UNews - Department of Drama

Unique research collaboration sees fine arts summer class support neuroscience project

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:33:57 +0000

Instead of preparing for the stage, students in drama instructor Dave Smith’s summer class are practicing for brain health research in an innovative research collaboration between the fine arts and the sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Smith’s course, Theatre for Scientific Purposes, is a hands-on class that has fine arts students writing, designing and executing structured scenes in support of Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand’s (neuroscience) research project.

Fine arts students run through a scene that will be viewed by study participants.

“What’s really cool about this class is we have students with all different focuses enrolled,” says Smith. “Some are designers/technicians, some are performers/directors but all of them are contributing to the project in every capacity. They come ready to work, and really show their dedication to the class, and more importantly, to the project.”

Ekstrand is studying how memories are formed and the processes used to retrieve memories in real-world environments. She received a $100,000 Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research grant in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to support her work.

“This collaboration is an exciting step into a new kind of research, one where science and storytelling come together, and where we study the brain not in isolation, but in the richness of real life,” says Ekstrand. “By working together, we’re making the science feel more grounded, more powerful, and more deeply connected to what it means to be human.”

The goal of Ekstrand’s work is to better understand the neural processes behind memory formation in both healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that frequently precedes dementia.

Study participants wear body cameras to capture scenes played by drama students in Smith’s course. Participants then recall the scenes while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine to compare brain activity during real-life experiences with passive viewing of the same scenes on a screen.

“If we really want to understand how people think, remember and connect, we need to move beyond the lab and into the kinds of everyday experiences that actually shape our lives,” says Ekstrand. “Working with the artists in this class has been a powerful reminder that human experience is more than what we can quantify. They bring emotional insight, nuance and a sense of narrative that challenges me to think differently about how we study memory and connection. For the students, I think it’s a rare opportunity to step into the world of science while using their creativity to create scenes that are both emotionally rich and scientifically rigorous.”

For multidisciplinary student Danica Sommer, contributing to leading-edge research and expanding the ways theatre can be utilized is something in which she feels lucky to contribute.

“This course has put me in a unique professional context that is both challenging and rewarding. Working as a team, being flexible and delivering results under a time crunch are experiences both theatre professionals and scientific researchers are familiar with.”

Smith adds that theatre and drama programs tend to be more cross-disciplinary than commonly thought.

“The number of students who leave our drama program and get jobs in all kinds of positions not just pertaining to theatre is remarkable,” he says. “Having courses like this help to articulate the need for creative minds to mix with analytical minds.”

Neuroscience student Zeth Stewart is bridging the educational gaps between art and science and bringing depth and meaning to the scientific method.

“We can’t forget that the arts are a fundamental part of life. This course brought those personal, lived experiences into the conversation in a meaningful way, while still grounding the discussion in the scientific method,” Stewart says. “As a student with a passion for both understanding human behaviour and theatrically expressing it, this class was a wonderful blend of empirical analysis and the subjective experience.”

“Collaborations like this spark the kind of innovation that just wouldn’t happen if we stayed in our separate lanes,” concludes Ekstrand. “It pushes us all, students and faculty alike, to get a little uncomfortable, take risks and discover new ways of thinking and creating.”

Once Ekstrand’s research has concluded, she anticipates sharing her results in scientific journals, presenting at research conferences and developing community resources to share with the public.

This research collaboration is an example of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Strategic Plan in action under the strategic direction to Challenge Boundaries and Inspire Curiosity. In teaching and learning, ULethbridge takes a liberal education approach that fosters valuable interdisciplinary exchanges, connections and discoveries.

This project has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Helping students thrive from day one, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ names Dr. Aaron Taylor Board of Governors Teaching Chair

trevor.kenney — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:14:08 +0000

Drama professor Dr. Aaron Taylor is advancing student success by developing resilience, executive functioning and essential skills like time management and communication in new and first-year students. His efforts have led to him being named the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 2025 Board of Governors Teaching Chair.

Known for his dynamic teaching style and commitment to critical dialogue, Taylor builds inclusive, collaborative learning environments that help students find success from the beginning of their academic journey.

The Board of Governors Teaching Chair recognizes teaching excellence and the scholarship of teaching and learning at ULethbridge. Taylor will be recognized at Spring 2025 Convocation, Ceremony III, on, May 30, 2025, at 9 a.m. in the Centre for Sport and Wellness gymnasium.

Dr. Aaron Taylor

Taking a nuanced approach to student growth and resiliency, Department of Drama Professor Dr. Aaron Taylor deeply understands the challenges faced by students and the need to support them beyond classroom learning. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and critically rigorous pedagogy, Taylor is ensuring students are prepared to excel in post-secondary environments and in their later careers from the moment they step foot on campus.

Taylor is a cinema and media studies scholar who focuses on screen acting, cognitive film theory and transmedia relations between film and comics. Since joining the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2007, Taylor has built a reputable pedagogy that distinguishes him as a standout professor and mentor. He received a Teaching Fellowship in 2017 and was recognized as a Tier 2 Board of Governors Research Chair in 2019, his teaching methods focused on creating an environment of critical conversation, openness and dialogue.

Lauded by students and peers for his dynamic and engaging teaching style, Taylor strives to facilitate learning through open environments and conversations where students feel comfortable sharing ideas and making thoughtful and well-reasoned judgments in their work. Taylor meticulously designs his courses to encourage collaboration and move students from routine memorization to truly understanding and transforming what they learn.

With a long history of making significant and meaningful contributions to the culture of teaching excellence, Taylor’s ability to appeal to a diverse range of students creates safe, positive and enjoyable learning experiences for many.

Taylor often serves as students’ first instructor in post-secondary education, frequently teaching large introductory courses. Through this role, he has gained insight into the challenges new students face and has identified a need to build resilience and executive function skills. In a post-secondary setting, resilience refers to the ability to adapt to and overcome academic and social setbacks.

Recognizing a lack of essential skills like time management, self-confidence and communication in new and first-year university students, Taylor aims to systematically cultivate resilience in first-year students to help them succeed and flourish. Inspired by the StartSmart program at ULethbridge, which identifies opportunities for growth and institutional assistance in first-year students, Taylor hopes to support students’ growth in demanding learning environments.

Taylor proposes to explore multiple strategies during his Board of Governors Teaching Chair project — from creating an interdisciplinary working group to identifying core executive function skills to integrate into foundational courses, to developing a post-secondary transition program that builds upon and synthesizes existing transitional programs at ULethbridge, such as the Indigenous Student Success Certificate, the Early Start Experience, StartSmart and the Global Citizenship Cohort.

Fine Arts researchers part of collaborative cross-country project awarded $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 17:08:47 +0000

A unique cross-country partnership between 10 Canadian post-secondary institutions involving three ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts researchers has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant of $2.5 million.

Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance, is a multi-institutional project that focuses on archival and oral histories of performance in Canada, emphasizing the ephemeral and immaterial nature of performance and its ability to enrich understandings of the myriad of cultures within Canada. The funding is over seven years.

Department of Drama researchers Drs. Gabrielle Houle and Justin Blum.

Department of Drama researchers Drs. Justin Blum and Gabrielle Houle are co-investigators on the project, while Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch is a collaborator. Davis-Fisch says the partnership allows for researchers to study the nuances and complexities of performance history and uncover the contributions of groups who have been left out of the conversation altogether.

“Because performance is an embodied practice, it often leaves few documents; often histories of performance exist in oral histories, objects and artifacts, and cultural practices,” says Davis-Fisch. “This is particularly the case for performances like dance, non-theatrical performances, and physical practices, and is exacerbated in the case of performances created and remembered by historically marginalized groups, such as Black, racialized and Indigenous communities, LGBTQ2S+ communities and people with disabilities.”

The project brings together researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria, Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Toronto Metropolitan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Sheridan College Institute of Technology, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto, Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Newfoundland and ULethbridge.

In addition to the academic researchers, the project also involves artists, galleries, libraries, archives, museums and community partners, through support from Canada’s Theatre Museum, Playwrights Canada Press and Dance Collection Danse.

Davis-Fisch says the partnership’s goals are threefold: promote access to archival performance history research, implement ethical practices in oral history collection and preservation and advance digital humanities scholarship to enhance public access to diverse performance histories.

“The impact of this grant will be significant for the Drama department and the Faculty of Fine Arts, not only for how it will support faculty researchers, but also for the opportunities it creates to involve graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students in research. The project will also support relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations and across disciplines within the university.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumni at heart of 2024/25 Mainstage Alumni Season lineup

trevor.kenney — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 17:02:54 +0000

With stories ranging from adaptations of classic tales to intense encounters, social satire and a cabaret, the 2024/25 Department of Drama alumni season promises an exciting lineup of mainstage theatre with extensive involvement from many ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumni. The alumni season is organized around a celebration of Faculty of Fine Arts alumni, bringing playwrights, designers, directors, performers and more back to the ULethbridge campus.

Kicking off the 2024/25 Mainstage Alumni Season in October 2024 will be alterNatives, a hilarious and provocative social satire penned by Indigenous playwright and author Drew Hayden Taylor. Stepping back into the director’s role is Na'tayao'tako (Holy Walking Around the Encampment), Marshall Vielle (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’17), who co-wrote and co-directed the historic production of Yisstsiiyi as part of last year’s mainstage season.

Marshall Vielle (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’17) will return to direct alterNatives.

“It's a gift to be included as a director in the alumni season,” says Vielle. “If I've learned anything about directing, it's that being the primary interpreter of the text at hand is equally terrifying, as it is thrilling. Moreover, I'm really excited to see more Indigenous stories being shared at ULethbridge and I hope these kinds of plays continue to be invested in.”

alterNatives centres around three couples gathered for a dinner party at a contemporary upscale apartment in Toronto, where cultural differences are explored over a menu of moose roast and vegetarian lasagna. Drama instructor Dave Smith is slated to design the set and lights, while Jolane Houle (BFA - Dramatic Arts '12) is returning to design costumes, after designing for the 2023 production of Yisstsiiyi.

The second show in the Alumni Season will be In Tongues, written by James Odin Wade (BFA - Multidisciplinary ’11). Originally slated to be performed in March 2020, the play is brought back to ULethbridge following its cancellation due to the pandemic. Directed by Anastasia Siceac (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’20) and featuring alumni designing costumes (Amanda Epp, BFA - Multidisciplinary ’20) and sound (Kelly Roberts, BFA - Drama Performance '91), In Tongues is set in a remote cabin in British Columbia and showcases an intense encounter with the mind of a serial killer.

James Odin Wade (BFA - Multidisciplinary ’11) wrote the production of In Tongues.

“I'm delighted to have In Tongues as part of the 2024/25 season,” says Odin Wade of the play that will run in November 2024. “ULethbridge is where I first encountered some of my favourite plays, discovered a love of playwriting and even workshopped the initial drafts of this play with the students of the New Play Workshop in 2018. Bringing this play to this stage is a remarkable full-circle moment for me.”

In the new year, the Department of Drama will present Paradise Lost by Erin Shields, winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award. A contemporary feminist adaptation of the classic English poem by John Milton from 1667, the show will be directed by Jamie Dunsdon (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’06) and will feature costumes by Emmy-nominated designer Rebecca Toon (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’06). This production, premiering in February 2025, will feature a large cast of actors, with lighting and set design guided by MFA student Lucy Du and drama faculty member Julia Wasilewski (BA '05, BFA - Multidisciplinary '07).

Jamie Dunsdon (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’06) will return to campus to direct Paradise Lost.

“I'm so excited to be returning to my old stomping grounds to direct Paradise Lost this coming season alongside fellow alumna Rebecca Toon (who will be designing the costumes for this gorgeous piece),” says Dunsdon. “ULethbridge is where I found my passion and where I began to build my skills as a director, so it will be a genuine delight to return a couple decades later to bring this piece to life with the next generation of artists. I owe so much to the professors and staff at ULethbridge, and I hope I can pay it forward to the students who will build Paradise Lost with me."

The alumni season will conclude in March 2025 with a cabaret curated by faculty member Mia van Leeuwen. This production, taking place in the David Spinks Theatre, will feature a variety of performances by current students, guest appearances by drama alumni and design support from student designers and drama instructors Dave Smith and Lee Burckes.

Chair of the drama department, Deric Olsen (BFA - Multimedia ’03), says this unique slate of productions will showcase the diverse talents of drama graduates and highlight the variety of skills and talents that can be gained from the dramatic arts degree program.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our students to connect with and learn from some of the incredible alumni from the Department of Drama,” says Olsen. “I see this season as a celebration of our alumni and as a valuable way for a new generation of students to work side-by-side with truly excellent theatre professionals and, through those experiences, be inspired and be better able to imagine those opportunities and career trajectories for themselves.”

In addition to featuring Faculty of Fine Arts alumni, the 2024/25 Mainstage Alumni Season will result in many experiential learning opportunities for current students, including roles for stage managers, sound designers and assistant designers, as drama graduates will share their experience and expertise through the creative process.

The Faculty of Fine Arts is pleased to announce Chancellor Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) as the Season Patron of the 2024/25 Mainstage Alumni Season and thanks him for his generous support of theatre at ULethbridge. Tickets for mainstage productions will go on sale in September 2024.

Alumna Lindsey Kapitzke helps The Last of Us characters dress the part

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 16:11:54 +0000

The television adaptation of The Last of Us is proving to be a worldwide hit and, for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumna Lindsey Kapitzke (BFA - Dramatic Arts ’15), being able to be part of the production crew marked a major career milestone.

Lindsey Kapitzke was one of many alumni who had a hand in the making of The Last of Us.

Touted as the largest television production in Canadian history, it’s estimated The Last of Us will generate more than $200 million in revenue for the province of Alberta. The sheer scale of the production, which was shot entirely in Alberta, created thousands of jobs for Alberta film and stage crews — including Kapitzke, who has been working in the film industry since 2019.

“It's so surreal working on the production and just how big it was. Then seeing the reception of the show and how big a hit it actually is, is so strange,” she says.

Local viewers have recognized many iconic Alberta landmarks featured in the show, including the Alberta Legislature Building, Calgary’s 4th avenue flyover and the iconic Lethbridge Viaduct. Kapitzke’s role in the production was as a costume buyer — something she describes as “shopping as a job.” Her work involved sourcing costume materials and working with costume designers to bring their vision to life.

“The costume designer paints what the character is going to look like. My job, as the buyer, is to meet with our designer and build the palette they're going to use to paint the show,” she says. “Thankfully, because the creators of the game (on which the show was based) were so heavily involved in the production, we had access to all their concept art. So, that was very valuable for us.”

Kapitzke, who works out of Calgary, says she bought as much clothing as she could locally and worked with a team in Vancouver to source everything else.

“I always joke that it was my dream job – HBO gave me a credit card and let me loose in the malls in Calgary. Growing up, I loved shopping, and my dad was always like, that's not a job. Now, he's just so proud of the work I've done,” she says. “I bought Nick Offerman Ugg boots, which was a very weird thing!”

Kapitzke completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at ULethbridge, majoring in technical theatre and design. In addition to working as a costume buyer, Kapitzke has worked in dance and theatre settings in Calgary, putting her training in design to use as a cutter. In 2017, she assisted with the Calgary Stampede’s Grandstand show in honour of Canada’s 150th celebrations, where she connected with singer/television personality Jann Arden over costume designs.

“On the first season of her show Jann, she wears a dress I made for Stampede, which was my first time seeing anything I’d made on television. That was really surreal.”

Kapitzke says the Alberta film industry is booming and since working in that field since 2019, she’s had numerous exciting opportunities to utilize her talents.

“The industry is massive and I'm really happy that it's blown up so big,” she says. “I want the film industry in Alberta to grow because it is such a wonderful industry. Film is always so beneficial and I’m happy that it’s getting the support it needs.”

Another benefit to working in Alberta is continuing to work with many of the friends she made while a student. Establishing those connections and learning from industry experts highlighted her time at ULethbridge and she was one of many alumni who had a hand in the making of The Last of Us.

“ULethbridge drama graduates are really a different calibre,” she says. “Having worked in this industry for a number of years now, our grads just know how to do stuff and get stuff done. I feel like they’re set up with such a good mindset and toolbox to start making their career what they want.”

For more, check out this feature story.

Department of Drama presenting 4.48 Psychosis to remote audiences

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 15:55:30 +0000

For many, the past year has been a contemplative time to reflect on our place in the world. In that respect, there is no better opportunity to present a theatrical production that offers a deeply personal journey through the mind.

A collaborative, open and organic work, 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane is presented online to remote audiences, March 17–20 at 7:30 p.m. nightly, via Zoom.

Co-directors and drama department faculty, Mia van Leeuwen and Jay Whitehead, have worked collaboratively with their students to devise a piece that is deeply creative and introspective but also responsible and adhering to all guidelines and protocols to keep cast and crew safe during the pandemic.

“The work is very abstract in form and style,” says van Leeuwen. “We were able to keep the cast separated physically, ensuring we were following all restrictions and protocols, but not sacrificing the artistic or creative process.”

Relevant and timely, 4.48 Psychosis weaves a narrative running through the main character’s head at 4:48 in the morning.

“The play was written over 20 years ago, but the themes are very applicable to what we’ve experienced throughout the pandemic,” says Whitehead. “It is a very dark piece; a reflection of mental health and self-harm, but it is not without hope.”

“Morning does come,” says van Leeuwen. “This play has been described as a work that roars at life as it gazes with death, and in that sense, both the story and the themes are very alive!”

Producing a play during a global pandemic poses ongoing challenges, but van Leeuwen and Whitehead are thrilled to present this production, albeit to remote audiences via Zoom. With set, costumes and sound designed by David Smith, and lighting by Lee Burckes, 4.48 Psychosis proves to be a visual spectacle not to be missed.

Tickets are $10 per pass and available through ulethbridge.ca/tickets. Inquiries can be emailed to boxoffice@uleth.ca, Monday–Friday, 12:30–3:30 p.m.

Mainstage season opens with virtual performance of Identuality

trevor.kenney — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 21:22:28 +0000

The stage may have changed, but the talents remain the same! The Department of Drama is rising to the challenge of presenting its first Mainstage production of the 2020-2021 season online, for a live performance that is not to be missed.

Identuality, a devised work, directed by Jay Whitehead, is an honest, truthful and passionate theatre experience presented November 17 – 21, at 7:30 p.m. nightly.

“The process has been emotional, and the students have been incredibly courageous,” says Whitehead. “The topics we present, surrounding identity and sexuality, are topics that I am passionate about and are very relevant to the students in the cast.”

The Identuality cast is ready for a brand new theatrical experience.

The work, which includes dance, monologues and movement pieces, is visceral and vulnerable, where the cast, in their own spaces off-campus, present creative work surrounding topics that are personally meaningful and impactful.

“They are figuring out who they are,” says Whitehead. “They are removing their masks and revealing who they truly are as individuals.”

Presenting through an online platform is not without its challenges.

“The relationships between performers and audience is certainly lost,” Whitehead says. “We ask if this presentation is actually theatre since this feels so very isolating and we can’t receive the reactions and responses from a live audience as we do in person.”

Despite the challenges, the experience of creatively presenting work such as this has its advantages, such as extending a reach to an even wider audience and developing work for a new platform.

“We are excited to present this work and to embrace this new stage,” says Whitehead.

Tickets for Identuality are currently on sale online only at ulethbridge.ca/tickets. Tickets are $10 per pass with VISA or Mastercard. Patrons are encouraged to watch the production on a desktop or laptop – viewing experiences for Identuality are not recommended on tablets or smartphones.

Questions regarding ticket purchases or passes may be sent to boxoffice@uleth.ca Monday – Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Student excellence celebrated through 2020 Play Right Prize awards

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:54:10 +0000

The future of play writing in Canada continues to flourish as three new budding playwrights are announced as the 2020 uLethbridge Play Right Prize recipients.

Play Right prize winners from left to right include Quinn Larder, Paul Vanhoutteghem and Jake Rose.

Since 2007, alumnus Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) has supported ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students with an interest in playwriting through the Play Right Prize awards, a total of $2,500 in scholarships and a public reading of the winning play. This year’s first prize author, and winner of $1,500, is second-year drama student Quinn Larder for his play The Murder. The play creates a refreshingly off-kilter theatrical world that cleverly asks us to question who and what a person is, and how and why we value things. The jury was particularly impressed by the creative use of language and how the characters, while skewed in intriguing ways, still have satisfying dramatic journeys.

Second place, and $750, goes to Paul Vanhoutteghem for his play Askopos. Channeling the finely wrought tedium of Theatre of the Absurd, this clever play stages the eternal punishments of the classical Greek Underworld. The jury appreciated its intellectual sophistication.

Third place, and $250, will be awarded to Jake Rose for his play Vargamor in which three characters at the edge of their known world struggle with the sins of their past, finally coming face to face with them. The play is rich with imagery and stark dialogue, leaving the reader to sift through the subtext to discover who these people are. The jury commented that it was well-crafted and imaginative, a story of hope that is both dark and light. This makes Rose a two-time Play Right Prize recipient, having placed third in 2018 for his play Glorious Clockwork.

Coordinated by drama faculty member Mia van Leeuwen, this year’s jury was made up of Justin Blum (drama), Heather Ladd (English) and Trevor Rueger, executive director of the Alberta Playwright’s Network.

"This is my first year co-ordinating the Play Right Prize submissions and I was thrilled to see how many students got involved,” exclaims van Leeuwen. “This is a great opportunity to spark and support emerging talent; the drama department is thankful to Terry Whitehead and his continued support."

Over the past 13 years, 35 uLethbridge students have received financial support through the Play Right Prize, with many recipients going on to successful careers in playwriting and theatre production. James Odin Wade (BFA Multidisciplinary ’11), a two-time Play Right Prize recipient in 2010 and 2011 has gone on to win awards in Canada and the U.S. His play In Tongues premieres on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage Mar. 17-21.

Audiences will have the first chance to hear Larder’s winning play The Murder at the Play Right Prize Gala & Cabaret on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 5 p.m. in the David Spinks Theatre. The event is free to attend, open to the public, and will include the play reading as well as cabaret-style performances by graduating students and faculty.

Crossing Boundaries Symposium now in its fourth year

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:49:41 +0000

The fourth annual Crossing Boundaries Symposium, presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Fine Arts, brings together interdisciplinary members of the community, faculty, students and alumni to engage in a full day of presentations, discussions, displays and performances.

Brad Parker listens to the Aeolian Harp he built with music student Jess Tollestrup.

“Crossing Boundaries invites our community to experience the collaborations, creative activities and research across multiple disciplines,” says Dr. Mary Ingraham, Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts of the Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 event. “It is about discovering and celebrating those cross-collaborative intersections and synergies and finding inspiration to explore new areas of thought and research in the fine arts and across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.”

The theme for Crossing Boundaries 2019, Languages | Landscapes | Algorithms, is established with the keynote presentation by Leanne Elias (new media) entitled, Visualizing Agriculture, at 9 a.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall. Elias’s talk includes the premiere of the documentary of the same name, co-directed by Bryn Hewko (MFA '16) and his company Output Media, which revolves around the creative works and artist exhibition derived from agricultural data developed by Dr. Jaime Larson and Dr. Andre Laroche of the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Visualizing Agriculture considers the counterpoints of art meeting science and investigates the effect of intensive collaboration. Discover how artists can use the scientific process to guide their art, and how scientists can use artistic ways of knowing to approach their data in new ways.

Jess Tollestrup works on the Aeolian Harp, on display at Crossing Boundaries.

Following Elias’s keynote presentation, MFA candidate Michelle Sylvestre will speak on her research, Physicalizing Control, Disruption and the Body, which examines the parallels and differences in contemporary pharma and contemporary technology in relation to control of the body. PhD candidate Migueltzinta Solis will then present on LandMarks: Site-Based Arts Pedagogy in Treaty 7 Territory. At 10:40 a.m., Department of Psychology faculty member, Dr. Javid Sadr, and Department of Drama faculty members, Dr. Aaron Taylor and Douglas MacArthur cap off the morning programme, discussing projects developing from the Screen Acting and Embodied Recognition Research Group.

Registrants are invited to observe and interact with student research displays and installations from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., located in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Atrium and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Hess Gallery.

This year’s Crossing Boundaries Symposium is scheduled during the U of L Open House, which welcomes prospective students and their families to campus.

“Coordinating the symposium during this event gives future students the opportunity to see a sampling of the fascinating research opportunities and collaborative activities on our campus,” says Ingraham. “It allows these students to experience the types of work and study they will engage in and provides great interaction with many of the faculty who will also be in attendance at the symposium.”

Afternoon sessions include Dr. Amandine Pras’s (music) presentation focussing on compositional and improvisational tools used by studio technicians as part of her research in the recording studios in war-torn Bamako, Mali. Continuing on the theme of sound, language and landscape, a talk by MA candidate Tyler Stewart examines the role sound has played as a political instrument to silence dissenting groups and individuals, and in turn, how language and sound is used to resist and rise against such powers.

A panel discussion, Objects Dream comprised of Fine Arts faculty members, Dr. Dana Cooley (new media), Denton Fredrickson (art), Mia van Leeuwen (drama), and Dr. D. Andrew Stewart (music), rounds out the afternoon’s sessions. This discussion explores the relationships and interactions of material objects, and their associations as a link across artistic disciplines.

This year’s Crossing Boundaries Symposium showcases an evening finale of works by Dr. Arlan Schultz (music), Dr. Daniela Sirbu (new media) and a collaborative presentation by Bryn Hewko (new media), Dr. D. Andrew Stewart (music) and Jordan Berg. Schultz’s live demonstration highlights how new algorithms for real-time immersive audio can be used to enhance and augment real-time acoustic performances. Sirbu’s presentation incorporates algorithmic animation demonstrated through samples of live animation developed in interaction with an artificial life system. Hewko, Stewart and Berg’s collaborative performance, Crawlspace, combines film with live digital coding. Audience members are invited to use their own personal tablets to create their own viewing experience, with one lucky audience member outfitted with the Oculus Rift for a full virtual reality experience. This showcase begins at 5 p.m. in W420 (Centre for the Arts), preceded by a reception and cash bar at 4:30 p.m.

Registration for Crossing Boundaries is open to all, with early bird pricing active until October 20, 2019.

Visit the Crossing Boundaries webpage for the schedule of events and updated information as it arises.

Shepard classic, A Lie of the Mind, opens Mainstage Season

trevor.kenney — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 22:19:11 +0000

The anguish and horror of a callous act of domestic violence propels the first act of Sam Shepard’s gritty classic, A Lie of the Mind.

Jake Rose and Daylin Chase in A Lie of the Mind.

Directed by Department of Drama faculty, Douglas MacArthur, the first production of the 2019-2020 Mainstage Season presents a quintessential American classic touching on themes of family, relationships, mental health and abuse. Shepard’s play transports audiences from Montana to California, where a family in turmoil reconciles and realizes their relationships and exposes their faults.

“This play revolves around the lost male characters – their flaws, relationships and resolve,” says MacArthur. “The audience sees their depth and their failings through Shepard’s unique and poetic playwriting style. It is truly great theatre.”

Touching and moving, yet darkly comedic, A Lie of the Mind has captivated audiences since its debut in 1985. MacArthur lauds its longevity and importance in American theatre to its themes, depth and relevance.

“This play digs at the roots of an American family, and tells the story of people who live their lives on the fringes of society. Despite its exploration around serious and frightening themes, the characters remain relatable and human, and there is a glimmer of hope in the end,” explains MacArthur.

With set designed by drama faculty, Julia Wasilewski, lighting by Lee Burckes, and costumes by Kenya Gimson, the nostalgia of 1980s middle America is captured on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage. Performances run October 8 – 12 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at the U of L Box Office, Monday – Friday (12:30 – 3:30 p.m.), by calling 403-329-2616 or online uLethbridge.ca/tickets. Tickets are $18 regular, $13 senior and alumni and $12 students. Themes are mature with strong language.

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