News

• Encore! Professional Concert Series presents Pat & Emilia

  Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | By dtemprile

  

  Encore! Professional Concert Series presents: Pat & Emilia: A Mixed-Media Chamber Opera

  Pat & Emilia is a new mixed-media chamber opera based on the lives of two Windsor, Ontario artists – photographer Pat Sturn (1910-2011) and opera singer Emilia Cundari (1930-2005). Act One, created by Tara Sievers-Hunt, features opera arias from Emilia’s repertoire alongside monologues inspired by newspaper interviews given by the singer from the 1950s to 1970s. Act Two showcases new music by Canadian composer Jeff Smallman with text by Windsor Poet Laureate Marty Gervais.

  Tara Sievers-Hunt (soprano) as Emilia | Jocelyn Zelasko (soprano) as Pat
  Margaret Gillie (clarinet) | Velda Kelly (violin)
  Nadine Deleury (cello) | Mary Siciliano (piano)

  The concert includes familiar arias from Italian opera as well as new music by composer Jeff Smallman. Text by Marty Gervais.

  Preceded by the documentary film, ‘Imagining Angels’, on the making of the opera

  Friday March 23, 2018

  Time: 7:30 p.m.
  Location: Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines

  Tickets: $28.50† adults; $22.50† seniors/students; $12.50† child (14 and under); $5* eyeGo program. General admission. † Includes the $2.50 FOPAC Cultural Capital Improvement Fund (CCIF); other applicable fees and taxes are extra. *No CCIF applied; other applicable fees and taxes are extra.

  Order tickets from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722 or Long Distance Toll Free: 1.855.515.0722; online: firstontariopac.ca.

  Tags: Brock University, chamber opera, department of music, downtown St. Catharines, Encore! Professional Concert Series, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, Mixed-media chamber opera, music, Partridge Hall, Pat & Emilia
  Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events

• Art exhibit receptions to mark International Women’s Day

  Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | By dtemprile

  

  The opening reception of “Silent Areas: The Spaces in Between,” Cat Stambolic and Sarah Martin, takes place Thursday, March 8 at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

  Brock’s arts community will mark International Women’s Day on Thursday, March 8 with two art exhibition receptions.

  On display at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Visual Arts Gallery and student exhibition space, “Silent Areas: The Spaces in Between” features the work of third-year Visual Arts student Sarah Martin and recent Brock Visual Arts graduate Cat Stambolic (BA ’17).

  The exhibition, which initially opened Feb. 15 and runs until Saturday, March 24, explores the disconnect between mind and body, deemed ‘silent areas.’

  Exploring the theme separately through their previous work, the pair came together to create the exhibit, which investigates “connections between mind and body; specifically, what happens if and when that connection is interrupted,” explained Stambolic.

  Both women are strong advocates of mental health.

  “Our work hangs in conversation with each other’s,” Stambolic said, and is “truly representative of the open dialogue we need to create regarding mental illness.”

  Her work featured in the show is directly related to her own sensory experiences, which resulted in feeling a disconnect from her physical body.

  “The process of making these pieces was a way to resolve these sensations and emotions, re-envisioning them as tangible sculptures,” she said.

  Martin uses her photographs to create visual representation of “restlessness and unconsciousness, how feelings of anxiety can create out-of-body experiences and feelings of existentialism.”

  Her work in this exhibit depicts women exclusively in order to “refocus the narrative of women creating work featuring women, instead of from a male perspective,” she said. “Using the female figure in a powerful way reclaims ownership of the female body and creates a new narrative of empowerment and self-reflection.”

  Both artists will be at the exhibition’s reception to discuss their work on Thursday, March 8 from 5 to 8 p.m.

  Also that evening, from 6 to 8 p.m., is the opening reception of “Expressions of Today/Expressions d’aujourd’hui” at the Niagara Arts Centre, 354 St. Paul St.

  Featuring work from Brock’s Studies in Arts and Culture, and French Studies students, the exhibit explores contemporary expressions in art and literature, with pieces creating unusual stories mixing narrative and art-making.

  “Expressions of Today/Expressions d’aujourd’hui” will be on display at the NAC until Friday, March 16.

  For information on upcoming events, visit the MIWSFPA website.

  Tags: Animation, Brock University, Cat Stambolic, Catherine Parayre, downtown St. Catharines, Drawing, exhibition, Expressions d'aujourd'hui, Expressions of Today, french studies, International Women's Day, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, NAC, Niagara Artists Centre, opening receptions, photography, Sarah Martin, Sculptures, Silent Areas: The Spaces in Between, stac, studies in arts and culture, VISA, visual arts, Visual Arts Gallery
  Categories: Alumni, Current Students, Events, In the Media, News

• Dramatic Arts offers three-day lineup of events

  Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | By dtemprile

  

  Ruth Howard of Jumblies Theatre, Kerr Mesner of Arcadia University, and Lina de Guevara of Puente Theatre, will be part of three days of programming presented by Brock’s Department of Dramatic Arts from March 15 to 17.

  It will be a busy week for Brock’s Department of Dramatic Arts, with a theatrical performance, panel discussion and series of public workshops all lined up in a matter of three days.

  The programming, sponsored by the Walker Cultural Leader Series, takes place Thursday, March 15 to Saturday, March 17 at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) in downtown St. Catharines.

  Kerr Mesner, of Pennsylvania’s Arcadia University, will kick-off the three-day lineup Thursday with the debut of In Transit: Artistic Interventions in Precarious Times. The one-person performance piece combines multimedia, live theatrical performance and audience engagement to create an evocative and thought-provoking dramatic experience. His autoethnographic theatrical piece explores the intersections of queer identities, Christianity’s contributions to anti-queer violence and the challenges of embodying transgender identities within current political contexts.

  Mesner weaves a story arc between live theatrical performances from his 2017 piece, In Transit, and multimedia excerpts from the film version of his 2014 play, Intervention, that was part of his doctoral dissertation.

  He performs in the Marilyn I. Walker (MIW) Theatre Thursday, March 15 from 7 to 9 p.m.

  On Friday, March 16, a panel discussion, “Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context,” will take place in the MIW Theatre at 7 p.m.

  Ruth Howard of Jumblies Theatre, Lina de Guevara of Puente Theatre and Professor Yasmine Kandil of Brock University will discuss how applied theatre with immigrants and refugees in Canada has evolved over the past few decades. Moderated by Brock Professor Natalie Alvarez, the panel will examine whether the medium has had a positive and tangible impact on this community, and on settler Canadians.

  Kandil began her immigrant journey in Victoria, B.C., where she worked on multiple projects exploring celebration as a means for immigrant youth to claim a space in their new home. She is currently engaged in the second phase of devising a theatre piece that examines narratives of immigration and settlement for Brock students and local immigrants and refugees in relation to expectations, obstacles and assimilation.

  Beginning Saturday, March 17, Brock’s visiting scholars and theatre makers, including two panelists from the previous evening’s event, will present workshops about their work in the Dramatic Arts field.

  Howard, founder of Toronto-based Jumblies Theatre, explores her recent Four Lands touring project in a workshop held in Studio B of the MIWSFPA from 10 a.m. to noon. Her work on issues of diversity has won many awards. Jumblies Theatre is known for its work with minority groups, engaging non-artists and a larger spectrum of participants through community-based theatre.

  Following from 1 to 3 p.m. in Studio C will be de Guevara’s workshop, which examines the different tools used to research immigrant and refugee narratives. She was the first immigrant artist to establish a theatre company in Victoria that focused solely on promoting the narratives of immigration and settlement, with the purpose of bridging the gap between the minority group and predominantly white culture of Victoria. Her work has spread to other provinces in Canada since she began her Canadian journey almost 40 years ago.

  Admission to all three days of programming is free thanks to sponsorship from the Walker Cultural Leader Series, founded by Marilyn I. Walker. However, participants are asked to register for the March workshops in advance through Eventbrite.

  The Walker Cultural Leader Series brings leading artists, performers, practitioners and academics to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts at Brock University.

  Tags: Applied Theatre, Brock University, dart, Department of Dramatic Arts, drama in education, dramatic arts, In Transit: Artistic Interventions in Precarious Times, Lina de Guevara, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, natalie alvarez, Ruth Howard, Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context, The Brock News, Walker Cultural Leader Series, Yasmine Kandil
  Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events, In the Media, News, Walker Cultural Leader Series

• Dramatic Arts presents: Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context

  Tuesday, March 13, 2018 | By dvivian

  

  featuring Lina de Guevara, founder of Puente Theatre (Victoria) and Ruth Howard of Jumblies Theatre (Toronto), with Dr. Yasmine Kandil of Brock University (Niagara)

  March 16 and 17, 2018

  A panel conversation and workshops on the theme of Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context. This event will look at how theatre has been used to create collaborative opportunities with immigrants and refugees in Canada, and what struggles lay ahead of us to bridge the divide between settler Canadians and newcomers.

  All events take place at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
  15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines ON L2R 0B5
  A free community event!
  Registration required for workshops only.
  tensions-of-engagement-workshops.eventbrite.com
  Limited parking available.
  Contact Dr. Yasmine Kandil [email protected] for more information.

  PROGRAM:
  Friday March 16 7:00pm
  PANEL Discussion in the MIW THEATRE:
  Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context
  
  This panel, moderated by Dr. Natalie Alvarez (Brock University), will feature three of Canada’s applied theatre artists who have devoted a large portion of their creative work towards working on issues of diversity, multiculturalism, and creating opportunities for immigrants and refugees to explore their narratives of settlement through theatre.

  This comes at a crucial time, as our society is witnessing an awareness of the insidious racism that exists in our country, as revealed by the Angus Reid Institute report of October 2016. Our panel will discuss how applied theatre with immigrants and refugees in Canada has evolved over the past few decades, and whether there has been a positive and tangible impact that this medium has had on this community, and on settler Canadians.

  Saturday March 17 10:00am – 3:00pm
  WORKSHOPS: STUDIOS B and C at the MIWSFPA
  
  Workshop STUDIO B (MW 247)
  10:00-12:00pm (Ruth Howard)
  This workshop will explore Jumblies’ recent Four Lands touring project, which brings together settler, newcomer, Indigenous residents of all ages and backgrounds in a gentle exploration of different perspectives on a place.
  jumbliestheatre.org/jumblies/about/staff/ruth-howard

  Workshop STUDIO C (MW 243)
  1:00-3:00pm (Lina de Guevara)
  This workshop will explore the different tools used to do research related to immigrant and refugee narratives: interviews, storytelling of personal stories, image creation, forum encounters, audience participation, etc. Lina will share the tools that she uses and those she avoids.
  linadeguevara.ca

  Registration required for workshops only.
  tensions-of-engagement-workshops.eventbrite.com

  PANELISTS:

  Lina de Guevara
  
  Lina de Guevara was the first immigrant artist to establish a theatre company in Victoria that solely focused on promoting the narratives of immigration and settlement with the purpose of bridging the gap between this minority group and the predominantly white culture of Victoria. Her work has spread to other provinces in Canada since she began her Canadian journey almost 40
  years ago.

  Ruth Howard
  
  Ruth Howard is the founder and Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre, based in Toronto. Her work with professional artists and diverse communities has won her recognition and awards. Jumblies is known for its large-scale collaborative community-engaged theatre and interdisciplinary arts residencies, projects and productions, as well as its dedication to learning and mentorship in community arts.

   

  Dr. Yasmine Kandil
  
  Yasmine began her immigrant journey in Victoria, BC, where she worked on multiple projects exploring celebration as a means for immigrant youth to claim a space in their new Canadian home. She is presently engaged in the second phase of devising a theatre piece that examines narratives of immigration and settlement for Brock students and local immigrants and refugees in relation to expectations, obstacles, and assimilation.

   

  Our guests, Lina de Guevara and Ruth Howard, are two of our Walker Cultural Leaders for 2017-18.  This series brings leading artists, performers, practitioners and academics to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts at Brock University. Engaging, lively and erudite, these  sessions celebrate professional achievement, artistic endeavour and the indelible role of culture in our society.
  This education program is generously founded by Marilyn I. Walker. Please join us!

  Tags: Applied Theatre, Department of Dramatic Arts, dramatic arts, immigrant, Lina de Guevara, Ruth Howard, Tensions of Engagement in the Canadian Immigrant Theatre Context, Walker Cultural Leader Series, WCL, Yasmine Kandil
  

• Dramatic Arts presents: In Transit: Artistic Interventions in Precarious Times

  Monday, March 12, 2018 | By dvivian

  

  featuring Dr. Kerr Mesner, Arcadia University (performer) with
  Dr. Stephen Low (Moderator, Discussant and Talkback Facilitator)

  Thursday, March 15, 2018 7:00-9:00 pm, in the MIW THEATRE

  In Transit: Artistic Interventions in Precarious Times is a one-person performance piece, combining multimedia, live theatrical performance, and audience engagement to create an evocative and thought provoking dramatic experience. This autoethnographic theatrical piece explores the intersections of queer identities, Christianity’s contributions to antiqueer
  violence, and the challenges of embodying transgender identities within our current political contexts. Mesner weaves a narrative arc between current live theatrical performances from his 2017 piece, In Transit and multimedia excerpts from the filmic
  version of his 2014 play, Intervention, that was part of his doctoral dissertation.

  This performance will be of interest to scholars, graduate students, practitioners, and activists working in such areas as arts based educational research, performance studies, transgender and queer studies, religion/theology, and anti-oppressive education.

  All events take place at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
  15 Artists’ Common, St Catharines ON L2R 0B5
  A free community event!
  Tickets and registration not required. Limited parking available.

  Contact Dr. Joe Norris [email protected] for more information.

  Dr. Mesner is one of our Walker Cultural Leaders for 2017-18.  This series brings leading artists, performers, practitioners and academics to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts at Brock University. Engaging, lively and erudite, these  sessions celebrate professional achievement, artistic endeavour and the indelible role of culture in our society.
  This education program is generously founded by Marilyn I. Walker. Please join us!

  Tags: Department of Dramatic Arts, dramatic arts, In Transit: Artistic Interventions in Precarious Times Kerr Mesner, Walker Cultural Leader Series, WCL
  

• MIWSFPA offers ticket promotion in honour of International Women’s Day

  Tuesday, March 06, 2018 | By dtemprile

  

  Brock Dramatic Arts students Manchari Paranthahan and Meryl Ochoa in the production of Top Girls playing at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts March 2 to 10.

  (Source: The Brock News | Wednesday, March 13, 2018)

  The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts is offering a special Top Girls promotion in honour of International Women’s Day.

  Tickets for the Brock production’s March 9 and 10 performances will be two for the price of one when buyers mention International Women’s Day.

  The promotion will be available in person at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office or by phone at 905-688-0722. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  Top Girls, Brock’s second mainstage production of the year, is a contemporary play that takes a critical look at women and their relationship to power and success.

  More information on the show is available on the Brock News.

  Tags: BOGO free, Brock University, dart, downtown St. Catharines, dramatic arts, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, FOPAC, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, plays, The Brock News, Ticket Promotion, Top Girls
  Categories: Announcements, Events, In the Media, News

• Recital series to showcase student talent

  Thursday, March 01, 2018 | By dtemprile

  

  Second-year violinist Jessica Tigchelaar takes centre stage at the Concordia Seminary Chapel on Friday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.

  The stage is set for the stars of Brock’s Department of Music to shine.

  Student talent will be highlighted during a month-long recital series that begins Friday, March 2.

  The inaugural performance will feature violinist Jessica Tigchelaar, a second-year student, accompanied by Luis Molina on the piano. The show will take place at the Concordia Seminary Chapel on campus, where half of the recitals will take place. The remaining shows will happen at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.

  

  Fourth-year pianist Luis Molina accompanies Jessica Tigchelaar on stage Friday, March 2. Molina then has his own solo performance Monday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cairns Recital Hall of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

  The series will feature Brock’s most talented performers, who enrol in recital courses for credit following a rigorous audition process.

  Details for the following performances are available at the respective links:

  •   Friday, March 2: Jessica Tigchelaar and Luis Molina
  •   Monday, March 5: Rebecca Heathcote and Karen Lam 
  •   Friday, March 9: Alyssa Shanghavi and Gary Forbes
  •   Monday, March 19: Ryan Baxter
  •   Saturday, March 24: Jesse Luciani
  •   Sunday, March 25: Eric Godfree
  •   Monday, March 26: William Sadler and Lesley Kingham
  •   Monday, April 2: Luis Molina

  Tags: Brock University, Cairns Recital Hall, Concert, Concordia Seminary Chapel, department of music, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Instrumental students, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, Student Solo Recitals
  Categories: Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events

• Expressions of Today / Expressions d’aujourd’hui

  Saturday, February 24, 2018 | By dvivian

  

  Art by Mat Vizbulis.

  Students in Studies in Arts and Culture as well as in French Studies at Brock University explore contemporary expressions in art and literature and create unusual stories mixing narrative and art-making. Their starting point is a graffiti artwork by artist Mat Vizbulis.

  Des étudiants en Etudes en français et en Studies in Arts and Culture à l’Université Brock explorent des expressions contemporaines dans l’art et la littérature, et construisent des histoires inhabituelles mélangeant narration et création d’art. Leur point de départ est un graffiti de l’artiste Mat Vizbulis.

  Exhibition: Saturday Mar. 3 to Friday Mar. 16 / samedi 3 mars à vendredi 16 mars

  Gallery hours: Wednesday 10-5, Thursday 12-9, Friday 12-9, and Saturday 12-5 / mercredi 10-5, jeudi 12-9, vendredi 12-9, et samedi 12-5

  Opening Reception: Thursday Mar. 8 from 6-8 pm / jeudi 8 mars 6h-8h en soirée

  Location: Niagara Artists Centre (NAC)

  354 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON

  This is free community event!

  Tags: french studies, graffiti, Mat Vizbulis, NAC, Niagara Artists Centre, studies in arts and culture
  Categories: Announcements, Events, Faculty & Instructors

• TOP GIRLS: opens March 2!

  Saturday, February 24, 2018 | By dvivian

  

  by Caryl Churchill.

  Directed by DANIELLE WILSON
  Set Design by NIGEL SCOTT
  Costume Design by KELLY WOLF
  Lighting Design by JENNIFER JIMENEZ
  Original Music by MAX HOLTEN-ANDERSEN
  Assistant Direction by MICHELLE MOHAMMED
  Dialect Coaching by JANE GOODERHAM

  When: March 2-10, 2018

  FRIDAY, MARCH 2 and SATURDAY, MARCH 3 at 7:30 pm
  SUNDAY, MARCH 4 at 2:00 pm
  FRIDAY, MARCH 9 at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm
  SATURDAY, MARCH 10 at 7:30 pm

  What would you sacrifice to get to the top?
  Top Girls opens at the MIWSFPA on March 2.

  TOP GIRLS, by celebrated playwright Caryl Churchill and directed by Danielle Wilson, runs from Friday, March 2, 2018 to Saturday, March 10, 2018 in the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre, at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines.

  

  Manchari Paranthahan as Nell, Meryl Ochoa as Win, in Top Girls at Brock University.

  The Department of Dramatic Arts, part of Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, is proud to present an original production of this venerable play about women and power. First produced in 1982, last seen in Niagara at the Shaw Festival in 2015, this contemporary play tells the story of Marlene, a career-driven woman who is only interested in women’s success in business.

  The play is an exploration and critical look at women and their relationship to power and success. For the director, Professor Danielle Wilson, the main question at the heart of the play is “what would you sacrifice to get to the top?”

  The play follows the story of Marlene, who in 1980’s London has just been promoted to managing director of the Top Girls Employment Agency. With a magic realist twist we see Marlene celebrate her success at a dinner party with five women from history, literature, and art, and as the drink begins to flow, so do their stories of family, adventure, and loss which overlap in witty and humorous dialogue.

  

  Manchari Paranthahan as Nell, Meryl Ochoa as Win, Helena Ciurciura as Marlene, in Top Girls at Brock University.

  Throughout the play we also meet the real-life women in Marlene’s life at the office. They struggle to rise to the top of the corporate ladder but are held back by lack of opportunity and the harsh competitiveness of the business world.

  The themes and story of the play are extremely topical.  The play examines the challenges of working women who choose self-promotion and career over motherhood, family, domesticity. We learn of the cost of Marlene’s ‘successful’ life. Set during the reign of the British Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher, known as the “Iron Lady”, the play asks whether it was an advance to have a woman prime minister if we elected someone with policies like hers.

  TOP GIRLS highlights the contradictions between feminism and capitalism. A running theme throughout the play is the secrets that underpin Marlene’s success which in some ways serve to perpetuate the patriarchal structure common in many workplaces. We only learn of these secrets in the final confrontational scene with her closest family, Joyce and her daughter, Angie.

  The play is directed by Dramatic Arts faculty Danielle Wilson. Professional collaborating artists include set designer Nigel Scott, costume designer by Kelly Wolf, lighting designer Jennifer Jimenez and music composer Max Holten-Andersen. Jane Gooderham is the Dialect Coach.

  

  Helena Ciurciura as Marlene, Emma McCormick as Angie, in Top Girls at Brock University.

  TOP GIRLS showcases the talents of students in the Department of Dramatic Arts undergraduate program. Michelle Mohammed is the Assistant Director, Alicia Marie Bender is the Stage Manager, Whiney Braybrook-Byl is Assistant Stage Manager. Performers include: Helena Ciuciura, Emma McCormick, Samantha Mastrella, Meryl Ochoa, Manchari Paranthahan, Catherine Tait and Kristina Ojaperv.

  READ ALL ABOUT IT!

  Director Danielle Wilson discusses feminism, ambition, #MeToo and the unique challenge of mounting this play in a brief interview found at the bottom of this page.
  
  Fourth-year student and Assistant Director for the production, Michelle Mohammed, is writing about the development of the show in a dedicated blog: darttopgirls.wordpress.com and dartcritics.com

  The public presentation program of the Department of Dramatic Arts is an integral part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate to contribute to regional cultural development and build community connections by engaging our audiences with the breadth of talent and creativity of the students, staff, guest artists and faculty of Brock University.

  The Department invites teachers and educators to bring their students to see this exciting production of TOP GIRLS.
  Read the Special Invitation to learn more.

  Marilyn I. Walker Theatre at the
  Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
  Limited parking onsite.

  Purchase tickets at the FirstOntario PAC Box Office
  905.688.0722 or online firstontariopac.ca
  Tickets: $18 Adults|$15 Seniors/Students| $5 eyeGo | $12 Groups
  *Applicable fees and taxes are extra

  See the article in the Brock News.

  ---

  We asked the director of Top Girls, Professor Danielle Wilson, about feminism, ambition, and the unique challenges of mounting this play.

  What type of feminist beliefs does Top Girls draw upon?

  The play is an exploration and critical look at women and their relationship to power and success. For me the main question at the heart of the play is “what would you sacrifice to get to the top?” Something is always sacrificed, whether it be relationships, personal integrity, mental health, leisure time etc., in the pursuit of success. Top Girls looks specifically at women’s responsibilities and relationships with each other in a capitalistic and individualistic society. It tackles these issues in a broader political spectrum vs. it being about women overcoming their oppression. You can’t get away from being a woman in this play, no matter how hard these women try. What I understand is that the play was inspired by two streams of feminism: one which is about changing the economic situation for everyone which is more collectively oriented and one that accepts and supports an individual’s success over the collective gain. Top Girls examines an individualistic society in which the few thrive at the expense of many and one in which isolated female success overshadows the plight of the majority.

  How do you connect the feminism of the 1980’s portrayed in Top Girls to feminist movements and/or beliefs today? How do you think our students will understand the representation of feminist thought in your production?

  Fourth wave feminism, which we are seeing now, tends to be more collectively oriented. Social media started an entire #MeToo movement, which questions abuse of power. Top Girls discusses power and success in relationship to women. The main character in the play, Marlene, tends to use what one might call more ‘masculine’ tactics in the workplace. The entire corporate structure has been built on more masculine characteristics of leadership. When a woman is in a top position, masculine qualities can run contrary to what is expected of her gender, so she may be perceived as cold or distant or a bitch. Margaret Thatcher, who serves as an unseen character in the play was described as the ‘Iron Lady”, but no man who ruled in the way she did was ever called the ‘Iron Man’, he was just a man. She even had voice lessons to help her sound more masculine so that her cabinet would take her seriously. One of the characters in the play, Nell says that “an employer is going to have doubts about a lady, whether she’s got the guts to push through to a closing situation. They think we’re too nice. They think we listen to the buyer’s doubts. They think we consider his needs and his feelings.” We’re becoming aware that there is more than one way to lead and it is not an imperative to oppress or step on others in order to succeed.

  I think students will recognize the issues being debated between Marlene and Joyce as they each argue opposite political viewpoints. Today, there is definitely a more collectively oriented mindset as evidenced by the Occupy movement, Idle No More, and the #MeToo movement. There is resistance to the social and economic status quo. Young people, both men and women, are building strength through bonds with each other and challenging systemic abuse, racial profiling, and poor economic prospects.

  What is “the top”?

  I think it depends on the person. Success and reaching ‘the top’ is complicated and is defined by each person differently. For some it may be reaching the top over someone else, for others it may be reaching the top of one’s own potential.

  Marlene’s character seems to be the one striving for the “top” and stepping on anyone in her way, should we be feeling empathy for her? Should we like or dislike her? What should we be learning from her actions?

  I think ultimately it will be up to the audience to decide how they feel about her.  We learn a lot about her personal life in the third act and what she has sacrificed to get to where she is. Caryl Churchill, the playwright, has written a complex character who is flawed, but what human being isn’t? Some may admire and empathize with her actions. She did what she had to do. Others may not. We see both sides of the story in the final act in which she has a showdown with her sister, Joyce, who has taken a very different path in life. Ultimately, Churchill has written a play that involves more questions than answers, but that’s the beauty of it, you get to chew over these questions after the play is over. To me, that’s the mark of a great play.

  Are there significant challenges with this production that our audience would be interested in knowing about?

  The play involves a big dinner party at the very beginning. Caryl Churchill has written overlapping dialogue where people are talking over each other, like at a real dinner party. It has been challenging to choose what the audience hears and doesn’t hear.  Sometimes the audience will hear both and have to choose which to listen to. It has been both a challenge as a director and as an actor. Not only must the actors learn their lines, but they must also learn when they begin speaking in the middle of someone else’s line.

   

  February 17, 2018
  /dv

  Tags: Caryl Churchill, Danielle Wilson, Department of Dramatic Arts, mainstage
  

• Community collaboration leads to a new play by Brock prof

  Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | By dvivian

  

  (Source: The Brock News | Monday, February 12, 2018 by Alison Innes)

  It was a simple, yet powerful statement.

  “We need to pay attention to the lives of Niagara’s migrant agricultural workers,” René Lopez, a worker advocate, said to Brock University Associate Professor David Fancy in 2010.

  That conversation began a journey of community collaboration that lead to the production of Our Lady of Delicias by the Essential Collective Theatre, which runs from Friday, Feb. 23 until Sunday, March 4 at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

  Fancy, a professor with the Dramatic Arts program, collaborated with dozens of migrant workers and Dramatic Arts students for two years to develop the play. The story features the character of Rangel, a Mexican migrant worker who has been travelling to Canada for years to work in the vineyards and greenhouses of Niagara.

  “I’m excited by this new script,” says Essential Collective Theatres’ Monica Dufault, a long-term Brock instructor who is directing the production. “It explores migrant worker issues in considerable depth with a real artistry that I’m keen to share with audiences.”

  “Having lived in Niagara for more than a dozen years now, I still feel that this is a reality that is consciously ignored: the lives of people who are our neighbours,” says Fancy.

  The cast of four, including Carla Melo, Juan Carlos Velis, Camila Diaz-Varela and Josée Young, features an exceptional range of Canadian acting talent with extensive stage and screen credits. Brock Dramatic Arts graduates James McCoy and Jo Pacinda are creating the design and costume design for the production.

  What: Our Lady of Delicias, performed by the Essential Collective Theatre

  When: Friday, Feb. 23 to Sunday, March 4

  Where: Robertson Theatre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

  SPECIAL OFFER: Present your ECT show program or ticket stub to receive a 20% discount on tickets for Top Girls presented by the Department of Dramatic Arts!

  Tags: Applied Theatre, David Fancy, dramatic arts, Essential Collective Theatre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, FOPAC, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Monica Dufault, plays
  Categories: Events, Faculty & Instructors, Uncategorised