UNews - Lindsey Zess-Funk

The epic behind the Epic

trevor.kenney — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 20:48:40 +0000

The ship is made of found materials. Built from the ground up, it was designed to be a working musical instrument. The performers walk onto the stage and the set of The Hudson’s Bay Epic comes alive.

Telling the story of the 1611 mutiny against Henry Hudson, this theatrical piece of historical fiction is nothing short of whimsical as the cast of three perform ten different roles, create their own sound effects and use every piece of the ship as a percussion instrument.

Theatre founders Ian McFarlane (BFA ’10) and Geneviève Paré (BFA ’11) found inspiration, and each other, at the U of L.

Written and produced by Mudfoot Theatre, The Hudson’s Bay Epic has evolved since its debut three and a half years ago. Theatre founders Ian McFarlane (BFA ’10) and Geneviève Paré (BFA ’11) talk about the story behind The Hudson’s Bay Epic and the origins of Mudfoot Theatre, which is based in Calgary.

“It all started at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge,” says Paré. “Ian and I worked together on a TheatreXtra production. We became fast friends and roommates.”

As the two became closer they began working creatively together. Through various performance opportunities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ it became clear they were intrigued by improvised sound. Paré looks back fondly remembering when briefly, a living room was set up in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall to encourage anyone to sit and perform in public. She and McFarlane used the space to experiment with the sound of soapy water.

Later, Paré and McFarlane traveled to Malawi for a field study focusing on health education through theatre; it was then they became a couple.

“We ended up embarking on two journeys,” recounts McFarlane. ”We were going to this new place and starting a new relationship.”

Upon their return, the duo partnered with Terry Ecklund (BFA ’11) to create a performance piece based on their experiences in Malawi. This was Paré and McFarlane’s first creation as a team.

“Looking back, my career started at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says Paré. “Students should take advantage of the structure and support offered by their professors. Volunteer, join workshops and extra-curricular activities. I am where I am today because of those opportunities.”

While Paré was finishing her degree, McFarlane found himself in Calgary performing with Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre, a unique company known for devised theatre in odd places.

“They found this house that was about to be demolished and asked me to turn the kitchen into a performance piece,” says McFarlane. “That’s when I met Lane Shordee and a creative relationship blossomed. I love working with him; he thinks so far outside the box.”

Shordee now works with Mudfoot Theatre and created the set for The Hudson’s Bay Epic.

The Hudson's Bay Epic is billed as a folk tale focusing on Canadian History.

After graduation, Paré joined McFarlane in Calgary and they got back to work creating and performing under the name Deux Fous Frivoles (Two Frivolous Fools), which soon evolved to Frivolous Fools Performance. It was then The Hudson’s Bay Epic began to take form.

“I was interested in a machine you could perform amongst and around, that you could use to create a soundscape,” says Paré. McFarlane adds, “We wanted to drum and tell a story.”

They became enthralled with the idea of telling a folk tale focusing on Canadian History.

“The story of Henry Hudson has so many holes in it,” exclaims McFarlane. “It was begging to be turned into fiction.”

This play helped shape the mandate of their theatre company and illustrated their potential to retell the stories of Canadian history.

“All around the world cultures have a mythology surrounding their history. My family has been in Canada for many generations and I feel more Canadian than anything else, but we haven’t been here long enough to be a part of a more ancient and mysterious narrative,” says Paré, quite passionately. “I would connect more with my Canadian identity if there was that mythical element to it. So why not create folk history for ourselves?”

Initially, the piece was performed by the two of them acting out all the characters and creating a chaotic and fun atmosphere. Later, Paré and McFarlane approached Lindsey Zess-Funk (BFA ’09) to direct the work when they submitted it to Edmonton’s Ignite! Festival.

Through Zess-Funk’s ability to bring mythical elements to the stage and make objects come to life, she guided Paré and McFarlane through a revision process of The Epic. She suggested adding a third actor so the characters and set could be more efficiently played.

“Her focus during this process has been critical in the midst of a million unfiltered ideas,” says Paré.

After the addition of fellow actor Ryan Reese (BFA ’13) and more than three years of growth, the original chaos of the play has remained.

Paré and McFarlane found themselves applying for grants and working with ensembles of artists to develop their production. The addition of Reese rendered Two Frivolous Fools obsolete and a new name was needed as they sought to rebrand their company.

“We were driving through the mountains and pairing words,” McFarlane explains. “What we do is very human driven. We try to separate ourselves from technology and use handcrafted and reclaimed materials. We needed something that speaks to that earthiness.”

Out of the all the word pairs they explored, Mudfoot stood out.

“If your feet are in the mud, you’ve done something right, and it had a nice acoustic sound,” says Paré.

Their audiences readily accepted the name and they have been known as Mudfoot Theatre for nearly a year.

“This came so organically to us,” says Paré, “Ian and I never said, I want to start a theatre company that uses only found materials and focuses on Canadian history, but that’s where we are.“

While Paré and McFarlane are no longer at the U of L, it is evident they are fond of their time here.

“They were the best years of my life and I didn’t know it,” recalls McFarlane. “In university the stakes are low. You can make mistakes and you have these loving professors who offer constructive critiques.”

The story of this young couple illustrates the possibilities and potential for aspiring artists in Alberta. They offer encouragement to students with a passion for the arts.

“The U of L gave us a foundation of knowledge and experience, which also gave us confidence,” says Paré. “Having a BFA makes you very employable. Employers are always looking for a mind that exists outside the box; they want creative problem solvers.”

Mudfoot Theatre debuts their next production entitled River: A Puppet Myth in Calgary next year. Created by Zess-Funk, Paré and McFarlane, the puppet-play features set design by Lane Shordee and original compositions from Jesse Plessis (BMus ’10). River is another piece of historical fiction that tells the tale of the birth and death of the Bow River.

For more information about Mudfoot Theatre and upcoming events visit mudfoottheatre.com.

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:20:11 +0000

Dr. Noella Piquette-Tomei (Education) is one of 400 participants worldwide who will attend the Global Conference on Inclusive Education, Oct. 21-23 in Salamanca, Spain. She, along with her colleagues, will be writing the position paper for the United Nations over the three-day event. Piquette-Tomei is one of only three Canadians attending.

Ron Chambers' (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) play Marg Szkaluba (Pissy's Wife) is presented by New West Theatre until Oct. 10. Several fine arts alumni and staff are involved in the production, including actor Erica Hunt, BFA (Dramatic Arts); director Lindsey Zess-Funk, BFA (Dramatic Arts); set designer Ian McFarlane, BFA (Multidisciplinary); and sound designer Kelly Roberts (Theatre & Dramatic Arts staff).

Gerard Gibbs (Conservatory of Music) General/Executive Director of the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, received the Innovation Award at the 2009 Rozsa Arts Management Awards in conjunction with Alberta Arts Days.

Don Gill's (Art) exhibition The New Flâneurs: Contemporary Urban Practice and the Picturesque is at the Art Gallery of Alberta until Dec. 13. This exhibition in the RBC New Works Gallery is inspired by street cultures like parkour, graffiti and skateboarding, and relates them to contemporary art and historical work from the AGA's permanent collection.

Mary-Anne McTrowe (Art) has two exhibitions going on this fall, Crocheting the Database at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Oct. 9 through Nov. 22, and Decorate and Protect at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Nov. 28 through Jan. 17, 2010. While in Victoria for the opening of her exhibition, McTrowe is speaking at Camosun College as part of their visiting artist lecture series.

Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) did a summer residency at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts at UC San Diego in La Jolla, California. Schultz was engaged in research at CRCA's large-speaker array audio spatialization lab where he designed and tested computer algorithms that spatialize (in 6 to 9 channels) live or recorded audio and interact with live performers in real-time.

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Former Pronghorn swimmer Richard Hortness, swimming for his hometown Alberta Marlin Aquatic Club out of Medicine Hat, set a new Canadian record at the 2009 Short Course Spring Nationals in Toronto in March. Hortness, who was with the Pronghorns in 2004-05, teamed with Brent Hayden, Rory Biskuspi and Tommy Gossland to set a new 4 x 50 metre freestyle relay record.

Lisa Lambert (BA '91, MA '07) was recently honoured as a YWCA of Lethbridge, 2009 Woman of Distinction for her work as a social advocate. Currently teaching a Canadian Politics course at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Lambert is also working on her doctorate degree.

Winners of the U of L Plays and Prose Writing Competition were: Plays – James Forbes (1st), Adam Beauchesne (2nd), Trista Green (3rd) and Prose – Dave Bryant (1st), Adam Sarjeant (2nd), Henry Heavy Shield (3rd).

Several drama faculty, staff, and alumni were involved in the recent New West Theatre production of The Drawer Boy. Ron Chambers (Theatre & Dramatic Arts), Marek Czuma (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) and Jeremy Park (BFA '08) acted; Gail Hanrahan (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) directed; David Barrus (staff) was set designer; Rebecca Toon (BFA '06) designed the costumes; Kelly Roberts (staff) designed was sound designer and Lindsey Zess-Funk (BFA '07) was stage manager.

The U of L's 07/08 Report – Rethink About It – received a silver award in the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) 2009 PRIX D'EXCELLENCE awards program in the best institutional annual report category.

The Report, which is the U of L's annual report to the community, was distributed to 335,000 households in October 2008. The Report is produced by the Communications Office within ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement.

This is the third consecutive year that the Report has received an award from CCAE. In 2006/2007 the Report received a silver award, and in 2005/2006 the Report received a gold award.

To view the 07/08 Report online, visit: www.ulethbridge.ca/report

Dr. Anne Dymond (Art), Dr. Shelley Scott (Theatre & Dramatic Arts), Dr. Anonymous Will Smith (New Media) all wrote books that were acknowledged at the recent U of L Book Award Celebration.

Dr. Josephine Mills (Art Gallery) wrote an essay entitled, "The answer is two years spent baking vulva-shaped cookies, or On Understanding Lesbian Representation," which appears in the catalogue for Toronto artist Allyson Mitchell's latest exhibition, Allyson Mitchell: Ladies Sasquatch. The catalogue has just been launched and Mitchell's exhibition is on tour across Canada and comes to the U of L Art Gallery, Sept. 18 – Oct. 30, 2009.

Dr. Rolf Boon's (Music) composition, Bike Ride, has been selected for publication in the Canadian National Conservatory of Music's Northern Lights Level 5B Musical Discoveries collection. This is the eighth of Rolf's works that CNCM has published.

Dr. David Renter (Music) recently recorded with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble in Saskatoon. The group recorded one of Renter's big band compositions called Kukai and he was the featured soloist on several other selections during the recording. The CD will be released later this year.

Dagmar Dahle (Art), Don Gill (Art), Mary Kavanagh (Art), and Tanya Harnett (Art) had exhibition publications recently released by the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

Dr. Josephine Mills (Director/Curator U of L art Gallery) has been accepted into the Getty Leadership Institute's museum program. The program is an intensive three weeks in Los Angeles during July in the Museum Leadership Institute 2009.

Richard Epp (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) acted in Theatre Calgary's recent production of An Ideal Husband, by Oscar Wilde.

Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) and Jean Harrowing (Health Sciences) have recently received an Award of Distinction from the Internationalizing the Teaching and Learning Practice program for their work with students in Malawi last summer. The award is presented by Advanced Education and Technology.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Music Department at Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, distinguished alumni are being invited back to perform. Dr. Blaine Hendsbee (Music) was the tenor soloist in a concert of Mozart's Requiem, Apr. 7, in Halifax. He also presented master's classes at Dalhousie during the week.

UNews - Lindsey Zess-Funk

The epic behind the Epic

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