Articles tagged with: dramatic arts

PANTALONE’S PALACE, DART’S First Mainstage for 2017-18, opens October 27!

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | By dvivian

Pantalone’s Palace

Love and power collide in this fun-filled, fast paced physical comedy.

Written and Directed by Mike Griffin

Set & Costume Design by: Kelly Wolf
Lighting Design by Chris Malkowski
Sound Design by: James McCoy
Mask Maker: Gina Bastone
Assistant Direction by: Helena Ciuciura

Hardworking Columbina just wants to enjoy the majestic Wooers’ Woods in peace after a long day’s work, but the greedy business tycoon Pantalone is scheming. When Columbina discovers his plot to build the biggest casino in the world, she knows she must take action. Armed with her wits and her lovesick friends, she aims to set things right in this fun-filled, fast paced, physical comedy that explores the meeting of contemporary life and classical Commedia dell’Arte.

When: October 27 – November 4, 2017
FRIDAY, OCT. 27 & SATURDAY, OCT. 28 at 7:30 pm
SUNDAY, OCT. 29 at 2:00 pm
FRIDAY, NOV. 3 at 11:30 am & 7:30 pm
SATURDAY, NOV. 4 at 7:30 pm

The Department invites teachers and educators to bring their students to see this exciting new production of Commedia dell’arte.
Read the Special Invitation to learn more.

See the article in the Brock News.

See the teaser video.

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

Tags: commedia dell'arte, dramatic arts, mainstage, Pantalone's Palace
Categories: Events, News
Brock co-led research to study police training in mental illness

Monday, October 02, 2017 | By dvivian

Dr. Natalie Alvarez, an associate professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts

(Source: The Brock News, Wednesday, September 13, 2017 | by Cathy Majtenyi)

It’s the heat of the moment. A person in mental health distress is waving a knife in the air, yelling or screaming or perhaps even silent. A police officer is on the scene.

What happens next?

It’s a question that undoubtedly will come up in Toronto police Constable James Forcillo’s appeal trial, which started Monday. Forcillo was convicted of attempted murder for the 2013 shooting of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim on a Toronto streetcar.

It’s also a question that Brock University researchers Natalie Alvarez and Yasmine Kandil are exploring in their research on how to use theatre to train police officers.

Dr. Yasmine Kandil

Alvarez, an associate professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts, along with Yasmine Kandil, an assistant professor in Dramatic Arts, are co-leading a study that will create and evaluate the effectiveness of a type of scenario-based police training grounded in problem-based training methods the team refers to as ‘forum scenarios.’

In forum scenarios, a scene is played out for an audience. The scene is then performed again, but an audience member can step in to intervene by making different choices, creating a different outcome and changing the way a particular issue is viewed or dealt with. It’s a form of teaching and learning that promotes the principles of procedural justice.

Theatre educators Alvarez and Kandil of Brock’s Department of Dramatic Arts, and Wilfred Laurier forensic psychologist Jennifer Lavoie, alongside their cross-Canada team with specializations in mental illness and de-escalation training, are partnering with the Durham Regional Police and collaborators from the Ontario Police College.

The federal government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council has awarded the team a $310,960 grant to carry out the four-year study.

“Experiential learning through forum methods is much more effective in integrating knowledge, being able to apply that knowledge and retain it long term,” says Alvarez. The study builds on Alvarez’s upcoming book that examines the use of immersive simulations in a variety of training and educational contexts.

Experts involved in the scenarios aim to teach police officers how to recognize behavioural characteristics of various mental illnesses that may present barriers to communication in high-stakes encounters, the impacts and consequences that certain actions will have on the person in crisis, and how to de-escalate volatile situations.

“We want to recreate situations where the officer perceives a situation where there’s an imminent threat, they’re under extreme stress, and they have to make refined, ethical judgments in that moment of stress,” says Alvarez.

The team will also address mental health stigmas and misconceptions.

For Alvarez, the research is not just academic.

“My oldest sister suffers from schizophrenia and she’s become an advocate for the rights of people living with mental illness,” says Alvarez, adding that her sister frequently gives talks to RCMP officers on the subject.

Tags: dramatic arts, miwsfpa, natalie alvarez, Police Training, SSHRC, Yasmine Kandil
Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, Media Releases, News
Dramatic Arts alumna honoured with Faculty of Humanities Distinguished Graduate Award

Thursday, September 14, 2017 | By dvivian

Brock alumna and puppeteer Sarah Argue will be giving a talk about her business at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts on Friday, Sept. 15, before being honoured at the Alumni Recognition Reception on Saturday, Sept. 16 as part of Homecoming weekend.

(Source: The Brock News, Wednesday, September 13, 2017 | by Alison Innes)

With a little felt and a lot of talent, Sarah Argue (BA ’06) has created a career for herself in the world of puppetry.

Through her business, Rock the Arts, the Brock dramatic arts alumna has been touring across Canada with her crew of unique characters sharing shows about compassion, enjoying the little things in life and the power of choice.

She will return to her alma mater Friday, Sept. 15 to share insight into her professional puppet company. The presentation will take place at 1 p.m. in Studio A of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. All members of the Brock community are invited to attend.

Argue is in town to receive the Faculty of Humanities Distinguished Graduate Award, to be presented on Saturday, Sept. 16 during the Alumni Recognition Reception held as part of Brock’s Homecoming weekend.

It has been seven years since Argue launched her successful business after quitting what she described as a “normal job” — working as a program co-ordinator for the City of Ottawa — to pursue her passion.

She taught herself how to make the felt creations and began taking her show on the road.

Argue now has a roster of 80 puppets that she uses to perform shows in schools, libraries and theatres. She has also produced a children’s CD and currently has multiple projects on the go, including a film, children’s book and book to support other artists wanting to build their own careers.

Argue credits the diverse theatre experience she received at Brock — where she performed in The Crucible and directed a Norm Foster play, among other productions — for preparing her for the stage.

“I didn’t realize at the time what a gift it was,” Argue said of her Brock degree. “I didn’t realize what a well-balanced degree I was getting in theatre.”

Her time as an undergrad had her touch on lighting, acting, directing and costuming — all beneficial to her career. That experience gave her the confidence to walk into any theatre and comfortably speak to the techs in charge about how her show is set up.

Argue’s love for creating puppets is matched only by the experience of giving them a voice and watching them evolve into life-like characters.

Turning her passion into a business hasn’t always been easy, but Argue has relied on the support of other artists. Puppeteer Noreen Young, from Under the Umbrella Tree, has been a mentor to Argue, helping her learn how to pitch to networks and encouraging her to keep going when times get tough.

Workshops with puppeteer Trish Leeper of Muppets fame have introduced Argue to the idea of puppetry on camera, guiding her toward more film work, including the #IHopeFor awareness campaign for childhood cancer.

“You need a lot of support from other artists to keep going,” Argue said, while expressing her desire to pay that sentiment forward.

Carol Merriam, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, said the Faculty is pleased to recognize Argue with the Distinguished Graduate award.

“The skills that she learned in her studies in dramatic arts and the creativity, enthusiasm and drive that were fostered at Brock have led her to create her own niche,” she said. “Hers is the kind of success we hope and expect from graduates of Brock.”

Tags: Distinguished Alumni, dramatic arts, puppets, Rock the Arts, Sarah Argue
Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, News
DART & VISA alumni host session at the SHIFT Professional Development Conference

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 | By Nikki Prudden

ARTS AND CULTURE: CAREER CONVERSATIONS

Date/Time: April 28, 2017, 3 pm – 4:15 pm
Location: Plaza Rm. 410, Brock University

DART alumna Victoria Mountain and VISA alumna Shauna Daley will feature at the SHIFT Professional Development Conference for graduate students with their session, “ARTS AND CULTURE: CAREER CONVERSATIONS”. From the conference website: “A modern cultural worker can thrive in variety of careers in education, media and the arts. The reach and satisfaction of creative practice can be the cusp of personal freedom and a condition for seeking satisfying work. How do we negotiate and harness creative energies within professions that embrace those creative forces? Join our conversation!”

Victoria Mountain is a writer, performer, researcher and cultural manager residing in Toronto, Ontario. In addition to her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Brock University, she also holds a Master of Arts in Drama from the University of Toronto, and an Erasmus Mundus Master of International Performance Research from the Universities of Warwick, United Kingdom and Helsinki, Finland. Victoria currently works for the City of Brampton as the Manager of Culture with the Economic Development and Culture Division, leading the City through its first cultural master planning process.

Shauna Daley is an artist, teacher and business woman. She graduated with an Honours degree in Visual Arts, a B.Ed and a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Brock University, and is also Upper Elementary Montessori certified. Shauna owns and operates her own art studio in Grimsby Ontario, as well as a worldly gift shop that supports local and international artists and their work. She exhibits her artwork throughout the region, and her art studio sees approximately three hundred students from the Niagara community cycling through her visual art programs yearly.

Tags: alumni, arts and culture: career conversations, careers, dart, dramatic arts, Shauna Daley, SHIFT Professional Development Conference, Victoria Mountain, VISA, visual arts
Categories: Alumni, Announcements, News
City reveals nominees for St. Catharines Arts Awards

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 | By Nikki Prudden
(Source: Brock University Humanities, via Facebook)

The list of St. Catharines Arts Awards nominees was released Monday and our faculty is very well represented! Congratulations to our staff, faculty, and alumni who have been nominated for an award!

Rodman Hall Art Centre has been nominated for the Arts in Education award and is described as a “leading centre for visual arts education and creative expression in St. Catharines, with talented staff who connect the community with contemporary art through exhibits, special events and classes.”
Nominees for the Emerging Artist award include a number of graduates and faculty from Brock’s visual arts, dramatic arts and music programs:
- Jo Pacinda, Brock University Dramatic Arts graduate, works as a costume designer with local theatre companies.
- Lauren Regier, a visual arts graduate, explores the relationships between plants and machines through her photography. (Brock University Humanities featured her on their blog and in Brock News earlier this year.)
- Twitches & Itches Theatre features a number of Brock dramatic arts graduates and is a “multi-disciplinary artist ensemble devoted to creating new theatre works through a collaborative process.” (Their production of The Bacchae with director Colin B. Anthes was featured in Brock News.)
- Gordon Cleland teaches cello with Brock University Music, plays principle cello with the Niagara Symphony, and works with the Niagara Youth Orchestra.
- Danielle Wilson, a professor with Brock University Dramatic Arts, is co-founder and co-artistic director of Stolen Theatre Collective.
- Gregory Betts, a professor with the Department of English Language and Literature and The Centre for Canadian Studies, has been nominated for the “Making a Difference” award. Betts is a poet and advocate for literature. He is the artistic director and founder of St. Catharine’s Festival of Readers.
- Marcie Bronson, acting director and curator of Rodman Hall Art Centre, has also been nominated for the “Making a Difference” award for “playing a central role in the transformation of Rodman Hall into a nationally recognized institution of excellence that promotes local artists.”
Read more about the nominees and the St. Catharines Arts Awards at stcatharines.ca

Congratulations and good luck to all!
Tags: Colin B. Anthes, Danielle Wilson, dramatic arts, Gordon Cleland, Gregory Betts, Jo Pacinda, Lauren Regier, Marcie Bronson, music, Niagara Symphony, Niagara Youth Orchestra, Rodman Hall Art Centre, St. Catharines Arts Awards, Stolen Theatre Collective, The Bacchae, Twitches & Itches Theatre, visual arts
Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, News
Brock Professor Collaborates with Dramatic Arts Graduates on New Circus Theatre Show in Niagara Falls

Monday, March 06, 2017 | By Nikki Prudden

MEDIA RELEASE
David Fancy, a faculty member of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, is no stranger to new ventures.

A veteran creator of new theatre productions that explore current events and engage the Niagara Region, he joined forces with former Cirque du Soleil performers Kosta Zakharenko and Christine Cadeau in 2010 to form Zacada Entertainment.

“We wanted to combine theatre and circus in new ways,” says Fancy, who’s equally comfortable in the classroom as in the rehearsal studio. “The fusion of genres really permits some unique opportunities for dynamic forms of contemporary expression,” he notes.

This year, the Zacada Entertainment crew will present a new Cirque Cabaret show, entitled Shotgun Wedding, at Niagara Falls’ 650-seat Greg Frewin Theatre.

Shotgun Wedding features the story of two star-crossed lovers forced to get married by their deeply religious parents. On their way to Niagara Falls for the ceremony they each secretly decide to have one last fling with the person of their dreams.

“The production deals with perennial concerns of love and relationships,” says Fancy, “but also shines a humorous and probing light on issues pertaining to Niagara, including migrant labour, tourism, and gambling.”

Zacada is particularly happy to be working with three recent graduates of Brock University’s Department of Dramatic Arts (DART) who will be taking up the acting and singing roles in Shotgun Wedding.

Mitchell Allanson, Marley Kajan, and Sean Rintoul have all finished their Honours Dramatic Arts degrees over the past three years, and have gone on to further training and professional creative opportunities around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

Kajan, a native of Welland, is pleased to be joining the company. “All three of us DART grads are super-happy to have been brought aboard to help bring this show to life,” she says.

“These kinds of opportunities for intensive professionalization are gold,” says Rintoul, a 2- year veteran of other Zacada productions.

Marly Kajan, DART Graduate

Recent Zacada show Fancy has written and directed that have toured Ontario include Circus Revolution, a story about Marxist clowns who escape a gulag by means of their circus prowess, and Circus Labyrinth, a piece that explores creative responses to contemporary forms of social control.

For its part, Shotgun Wedding features original Niagara-themed musical theatre numbers with support from a seven-piece band, as well as high-octane performances from over 10 cirque artists from Zacada Entertainment’s extensive pool of talent.Silks artists, contortionists, acrobats, and a host of other highly skilled cirque performances each grace the stage for every performance of Shotgun Wedding.

The production team for Shotgun Wedding is currently in high gear with rehearsals and development for the June 9th opening. The show will be performed sixty times over the course of the summer.

“We’re deeply excited about this new show,” says Vittoria Wikston, General Manager of the Greg Frewin Theatre, “Especially with how it offers national level talent and serves as a unique reflection of the many strengths and talents of our region.”

“We couldn’t be happier about having this exciting new addition to our roster of shows,” says master magician and theatre owner, Greg Frewin.

He adds, “It’s going to be an awesome summer.”

Website: shotgunwedding.ca
Brock Promotional code for 20% discount is ShotgunBrock

Tags: Christine Cadeau, circus, Cirque du Soleil, David Fancy, dramatic arts, Greg Frewin, Greg Frewin Theatre, Kosta Zakharenko, Marley Kajan, media release, Mitchell Allanson, Sean Rintoul, shotgun wedding, Vittoria Wikston, Zacada Entertainment
Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Department/Centre News, Media Releases, News
Arts, Archives & Affinities III

Friday, January 27, 2017 | By Brock University

Join us on Friday, January 27 for an evening of film, photography, drama, dance, and discussion at the Social Justice Research Institute’s third annual Arts, Archives and Affinities event, held at the Marilyn I. Walker School of fine and Performing Arts. Dr. David Fancy of the Department of Dramatic Arts will be speaking about “Growing Together,” his collaborative theatre production with migrant labourers.

Tags: 15 artists' common, dart, dramatic arts, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Social Justice
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News
Looking for a Humanities Context Credit? DART 1F95

Tuesday, July 28, 2015 | By Brock University

Drama in Education & Applied Theatre I
Releasing your Creative Side

Through collective creation and collaboration with classmates students learn how drama can be used for social change, team building, and as a learning tool. Students can experience the meaning of social commitment through dramatic creations that provoke, inform, celebrate, and respond to local and global events.

DART 1F95
9:00-‐10:00 (Seminar)
+
10:00-‐1:00 (Studio/Lab)
(W or R)
(See calendar for details)

contact dramatic.arts@brocku.ca for more information

Tags: Applied Theatre, dart 1f95, drama in education, dramatic arts, humanities credit
Categories: Department/Centre News, Future Students, News
DART, MUSI and MARS present in Toronto at PLS (Poculi Ludique Societas) Festival of Medieval Theatre

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | By Brock University

COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS, FRIENDS & FAMILY, If you were in Toronto in early June you were fortunate to see a performance of:

Visitatio Sepulchri
(the Visit to the Sepulchre)

A 12th-CENTURY EASTER MUSIC DRAMA
acting version transcribed and translated
by W. L. Smoldon from the ‘Fleury Playbook’

A collaboration between:
Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies,
Department of Dramatic Arts, Department of Music

Part of the PLS (Poculi Ludique Societas) Festival of Medieval Theatre.

When: Saturday, June 6, 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 7, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Trinity College Chapel University of Toronto, 6 Hoskin Avenue

Music Director: Dr. Brian Power, Department of Music
Stage Director: Professor Virginia Reh, Department of Dramatic Arts

The company of Visitatio Sepulchri in the Trinity College Chapel. Photograph by Mrs. Chin Tso.

Tags: Brian Power, dramatic arts, easter, medieval and renaissance studies, music, PLS Festival of Musical Theatre, Poculi Ludique Societas, Toronto, Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto, virginia reh, visitatio sepulchri
Categories: Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, News
The passing of the late Poet, Terrance Cox

Monday, January 19, 2015 | By Brock University
We 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.
Tags: dramatic arts, in memoriam, music, Terrance Cox
Categories: Alumni, Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, News