith’s Funeral Home on Brant St. in Burlington Monday, May 1 from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. Those wishing to make a donation in Helen’s memory are asked to consider the Canadian Cancer Society.

    We are sharing our memories below. If you have any memories you’d like to contribute, please share with us.

    Remembering Helen Zdriluk

    Reflections from Former Brock Students

    “I’ve heard it said
    That people come into our lives for a reason
    Bringing something we must learn
    And we are led
    To those who help us most to grow
    If we let them
    And we help them in return
    Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
    But I know I’m who I am today
    Because I knew you…
    Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
    But because I knew you
    I have been changed for good.” — For Good, Wicked

     

    Most of us met Helen Zdriluk in a classroom at Brock University, maybe ST103, ST105 (affectionately called blue and black – as per the paint colour of the room). Maybe it was ST107 – that hallway with one random non-DART classroom. Once we met Helen — our former instructor, mentor, colleague and friend — we were forever changed. For good.

    Maybe it was by the smile emerging on her face at the end of a particularly interesting question she had just posed to us, that she knew we would need to think hard about before answering. Or the simple, embedded image of her with her hands in her pockets, looking with calculation at our set because we remember that meant we knew she was going to suggest changes we would find annoying (wouldn’t it just be easier if we kept it the same?). And she wouldn’t exactly spare our feelings while delivering the news.

    “This needs work,” she would say in her blunt tone.

    Of course, we also remember, she always ended up being right about them and her directness was only because she cared so much about making us as good as we could be — and that we were infinitely glad we listened to her.

    Maybe it was how when you first met Helen, you could feel like you wanted to drop her class because it was too tough. But then she taught you to check your ego at the door and get past your insecurities, and then you realized you wanted to take all of Helen’s classes, because you wanted to learn — and learn from the best.

    That was Helen.

    Maybe it was when, for all of Helen’s demands on you to be the best student you could be, you suddenly realized that she had even higher ideals.

    That if your mother was suddenly rushed to the hospital and the rest of your family wasn’t nearby, and you were worried about missing a dress rehearsal for a major project because Helen had taught you not to let the group down — and you hated the idea of letting Helen down, the blunt directions would suddenly disappear.

    Instead you’d feel the comfort of her hug that would help ease your tears, as she told you to go home and take care of your family.

    “In that moment, I remember feeling this overwhelming peace come over me,” said Karen McDonald, who still remembers the impact of that hug years later. “I needed that hug, but I didn’t realize it until I got it.

    “That’s who Helen was. She always knew exactly what her students needed even before we did.”

    Helen taught many of us for 3-5 hour-long classes, once a week, usually on a Thursday. We’d learn as the weeks passed by that Helen was determined, passionate, driven, hardworking, creative, supportive, a force, patient, witty, caring, and saucy (in the best way possible).

    We would hear from fellow classmates about the amazing courses she was teaching: Community Theatre (3P07 or 3F77), Children’s Theatre (3P06 or 3F66/3F92), Musical Theatre (3F98), and Production (DART 2P70). These are course codes that we can still remember because they are not numbers to us, but experiences that have shaped us into who we are.

    Some of us had to beg the administration to be in Helen’s classes because they were so popular, and Helen had to request to have more students in her classes. Helen always advocated for us — for our work, for our marks, and for ourselves. Helen saw the potential in all of her students and helped them to see the potential in themselves.

    Her classroom was a place of magic. A place where we would take off our shoes, literally, but also a place where we could ground ourselves, tell stories, and make meaning of our world. Helen believed that theatre was an integral part of every community, and that it was the best way to tell the hardest stories. Stories that no one wanted to hear because they made you uncomfortable, but Helen believed that the best work came from being uncomfortable.

    Helen legitimized what many of us felt — she showed us that “drama” wasn’t just Shakespeare or watching people perform; it could be a tool to teach; a vehicle to work with and within communities; a transformative power for actors and audiences.

    She always asked us “What’s the point?” Helen instilled a sense of purpose that allowed us to balance the process of a production and the result. While she had high standards for the final product — “I’m not putting (garbage) on stage. I would rather cancel the show than put (garbage) on stage” — she had the same low tolerance for people who thought their talent or hard work gave them license to be difficult during the process.

    She was unbelievably smart, passionate and dedicated not only to Dramatic Arts but to sharing that passion through education in the most meaningful ways possible. She wanted to make the world a better place and she wanted to do that through drama — using it as a tool to help people express themselves in the comfort of a character but that allowed them to share their thoughts, fears and insecurities.

    She was fierce, she was sassy, and above all she was passionate about ensuring that the arts continued to be developed and encouraged in the school system and she would put no limitations on pursuing that goal.

    But there was more to Helen than the classroom. Helen was always so busy, always doing something. She barely had time for herself. In between classes, on her break, you would usually see her having a Diet Coke and an egg salad sandwich (which usually one of us picked up for her, as she was too busy supporting students). As a part-time instructor, Helen was also involved in many co-curricular activities, including Brock Connections, a club on campus that focused on using theatre as a tool for education about various social issues.

    As our faculty advisor, she produced and directed The Laramie Project (2007-2008), Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (2008-2009), Bhopal (2009-2010), Shatter (2010-2011), and Colours in the Storm (2011-2012). We learned about social, and historical issues and were able to take these shows into the Niagara community.

    Helen was our rock. Many of us owe pretty much everything that we have done, and who we have become to Helen. For aspiring teachers, she was the type of teacher that we wanted to be. She had a way of identifying our most triumphant strengths and limiting weaknesses with grace and compassion. She was able to genuinely inspire growth in us because of her keen awareness of them.

    She always knew exactly what her students needed, often even before we did. She supported us in our low points, and celebrated with us in our highs. If she thought you could do better work, she let you know, she challenged you.

    But even when she was dishing out tough love, she followed it up with a smile, and a healthy dose of encouragement. She took the time to get to know each of us personally, to understand our goals, and then to find or create a way to connect us to the community so that we could achieve them.

    Helen never doubted us for a second. She was quick to give us advice, but we think the most important advice she gave us was that we were fully capable and that she knew we had the skills to put on a great show. We felt her acceptance for all of us as individuals, especially for all of our unique talents and experiences. That was one of the most beautiful things about Helen, her ability to see beyond a student’s cover and see what they could be.

    She pushed and she challenged, she called you out when you needed it and she made you a better team member because of it. The belief and trust she had in us when we doubted ourselves is one of the most important lessons we learned from her, and every day we try to put that same belief and trust into those around us.

    Most of us think about Helen often in our daily lives. Many of us have gone on to teaching careers. We thank Helen for the opportunities we were given in our program. Many of the skills and teaching methods we use were learned directly through her.

    The Drama in Education Community has lost one of the most talented, dynamic, and authentic educators and practitioners we have ever seen. There is a sense of sadness to know that so many future educators will not have the opportunity to learn through Helen, but there is some comfort in knowing her methods and teachings will be passed on to the next generation through all of us.

    She built herself an army of her endearing students to go out into the world and provide arts education by any means necessary, and that is the legacy that she leaves behind her.

    But as they say, the show must go on. And Helen is sitting front row, smiling.

    “She was a force, and how could a force like that be stopped? The answer is that it can’t,” Rebecca Durance Hine said. “What she accomplished in her life, the lives she touched, the people she changed, all of that will continue in her place. She will never, ever be forgotten, and the effects of her life will continue to be seen for a very long time.

    “You are wonderful Helen, simply wonderful, and I hope that you rest in peace knowing the difference your life made in the lives of so many.”

    “The greatness of a teacher can be measured not by what someone can achieve, but by what they thought they couldn’t achieve.” — Helen Zdriluk

    Article contributors:

    Brandon Pachan
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Drama in Education, 2011; Bachelor of Education, 2012

    Celine Allen
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Applied Theatre, 2011.

    Connie McDougall
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Drama in Education (2008-2013)

    Dorothy Kane
    Bachelor of Science (Honours) Biological Sciences, With First-Class Standing, Minor in Dramatic Arts, 2012; Bachelor of Education, 2012

    Jayne Laari
    Bachelor of Arts (3 Year) in General Studies, 2010

    Jess Straus
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Child and Youth Studies and Psychology, 2011

    Jordan Tucker
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Integrated Studies, With First-Class Standing, Minor in English Language and Literature, 2012; Bachelor of Education, 2012

    Kaitlyn Welch
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, 2010; Bachelor of Education, 2011

    Kanthan Annalingam
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Performance, 2013

    Karen McDonald
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Drama in Education and Society Stream, 2012

    Katherine Gottli
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, 2010
    Master of Education, Teaching, Learning and Development, 2013

    Kathy Cavaleri
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, 2012; Bachelor of Education, 2013

    Lescia Poppe
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, Concentration in Drama in Education, 2012; Bachelor of Education, 2013

    Matt DaCosta
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Drama in Education, 2012; Bachelor of Education, 2013

    Meaghan Lugsdin
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, 2009; B Bachelor of Education, 2010

    Meaghan McKeag
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Drama in Education, 2013

    Patrick Monaghan
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, Drama in Education and Society Stream, 2011; Bachelor of Education, 2012

    Rachael Bason (Verschoor)
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, Concentration in Drama in Education (Co-op Option), Minor in History, 2013;
    Bachelor of Education, 2014

    Rebecca Durance Hine
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, Drama in Education and Society Stream, 2010; Bachelor of Education, 2014

    Rox Chwaluk
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, Drama In Education and Society Stream, 2009; Bachelor of Education, 2010; Master of Education, Social and Cultural Contexts of Education, 2013

    Whitney Shantz (Lee)
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Dramatic Arts, With First-Class Standing, 2011; Bachelor of Education, 2011

    Notice of the dedication of a theatre in honour of our departed Department of Dramatic Arts colleague, Helen Zdriluk:

    Burlington, Thursday October 05, 2017

    Dear Friends, Colleagues, Alumni and Family
    It has now been several months since the passing of Helen Zdriluk, an educational icon whose loss continues to weigh heavily on all of our hearts. However, due in no small part to her unparalleled commitment to Burlington Central and the Arts, I am happy to say that Helen’s memory and influence continues to reverberate in our great building, helping to inspire future
    generations of students at BCHS.

    Now you may already be aware that over the last few months many groups have rallied to pay tribute to Helen’s legacy in a variety of ways , including the creation of the Helen Zdriluk Memorial Fund for the Performing Arts, which will be
    administered by the Burlington Community Foundation.

    Well through some of those discussions another idea began to take root and with the support and blessing of Helen’s
    Family, we at Central could think of no tribute more fitting than the renaming of the auditorium to the Helen Zdriluk Memorial Theatre.

    With that process now complete we would like to cordially invite you to share in the honour of officially dedicating the theatre in Helen’s name (details below).

    Helen Zdriluk Memorial Theatre Dedication Ceremony
    Date: Thursday, October 5th, 2017
    Location: Burlington Central H.S. Auditorium (1433 Baldwin St.,
    Burlington)
    Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm (dedication at 7:15pm, social to follow)
    Please RSVP to Lynn Jones if you plan to attend.
    (phone:905-634-7768 or email:jonesly@hdsb.ca )

    Tags: , ,
    Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Faculty & Instructors, News

  • Terry Judd, Co-Artistic Director and Founder of Theatre Beyond Words, in memoriam

    Monday, April 27, 2015 | By

    The family hosted a celebration of Terry’s life on Sunday April 26 from 1 – 4 pm at the Community Centre, 14 Anderson Lane (just off Hwy 55/Stone Road) in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Spoken memories of Terry, a DVD of some of Terry’s work and a slide show of special family moments were presented from 1:30 – 2:30 pm.   This was followed by time for visiting, storytelling and raising a glass to a life well lived.

    We are very saddened to learn of the passing of our dear colleague and friend, the late Terry Judd, one of the original six co-founders of Theatre Beyond Words.

    Theatre Beyond Words was founded as a creation collective in 1977 and three of the original six members, Robin Patterson, Terry Judd and Harro Maskow were until recently still actively involved with the company.  Before they were called TBW they were a company with Adrian Pecknold called the Canadian Mime Company, and ran a Canadian Mime School in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Courthouse that Shaw now uses for its regular prsenentation program.

    The ensemble develops original physical theatre works for both young and adult audiences – the ratio is about half and half.  TBW is renowned for its fine artistic productions that transcend language barriers through the innovative uses of masks, puppetry, visual images, text and music.

    The work is created in the Niagara Region. Some of it has toured to schools and studio theatres in Ontario; much has toured to the general public in 10 provinces of Canada, 40 states in the USA, and throughout Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldava, Azerbaijan, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kores, Australia and Argentina.  The company has represented Canada at international festivals, EXPOs and prestigious theatres such as the NAC (Ottawa), The National Theatre of Japan (Tokyo), The Lincoln Centre (NYC), The Odessa Opera House (Ukraine), The Pushin Theatre (Moscow), The Gelbenkian Institute (Lisbon) and La Chartreuse (Villeneuve-lez-Avignon).

    Theatre Beyond Words is DART and Brock University’s Resident Theatre Company, and have been for almost as long as the university has been in existence. Our colleague Glenys McQueen-Fuentes remarks that ” …although it was perhaps less known in recent years, their partnership with Brock was, back then, a daring and unusually creative move….TBW were at the peak of their work, were the best known physical theatre troupe in Canada, and were traveling around the world annually.  Brock was the ONLY university to have a Resident Theatre Company–and TBW’s annual spring/summer full credit course in physical theatre, mime and mask was also the only such course in physical theatre offered at any university in Canada…and the panorama continued like that for many, many years.  So they and Brock created new inroads in theatre, in theatre in university, and in partnerships between academic institutions and performance art groups, which has continued up to the present. Entire generations of our students were introduced to Theatre Beyond Words from their Potato People school touring series of plays for children and youth, and they were equally enthralled with the more adult non-verbal theatre productions that TBW have presented many times as DART field trips.”

    Glenys reminds us that “one of the most valuable undertakings between DART and TBW was in the area of apprenticeships.  TBW held physical theatre workshop sessions, and auditioned participating DART students to be an integral part of their touring group, and many of our graduates were fortunate enough to be trained for and perform in international, national, and provincial tours.  In fact, TBW created a junior company, called “The Spuds” to revisit, invent, and tour both old and new material.  They have been a driving force in our Department!”

    Terry and Robin Patterson have taught the Spring intensive course DART 2F04 Introduction to Physical Theatre for many years. Robin and Terry also teach/have taught within the DART program during fall and winter sessions, and they also frequently performed for University projects, such as the annual Soirees, the United Way drives, etc. This past December Terry and Robin co-directed A Commedia Christmas Carol at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York.

    The Department of Dramatic Arts honours Terry and TBW for their many contributions to Canadian theatre, to the Niagara Region, and more specifically to and with Brock University.

    On Sunday February 15, 2015, Terry died quite peacefully at the St. Catharines General Hospital.  His struggle with Leukemia, conflicting heart problems and then pneumonia was finally too much for his system to bear.  He passed away quite peacefully with family by his side.

    Our hearts go out to Robin and Harro and their families.

    Please see this page for further information.

    To submit a comment or share a memory about Terry, please e-mail dramatic.arts@brocku.ca

    a selection of comments marked ‘public’ are posted below
    (with material from the Theatre Beyond Words website)

    From the Theatre Beyond Words website:

    “Terry Judd, Co-Artistic Director
    A graduate of Wilfred Laurier U. in Waterloo, ON, Terry is a founding member of Theatre Beyond Words and has performed, written and directed for the company from its inception to the present.  He teaches physical theatre credit courses part time at Brock U, St. Catharines, ON and Niagara U, NF, NY.

    Other theatre credits include the Stratford Festival where he won the Chalmers Apprentice Award; the Manitoba Theatre Centre; Neptune Theatre; the National Arts Centre; and the Shaw Festival.  He was also one of the original members of the Gryphon Theatre Company in Barrie.  Terry has performed with Carousel Players in productions of The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe, Patty’s Cake and George and Martha; and with Odyssey Theatre, Ottawa in the commedia dell’arte productions of The Wedding and Bungsu and the Big Snake.

    Most recently for TBW, he performed in Silly Old Men Ought Not to Fall in Love (2003-2005); was part of the creative team and performed in the Canadian tour of the Argentinean co-production Imaginarius (2004-2007); and continues to perform in the 30th anniversary lecture-demonstration Journey Behind the Mask.  He was Co-Director for the Niagara University production of Night Train to Foggy Bottom (2008).  In 2009 he performed in the TBW première of Gifts from the Heart and played Sir Simon de Canterville in the Shaw Festival/TBW workshop of The Canterville Ghost.”

    Selected comments from our community:

    Name: Mikko Kivisto
    Location: St. Catharines, ON
    When and how did you know Terry?: As a student of DART 2F04, Summer 2013
    Your comments: I had the pleasure of learning about physical theatre from Terry and Robin back in the Summer of 2013. Terry was was a kind and warm soul, full of encouragement and support for the students. My relationship with Terry continued beyond the classroom, as I worked on a research paper on Theatre Beyond Words the following year, and as a front-of-house volunteer. I will miss him very much, and offer my condolences to Robin.

    Name: Monique Wengler (Seheult)
    Location: Germany
    When and how did you know Terry?: I was a part of the TBW company back in around 1990.
    Your comments: Thanks to the professional yet personable training of Terry, Robin and Harrow, and the great opportunity that they had given me to travel the world as Nancy Potato, I have wonderful memories to share with my children and many other people whose paths have intertwined with mine. So thank you Terry. Rest in peace… You life’s footprint lives on in many a heart. ❤

    Name: Stephanie Jones
    Location: Manhattan
    When and how did you know Terry?: Theatre, Niagara, Forever
    Your comments: I first met Terry in the mid-nineties at Brock as I took the summer course with Theatre Beyond words. I would practice soccer and then leave the practice early to rush off to what my fellow soccer players called, “Clown class”.
    Terry knew everyone in arts Niagara and everyone knew him. There wasn’t a person in my life who had not seen a TBW show either at school or in NOTL, and knew of the company. As a student, I was curious as to how Robin and he made a relationship work with all the other tasks to navigate while being an artist and a young mum, and at school they always graciously answered my way too personal questions.
    As I grew into my own, they became colleagues and friends, and their generosity of spirit, and easy going way, always made it easy to deal with them no committees and in discussion about our fair region and its future. it made our getting together a delight instead of a task.
    He was, and will remain one of the most solid actors I had the privilege to work with, and his zen smile will come back to mind often. You will be missed, Terry, and my thoughts go out to Robin and your family.

    Name: maurice yacowar
    Location: calgary
    When and how did you know Terry?: we met when his company joined Brock
    Your comments: I met Terry when we invited his marvellous company to accept residency at Brock. He was a very gentle, insightful man, who easily harnessed the energies, imagination and energies of his inspired troop. He embodied the purity of art. We shall miss him.

    Tags: , ,
    Categories: Announcements, News

  • The passing of the late Poet, Terrance Cox

    Monday, January 19, 2015 | By

    cox1We are very saddened to learn of the passing of our dear colleague and friend, the late poet Terrance Cox. Terrance taught for almost thirty years in Music and Dramatic Arts and helmed the first year course DART 1F93 for many, many years. Though he had not been well for a few years and was no longer teaching for the Department and the University we have always kept a very big place in our hearts for him.

    Our colleague Gyllian Raby remembers that “Terrance was special and his larger than life persona was a gift. I feel a big Terrance shaped hole in the air of St. Catharines.”

    There will be a memorial event at the NAC on Sunday Feb. 8th at 2pm.

    Niagara Artists Centre
    354 St.Paul Street
    St. Catharines, ON L2R 3N2

    Phone: 905 641 0331 | Fax: 905 641 4970 | Email: artists@nac.org

    There is an event page on Facebook for this wake.

    Please see the obituary in the Globe and Mail here.

    We are sharing our memories below. If you have any memories you’d like to contribute, please share with us.

    Pictures:

    Terrance performed on the stage of the then-named Thistle Theatre in Troilus and Cressida in 1975 and Henry IV in 1976, both directed by Professor Emerita Dr. Mary-Jane Miller. He also played the policeman in Peter Feldman’s production of The Good Woman of Setzuan by Brecht and produced in the mid-70s. He played the lawyer in Peter’s production of Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock and he recorded a voice-over for Peter’s production of The Trial adapted from Kafka. Most recently at DART he played Adam in the play Adam and Eve produced in the Studio Theatre and directed by Danielle Wilson.

    from Terrance’s page at Poets.ca:

    “Terrance Cox writes poems and non-fiction in St Catharines, Ontario, where he also teaches at Brock University as a “general practitioner” in the arts and humanities. His teaching career features stints in secondary, college and university classrooms, in Canada and overseas. Among Cox’s research interests are popular music and locality. Published since 1973 as a journalist, he contributes erudite and amusing columns and articles to regional newspapers and magazines, where appears as well his work as an editor.

    Cox has published over 200 poems in Canadian literary journals and anthologies, running the gamut from Antigonish Review to Zygote, stopping en route at most of our lit mags of name and repute. The latest of his published collections is a second “spoken word with music” CD, Simultaneous Translation (2005). It joins in the canon his prize-winning book Radio & Other Miracles (Signature Editions, 2001) and an acclaimed earlier CD, Local Scores (Cyclops Press, 2000). Works-in-progress include the manuscripts West Bank Poems and Civics, Botany & Such.

    He is an experienced reader, performing at many and various art gallery, bookstore, cabaret, café, concert, festival, nightclub, pub, radio, shopping mall, television, theatre, university and winery venues in Calgary, Hamilton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough, Saskatoon, St Catharines/Niagara, Toronto, and Winnipeg, 1978-2005. Through Ontario Arts Council programmes, and independently, he has presented a diverse series of poetry workshops in elementary and secondary schools in St Catharines/Niagara, 1982-2005.

    Cox’s poems express his experiences. They come from his time of work and travel in Africa and the Middle East; from childhood and family’s past; from over the airwaves and out of recorded grooves. They are of the present in their local particulars; they grow in his own backyard. (author photo by Stephen Dominick)

    Awards:
    2002 Niagara Book Prize sponsored by three Niagara daily newspapers & Chapters/Indigo.
    2nd Prize, This Magazine’s “Great Canadian Literary Hunt,” 2000.
    2nd Prize, Canadian Author’s Association (Niagara Branch) Annual Poetry Contest, 2000.
    Co-recipient of Floyd S. Chalmers Creative Award,1982.
    (Others as journalist and as academic)

    Selected Publications:
    Simultaneous Translation (TMC, distributed by Signature Editions, 2005) ISBN: 0-9738216-0-4, CD recording.
    Radio & Other Miracles (Signature Editions, 2001) ISBN: 0-921833-82-2.
    Local Scores (Cyclops Press, 2000) ISBN: 1-89417708-8, CD recording.

    Books in Print:
    Simultaneous Translation Poetry/Spoken Word & Music (TMC, 2005, distributed by Signature Editions) ISBN: 0-9738216-0-4, CD recording, $14.95.
    Radio & Other Miracles Poetry (Signature Editions, 2001) ISBN: 0-921833-82-2, $12.95.
    Local Scores Poetry/Spoken Word & Music (Cyclops Press, 2000) ISBN: 1-89417708-8, CD recording, $16.95.

    Selected Comments From our Community

    name: Gail B
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Brock literature course
    your comments: I was one of two ‘mature students’ who took Terrance’s Shakespeare course many years ago. He was charismatic, demanding, soinformed. Everything I have ever learned about theatre stagecraft I learned from him, and it has stayed with me all these years. Every time I see a theatre production in Canada, the U.S., the U. K. I remember Terrance and what he taught us about blocking, design, focus. I think of him every time I attend the theatre, which is a lot. What a legacy he has left so many of us, his students.

    name: Peter Smith
    location: TO
    when and how did you know Terrance?: taught me in 1978
    your comments: I spent one glorious year at Brock in 1978. Terry taught a theatre history class back then that was informative, ranging, political, and a lot of fun.
    He smoked Player’s Lights in class – it was allowed – and periodically over the year he switched to a pipe in an attempt to quit smoking. It was ludicrous really but somehow made T Cox sense. He reefed on that pipe with the same intensity he smoked the Players Lights. Over the course of the year Terry and I fell in with one another. Things would start innocently enough at the Mansion and devolve from there. More often than not a bunch of us would wind up at Terry’s pad – an apt. a two minute stagger from the Mansion. We’d listen to Firesign Theatre records, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and we’d laugh a lot, tell stories about the experience of being here. Always engaging, filled with spirit and an enormous side of get up and go. The night before the final exam for Terry’s course I was at his place with a small group of others – we carried on – stayed up til dawn – smoking and talking and howling into the light. After bacon and eggs at the Lancer we made our way up the mountain to the Brock gym where the exam was going down. Along with a whole bunch of other students in geology and god knows what we cracked our papers. Terry was one of the watchers that morning. He passed my desk soon after things got started. I looked up and said, I’m not going to write your exam Terry, I’m going to write a play in these three hours. He said after a moments pause – it better be good. It wasn’t. It was terrible – a scrawl of god knows what. I passed the course and hope this note doesn’t get Terry into trouble posthumously or have the credit removed from my transcript. He was a hale fellow well met – a true aim with a good heart. He brought his entire self to this world. I close with a poem Terry wrote late one howling night… Saskatchewan: skunks, poplar trees, and drive in movies, high point of the universe. RIP Terry Cox and thanks for the joy. You were a mould breaker.

    name: Jess Falcioni
    location: Thunder Bay
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Professor of 1F93
    your comments: The DART Department has lost a legend. A man whose lectures will be spoken of forever by his students. Thank you for teaching us about the heart of the play and page to stage. For challenging us to think bigger, while encouraging us. For making us laugh (I’ll never forget the day you jumped on the desk while dramatically reading a monologue, or the day you tripped over the seam in the floor and played it off so well!) And for sharing with us your passion for theatre. You’ve inspired legions of students. Ive kept all the notes from your lectures and use them when I teach workshops. I’ll also never forget your compassion when my Nonno passed away right before exams. You were so kind, caring and understanding. So, thank you. For everything. You are missed.
    RIP TCox.

    name: Matthew Craggs
    location: Welland
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2002-2003 MUSI1F00
    your comments: I hadn’t listened to much more than the radio by the time I attended Brock and took Music and Pop Culture with Terrance Cox. He opened my eyes to a whole world of music with the kind of passion that… well if you’re reading this page, you know the kind of passion he brought to the class. It’s been over 10 years but I often think back fondly of that experience and how it shaped the way I approach not only music, but all culture.

    name: Hayley Malouin
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Student at Brock University
    your comments: Still my absolute favourite day of university ever is from first year, when someone asked TCox if he would be coming to the BMT musical. He just smiled and said “I don’t much care for musicals… Anyway.” Ouch! So sassy! What a wonderful, lively and intelligent person.

    name: Nick Carney
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: DART grad, 2011
    your comments: My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends, and of course including his Brock family. He was for many, a portal into the DART community teaching within our first years – with his unforgettable tone, respected presence, and passion for the arts. He will be missed and never forgotten.
    Terrance Cox, may your spirit soar.

    name: Murray Kropf
    location: Brock University
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Niagara Artists Company and Brock University
    your comments: Terrence was one of the first people I met upon moving to St Catharines. He was the President of NAC and I a board member and later VP. Working closely with him I was impressed with his ability to cut through obstructions to deal with issues in a polite yet forceful way. He was a mentor in his ability to deal with serious concerns and have a heartfelt belly laugh in the next moment. A wonderful poet, performer .. and of course that voice!

    A truly good man! I’ll miss him.

    mk

    name: Gregory Armacinski
    location: Brock University (Concurrent Education- Biology/Math) int/senior
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2011 Fall-Winter Drama (first year)
    your comments: Professor Cox will always be remembered for his vibrant lectures….his lectures demonstrated a true passion for what he felt/believed in. He was one of the most knowledgeable Professors, and his knowledge of every subject was truly shown when he lectured! Thank you for inspiring us all with your knowledge, passion and spirt Professor Cox. Rest in Peace

    name: Matthew Royal
    location: St Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: He was a colleague in the music dept
    your comments: I miss Terrance’s sense of humour (sometimes somewhat gruff) and his eloquent, precise and concise use of the English language. The following quotation from the “Assessment of Grade” section of his notes for MUSI 1F00 illustrates these traits:
    “An “F” paper wastes the opportunity presented by the task; through lack of effort, understanding of basic principles and/or skills in their application; it wastes the time of writer, reader and the life of trees felled for it.”

    Of course, these same notes, all 217 pages of them, also exemplify something else about Terrance: the work he put in to provide his students with the best possible materials for success; in short, they show how much he cared.

    name: Michael Onley
    location: Canada
    when and how did you know Terrance?: First Year Drama
    your comments: I’ll never forget in my first year, first term – I had Professor Cox. He had an incredible ability to captivate the audience by always beginning with his classic one liner, “I’ve got a notion…” It was that one line that would “set the stage” so to speak, toward his reciting and explanations of dramatic theory. I’m thankful for his teaching(s) but more importantly his passion and attitude for life – He will be missed.

    name: Kimberley Reich
    location: Burlington Ontario
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2004 student of music and pop culture
    your comments: Professor Cox was by far the most passionate teacher I’ve ever had. As a huge music lover, I was so excited to see such a class (music and popular culture) was an option. His lectures were a performance every time. The way in which he would stomp across the stage, wave hours arms, drum his fingers, stomp his feet or close his eyes telling us to do the same to truly get lost in a song was impactful. He opened my mind and soul to different genres of music and culture. I never missed a class! I’ve gone on to speak of him since and the impact that he truly had on me and my love for music. He will be remembered fondly, and when I hear certain songs (especially Muddy Waters Mannish Boy-one lecture I will never forget) I will always think of him.

    name: Collin Glavac
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: First Year University, Professor
    your comments: Professor Terrance Cox fulfilled that image I always had of big university lectures taught by wise sage-like professors. He taught dramatic arts fundamentals to myself and many of my colleagues, initiating our foundations of the subject in first-year. Because of this, his teachings help form the building blocks for our work in the field today. He will be sorely missed.

    name: Jonathan van Ekelenburg
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: First Year DART Class, 2003
    your comments: Terrance’s first-year class still holds a dear spot in my memories.

    Terrance’s bombast and charisma made me excited to attend his class every week, and I learned so much about understanding the workings of a play that still are with me, 12 years later. I remember once he built a small fort out of chairs at the front of the lecture hall… can’t for the life of me remember what the POINT was, but I certainly paid attention. Terrance helped forge the way that I thought about drama, and I will forever be indebted to his memory. Thank you, Terrance. You’ll be missed.

    name: Lauren Kennedy
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2002
    your comments: I was a TA for his DART1F93 class. He empowered me. He took the ego out of academia. He taught students how to appreciate plays, words, and ideas. He was soft as mouse and resonated like a lion. I am grateful to have learned from him and his lessons.

    name: Nerese Richter
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2004-2007, Professor
    your comments: I’m deeply saddened to hear of this loss. I remember sitting in my first music course with Prof Cox and thinking “wow, now THAT’S passion.” Every week, I would wait anxiously until I could go to his class again to hear original recordings, learn about music history, and stare in awe at his incredible presentation techniques. He was so engaging, so inspiring that he truly motivated me to pursue music journalism as a career. Thank you, Prof Cox, for being that teacher that all students desire but so few have the honor of encountering. Thank you for your passion.

    name: Duncan Hopkins
    location: Mons, Belgium
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Brock, circa 1987 – B.B.E. 1989
    your comments: I had the privilege of being in Terry’s music appreciation class c. 1987. We continued our meetings on a regular basis as he would continually come out to hear my progress as a musician. He then interviewed me for a book about Kenny Wheeler to which he was contributing. We went to a pub in Toronto and had a drink or two and enjoyed our time very much. I was surprised to read his essay later as it included a paragraph about me. He was always very supportive.
    Terrance also wrote lyrics to some music I wrote in honour of our mutual friend Terry O’Reilly. I still have his angry and yet poignant words to my otherwise sad song. I have never recorded the two together but in my mind, they go hand in hand.
    So sorry to hear of his passing. My deepest sympathy to his family and all those who mourn him.
    ‘dh

    name: Vicki
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Professor & Seminar lead.
    your comments: When I attended Brock University, I was lucky enough to have TCox as my TA/seminar lead, as well as my professor. He gave me a learning experience I will never forget. I still remember how intimidated I was to see my professor at my first seminar, I was basically shaking in my seat. Yet somehow by the end of that first seminar, I saw him as a completely different character. TCox had become a person I was excited to see every week from that day on. He was one of the most memorable professors I’ve ever had, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so.

    name: Mallory Muehmer
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Professor
    your comments: I had the absolute honour of being taught by the memorable, Terrance Cox.
    I truly believe that it is one thing to teach, but it is entirely different to engage and inspire students. Terrance, thank you for showing us what it means to dedicate your life to making your community a happier and brighter place. Your motivation, engagement and larger than life stories will be a pillar in the Dramatic Arts department at Brock forever.
    My condolences to your loved ones.
    Thank you for all of your life lessons, both in and outside of the classroom.

    name: Danielle Wilson
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: We both taught in the Dramatic Arts Department at Brock. 2006 to present.
    your comments: I first met Terrance when I moved to St. Catharines to teach in the Dramatic Arts Department in 2006. I would see him in the hallway when we were on our way to or from teaching a class and he would always take a few moments to ask me how I was doing. I didn’t know him very well, but in 2009, some of his former students and I decided to stage The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain and we asked Terrance if he would play the older version of Adam, with Virginia Reh as Eve. We figured he would probably say no, but to our delight, he accepted and seemed quite excited to get up on the boards. We were a little intimidated at first to give him any acting notes, but it soon became apparent that our fears were unwarranted as he took every note with great care, grace and humility. After the show had finished, we had our cast party around a fire in the back yard and we were discussing the show and acting in general. At one point he said, in his deep, booming voice, something like, “I didn’t do this show because I think I’m any good, or that I should be held up as any sort of example of how to act, I simply did it to challenge myself and put my money where my mouth is.” He had this larger than life presence and energy, and his humility always caught me off guard.

    name: Kristopher Kitson
    location: Hamilton, Ontario
    when and how did you know Terrance?: He was my First year literature Professor.
    your comments: I’m at a loss for words to hear of the passing of a great Professor at Brock university, and part of the DART family. Terrance Cox was an amazing Professor, lecturer and person. His passion for theatre, the arts and his students as a whole inspired and will continue to inspire feature drama students of Brock University. My heart goes out to his loved ones! May he rest in peace.

    name: Anna MacAlpine
    location: Calgary, Alberta
    when and how did you know Terrance?: DART/MUSI graduate, class of 2012
    your comments: Very saddened to hear of the loss of Terrance Cox. He gave so much to the Brock community and will be greatly missed. I will always remember my first term at Brock, where in the midst of a lecture on medieval theatre, Professor Cox said: “I love speaking Chaucer. It’s like Scottish with a few beers.”

    name: Will Webster
    location: Victoria BC
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Mid 90s, The Club, St. Catharines Ontario
    your comments: Terrance was instrumental in helping many young writers in the Niagara Region find their voice. Back in the mid 90s he a major force in helping us blend live poetry with the burgeoning live music scene in the Niagara Region.
    I still remember his rumble, his precise love of words, and his nonchalant delivery.
    He would just sit there in front of the room and without speaking a word command the respect of everyone listening. We were always happy when his large frame filled the entry way. It meant we were going to have an exceptional night.
    Thanks for sharing Terrance.

    name: Ashley Giorno
    location: Brampton
    when and how did you know Terrance?: first year music professor 2009-2010
    your comments: I had the honour of having this gentleman as my professor for music back in my first year of university at Brock and he made me look at music in a totally different way than I already did and for that I am grateful. I may not have known him personally but he was very good at what he did and very passionate about what he taught to the next generations. One thing I’ll never forget was him explaining the song “Every Breath You Take” by The Police/Sting was actually a stalker song and how much he cringed every time he would go to weddings and hear it being played. His dance moves are another thing I’ll never forget. Cheers Professor Cox and thank you.

    name: Salena
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Brock University, 2003-2007/and he lived on my street
    your comments: I can remember in my first year theatre course being so blown away by his passion for teaching. His intensity was unmatched! I can remember one time, to make a dramatic point, he leapt from the floor up onto a chair very suddenly with total confidence he’d land it! He inspired everyone with his tenacity!

    name: Brandon Cox
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2005-06
    your comments: Terrance Cox remains one of my most favourite teachers of my life so far. His kindness, intelligence, and passion for his work was infectious and full of an honest energy that is rarely found in todays modern classrooms. I often found myself caring less about what mark I would receive on a paper, and more about whether or not Terrance would be happy with my work, or if my work would hold any meaning to him. His opinion mattered to me, which often happens when you truly respect the intelligence and opinions of anyone in your life. Above all, Terrance had an amazing sense of humour, and was a rare fireball of energy and emotion that one can only be pleased they were lucky enough to be around at the time.

    I will truly miss you Mr. Terrance Cox.

    name: Richard Varty
    location: Barrie
    when and how did you know Terrance?: He was my professor in first year (1F93).
    your comments: I found myself writing less and less in my notebook about plot points and history but more of his personal views. His passion for the written word and the power it held was and remains to be an inspiration. One of the quotes that keeps coming back into my life from his class: “Comic thought is radical thought, laughter is infectious, we eventually become subversives and have the power to bring down society.”

    name: Karen Elizabeth McMichael
    location: Toronto, Ontario
    when and how did you know Terrance?: First year dramatic literature
    your comments: I still have the first essay I ever wrote for Terrence’s class: a defense of the argument that Hamlet was not, in fact, a tragedy, as it is traditionally taught (and as he was teaching it). It was one of the only times in my academic career that directly disagreeing with the instructor was treated as serious academic discourse rather than petulant contrariness (which I am, admittedly, prone to; I do love playing devil’s advocate). I kept the final copy of that essay because Terrence had written his commentary across every page, and the backs of most of the pages — it must have taken him hours to grade that single paper. What impressed me most was that even though he disagreed with me, he took my writing seriously, and spoke as though I was a peer, not just a somewhat pretentious first year student with delusions of academic grandeur. Over the years since, I have found out just how rare that ability — to teach without preaching or condescension — is, and Terrence Cox was the master of it. His big heart was capable of forging a connection with every one of the hundreds of students who passed through his classes every year, and I know that even people who didn’t stay with the dramatic arts program held on to and told their “Terrence Cox stories” for years afterwards.

    name: JF Amprimoz
    location: St Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: My seminar lead for ENGL 1F00
    your comments: I unfortunately only had one course where I interacted with Terry, when he ran my seminar for a Great Books course required by the accounting department, I’d presume for weeding purposes. Through his kind and brilliantly insightful discussion and comments, I learned much of the language analysis and use skills I apply today.

    name: Stephanie Jones
    location: Niagara/New York
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Brock/early 90’s to present
    your comments: While studying at Brock in the early 90’s the perfromance theatre students mouted a production of Peer Gynt. As it was directed by Glenys, and her wonderful imagination, I played helf of the Troll Queen (The Queen had two heads), Terrance played the voice of the Great Boyg (the shapeless, unconquerable troll, representing the riddle of existence). He was the Boyg, and showed us all how to command a role with simplicity and truth. For
    Terrance had a mellifuous voice, a generous spirit, a commanding presence, a sharp mind and he was, really, a over-all great man. I will miss him, the artistic community will miss him.

    name: Caitlin Popek
    location: Hamilton
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2006-2011
    your comments: Terrance not only helped me dig into scripts and really discover them, he helped me teach others to do so too. He truly wanted his students to succeed and he was so much fun to listen to in lectures, he brought the plays to life! I had a wonderful time learning from him as a student and a TA. He will be missed!

    name: Christine Dief
    location: Niagara
    when and how did you know Terrance?: 2002-2006, 2009-2010
    your comments: Like many, I’ve also had the pleasure to be taught by this wonderful man. He was so passionate in his lectures and his love for literature was contagious.

    I have also had the pleasure to work along side him in a Teaching Assistant role, and I am truly grateful for such a wonderful experience. His brilliance and his passion will truly be missed.

    RIP Terrance Cox, and my condolences to your loved ones. Thank you for all you have done.

    name: Amanda McDonnell
    location: St. Catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Professor DART 1F93
    your comments: T.Cox was one of the coolest Profs in DART. He can in that lecture/seminar and would always have great stories and incites about the plays we studied.
    He helped me, and probably many more DART students, make that transition from a high schooler to a University Student a smooth and exciting one. I will always think of him fondly. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

    name: Jordan Pereira
    location: st. catharines
    when and how did you know Terrance?: First Year professor
    your comments: He set the stage for Drama and poetic articulation. I had been meaning to visit him at some point, I guess now I’ll never get the chance. What an impact he has had. May he rest in peace, discussing verbosities with Aristophanes and the like. Condolences and warm sentiments to his family and close friends.

    name: Michelle
    location: Fergus, Ontario
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Professor at Brock
    your comments: TCox, as he was fondly called by many, was one of my first professors at Brock University. It was in his class that I met my first “uni friend”! We remain friends to this day after spending a legendary semester in Professor Cox’s first-year drama course. After this, I also took his music and popular culture course, which led me to have a much deeper appreciation for early jazz and Elvis music in particular. My fondest memory of TCox was knowing that he cared about his students; he remembered my name in a lecture hall of hundreds and always took time to say hello and ask me how I was doing.
    Terrence went the extra mile for his students and was influential in the lives of so many. He will be greatly missed.

    name: Marcel Stewart, class of 2007
    location: Toronto
    when and how did you know Terrance?: Brock University – 2003-2007
    your comments: The first time I met Terrence I was wearing a Liverpool soccer jersey.
    Unbeknownst to me, Terrence was a huge Manchester United fan. When he saw me, he stopped what he was doing and said, “Is that a fashion statement or do you actually support them?” To which I responded, “Oh, I am a big L’Pool fan” and he followed up with, “I’m truly sorry for you…”
    I’ll never forget that.

    If you have memories you would like to share about Terrance, please get in touch with us.

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    Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Faculty & Instructors, News

  • DART mourns the passing of a friend and colleague.

    Thursday, December 23, 2010 | By

    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.

    Photos:

    Memories:

    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

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    Categories: Announcements, Faculty & Instructors, News