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Searing drama examines indifference to HIV crisis in early 1980s

trevor.kenney — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 20:21:15 +0000

How far does someone need to be pushed to make a change?

The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer takes on this challenging topic, and many others. A searing drama around the public and private indifference to the AIDS epidemic in New York City in the early 1980s and one man’s impassioned fight to inspire meaningful change, The Normal Heart plays on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage Oct. 15-19 at 8 p.m. nightly.

From left, actors Mike Rolfe, Cameron Lomon, Jay Whitehead and Colin Dingwall perform a scene from The Normal Heart.

“Larry Kramer, an important gay activist who led the fight to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic in the gay community, wrote this play in 1985,” says Roger Schultz, director. “The work is largely an autobiographical, thinly-veiled account of that movement.”

Hailed by the Royal National Theatre as one of the 100 greatest plays of the 20th century, The Normal Heart tells the story of writer and gay activist, Ned Weeks, who forms an organization to raise awareness and take on an apathetic government and indifferent society as an unknown disease kills hundreds of gay men in New York City.

“The topics of the play are much bigger than just the HIV crisis,” adds Schultz. “It takes on the indifference and apathy in society in general. It asks, what does it take for someone on the street to be impassioned enough to stand up for a cause and make meaningful change?”

Challenging and relentless, the topics explored in The Normal Heart still resonate today.

“I’ve never worked on a piece of theatre so politically charged like this before. The Normal Heart is so full of heart and passion, and its impact is great because it is also true. Although it was a fascinating time in history, the fight still carries on today,” says Schultz.

Tickets for The Normal Heart, priced at $18 regular, $13 senior/alumni, $12 students, are available at the U of L Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616). Join the cast and crew for a talkback following the Oct. 17 performance. This performance features mature content.

Pianos as you've never heard, or seen, before

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:03:42 +0000

Hear two pianists, with very different backgrounds and styles, coming together on two grand pianos integrated with electronics and computers - a chance to see each pianist shine and to see the synergy of live collaboration.

Aaron Collier will perform a set of piano improvisations utilizing live sampling, looping and layering techniques with a computer. Jesse Plessis will play a handful of modern works, some with computer, by electronic-music pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of Canada's greatest composers, Ann Southam, the young American, Nico Muhly, and one robot-inspired work by Radiohead. The duo appear in Two Pianos + Computers, Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium.

Two Pianos + Computers promises to be one of the more unique musical offerings to hit the stage this year.

The duo will wrap up this unique evening with what they describe as a “turbo-rad collaborative piece”.

Aaron Collier

Aaron Collier may be known as one of Atlantic Canada’s most consistently innovative keyboardists, but the Prince Edward Island native is most recently calling Lethbridge home. Collier studied the piano privately in Prince Edward Island until his graduating year of high school before embarking on 14 years of national and international touring and recording with various rock, pop and jazz artists.

In 2001, Collier became the keyboardist for international touring and recording artists The Jimmy Swift Band. In the following decade the group released four studio albums and two live recordings. In 2006, Collier along with JSB frontman Craig Mercer created the “looping madness duo” Scientists of Sound, a theatrical and high-energy electro project which continues to create intense live shows for eager audiences worldwide.

In 2008, Collier released his first full-length album of electronic music, Love, and in September 2010 he released the improvised piano+computer recording Neo.

Collier is an award-winning sound designer in theatre and recent credits include the world-premiere of Daniel MacIvor’s I Animal at the Supernova and Summerworks festivals in Halifax and Toronto, as well as Jay Whitehead and Daniel Judes’ UNSEX’d in Lethbridge, Dublin, and Halifax. He is presently creating a new show called The Myth of Canada under his alter-ego Chandelier, and is workshopping the work as one of CASA’s inaugural resident artists in November.

www.aaroncollier.ca

Jesse Plessis

Pianist and composer Jesse Plessis recently obtained a Master of Music degree (Performance and Literature) from Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ where he studied piano with Megumi Masaki and composition with Patrick Carrabre. His Bachelor of Music degree is from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge where he studied piano with Deanna Oye and composition with Dr. Arlan Schultz and Dr. Rolf Boon.

Plessis has been awarded prizes both in piano and composition. His own works have been broadcast on CBC, and he has performed as a guest artist with several ensembles including the Musaeus String Quartet, the Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, and the International Piano Ensemble. He was recently one of 12 pianists admitted to the London Masterclasses, a program held each July at the Royal College of Music.

He has had the opportunity to give the Canadian premieres of works by Marcel Bergmann, Kaija Saariaho, John Corigliano, Nico Muhly, and Kjartan Olafsson. Recent performances include those with New West Theatre, at the Casalmaggiore Festival in Italy, the Dark Music Days Festival in Iceland and at the Banff Centre.

Plessis is also one half of the Hansen-Plessis Piano Duo (alongside Bente Hansen, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge) which explores the possibilities of popular music in the concert hall alongside the classical repertoire.

A sometime conductor, Plessis has directed performances with the Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ New Music Ensemble (BUNME), the Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Orchestra and several musical theatre productions.

Tickets to Two Pianos + Computers are available by calling the Box Office at 403-329-2616 or online at www.uleth.ca/tickets.

Disaster, chaos and discovery

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:16:30 +0000

Virus plagues city, thousands quarantined, food shortages expected . . . When disaster strikes and chaos spreads, the lines of society may be redrawn, flipped upside down, or erased all together. Down From Heaven by Colleen Wagner explores the power struggles and relationships that either grow or break when the world changes for the worse.

The first production in this year’s TheatreXtra’s season, Down From Heaven plays Sept. 26-28 at 8 p.m. nightly, with a 2 p.m. matinée on Sept. 28 in the David Spinks Theatre. This deeply introspective drama is sure to provoke and entice audiences.

Down From Heaven plays Sept. 26-28 in the David Spinks Theatre.

Directed by third-year BFA Dramatic arts major Erinn Watson, this is a play she envisioned being a part of since reading it during her course work.

“There’s a moment in the script where two characters are talking to each other through a metal grate, and I could see it so clearly, I knew I wanted to direct it and so proposed it for TheatreXtra’s season,” says Watson.

Inspired by the SARS outbreak in 2003, Canadian playwright Colleen Wagner’s play revolves around a small fictional family, trapped in its basement due to an international virus outbreak.

Without access to information or food, beyond what their gardener-turned-secret policeman is willing to provide them, the family struggles to survive. The play has mature content.

“The events that occur in the play could happen tomorrow, next week or a year from now,” muses Watson. “Disaster will strike someday and this play strikes at what I think a lot of us fear greatly: having no control over our own situation, and being forced to rely on someone we are not sure we can trust.”

Tickets for TheatreXtra’s first production of the season are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (open Monday to Friday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616).

Individual tickets are priced at $12 regular admission, $10 seniors/alumni and $8 students.

Estuary features big set, big issues

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:05:20 +0000

An estuary is a body of water where a river's current meets and mixes with the sea. For acclaimed playwright and drama professor, Ron Chambers, his latest work, Estuary, features a troupe of colourful characters' lives that mixes, turns upside down and ultimately joins beneath the roof of a fantastic frat house. Playing Mar. 19-23 at 8 p.m. nightly on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage, Estuary bends the rules of reality and captures the imaginations of its audiences.

Within the walls of an old Victorian house, a series of individual stories stretch the boundaries between reality and the dream world.

"This play is about defining reality," says Chambers. "The characters interact in a setting where there is no fixed reality, where there are questions about what is real or what is imaginary."

Set designer and U of L alumnus Roger Schultz (BFA '89) created an immense set to capture the essence of the play's themes.

"Estuary deals with a big idea, and the size of the set supports that," says Schultz.

Estuary plays Mar. 19-23 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre.

A fully-fashioned two-story Victorian house has been constructed for the production where the complex relationships of the characters play out.

"I took my cues from the premise of the script, blending reality and dreams, containing elements that are fragmented or odd," he says.

For 20 years, Chambers has taught playwriting in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts. Seven of his plays have been professionally produced across Canada, the United States and in Hong Kong. He has won the Alberta Culture Playwriting Award, the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award (Writer's Guild of Alberta) and has been nominated for both the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award and Betty Mitchell Award for best new play.

As both playwright and director for Estuary, Chambers has appreciated the flexibilities of bringing the script to life onstage.

"I wrote Estuary as a big play, with a big cast and a big set," explains Chambers. "Often, the plays I write must be restricted to a limited cast size and to accommodate small sets, but this play is an exception. I also wrote this for students, to allow them to be themselves and play characters that are their ages, dealing with subject matter relevant to their own lives."

Tickets for this final production of the Mainstage Theatre season are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616). Individual tickets are priced at $15 regular, $10 seniors and students. Regular tickets are also available online, www.uleth.ca/tickets.

Bringing alive the world of Fantastica

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:33:02 +0000

The world of Fantastica is doomed and on the brink of being enveloped by the Nothingness! Atreyu, a young hero in Fantastica, and Bastien, a boy in the real world, must stop the darkness from taking hold by saving the Childlike Empress.

The adventures of these boys and a company of wondrous characters play out on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage, Feb. 12-16 at 7 p.m. nightly. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende and adapted by David. S. Craig is perfect for anyone who has read a book so good they did not want it to end.

Director Andrew Legg mimics the emotion of one of the many puppet figures that will be used in the stage production.

Creating the magical world of Fantastica for the stage is no small task. From the creepy crawly characters in the form of imaginative puppets, to a set that transforms between Fantastica and the real world, audiences of all ages are in for a spellbinding experience.

Set Designer, Vicki Moser (BA '12) explains the delicate balance of creating a set that easily shifts between the real world and Fantastica.

"Part of the director's concept is to have everything in the imaginary world of Fantastica linked to something we have seen in the real world that Bastian inhabits," she says. "Our set incorporates pieces we have in the real world that transform into something else in Fantastica – everything shifts and morphs and moves, literally, as Bastian's imagination comes to life on stage."

Director Andrew Legg (MFA candidate) chose to direct The Neverending Story as part of the requirements for his MFA degree because the movie had such an impact on him as a child.

"It's a story for all ages, because I think we all identify and cheer for the underdog. I remember watching the film and immediately connecting with both Atreyu and Bastien," says Legg. "The Neverending Story is a great hero's adventure, with wonderfully fantastic characters. I'm thrilled to see it all come to life on stage."

Recommended for ages 10 and up, tickets for The Neverending Story are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office, Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616. Individual tickets are priced at $15 regular, $10 seniors/students and children. Regular tickets are also available online at www.uleth.ca/tickets.

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Family dysfunction hits a whole new level

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:00:22 +0000

A chill is in the air!

King Henry II and his family congregate for an even chillier Christmas celebration in James Goldman's The Lion in Winter, playing Nov. 20-24, 8 p.m. nightly on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage.

Set in the stark hollows of Castle Chinon in 1183, the dramatic tensions between members of King Henry II's family take centre stage in this historic play. The company includes Henry's quarreling and conniving sons, intent to claim the throne; his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, allowed a reprieve from her 10-year imprisonment to join the festivities; and Henry's young mistress, Alias, who is also betrothed to his son Richard.

As the party commences, the scandals of this dysfunctional dynasty explode, revealing shocking truths of betrayal, deceit and treachery.

And you thought your family had interesting Christmas get-togethers.

"This is a very complex script that explores the dynamics and dysfunction of families throughout history," says guest director Philip Adams. "It's about power and land and the successors to that land. We, the audience, can marvel at the dexterity of the noble family."

"Despite the lies and treachery of this dysfunctional family, there is still humour," Adams adds. "Families are funny and this script exposes that humour in very clever ways."

With a grand set, designed by Jim Wills, and period costumes designed by Leslie Robison-Greene, the production transports audiences to a medieval era of stone, wood, leather and furs.

"The production is very well crafted, and it's been a pleasure to be a part of this collaborative project," says Adams, who won Saskatoon's Best Director Award in 2012.

A bit of a nomad, he has served as the artistic director of Nakai Theatre in the Yukon and Mulgrave Road Theatre in Nova Scotia, and also directed productions across the country.

Tickets for The Lion in Winter are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (403-329-2616), Monday through Friday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $15 regular, $10 seniors/students. Regular tickets are also available online, www.uleth.ca/tickets.

This story first appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the full issue online, follow this link.

The Madonna Painter a challenge for small cast

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:58:50 +0000

Religion, sexuality, death and secrets all collide in the small parish of Lac St-Jean, Quebec when The Madonna Painter or the Birth of a Painting by Governor General Award winning playwright Michel Marc Bouchard unravels its tantalizing tale. Playing Mar. 20-24 at 8 p.m. nightly in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre, The Madonna Painter beautifully caps off a captivating Mainstage season.

"It is a collision of ecstasies, a bouquet of lies disguised as a fable," wrote Bouchard. "The Madonna Painter or The Birth of a Painting is writ in scarlet pigments, in holy wine and haemoglobin, all the shades of red that flow though us, from our sex to our souls."

Conveying the poetic essence of the script and capturing its poignant imagery is the challenge confronting MFA candidate and director, Sean Guist.

The Madonna Painter plays nightly at 8 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre.

"The play takes place in 1918 in rural Quebec, and I did a lot of historical research, which included a trip to Quebec, to understand the period and its religious influences," Guist says. "The play is loosely based on events that happened in Bouchard's home town when he was young, and he wrote the play many years later while living in Florence, Italy. When he returned to Canada, after the play received critical acclaim abroad, he rewrote and translated the play a couple of times. The translation by Linda Gaboriau is the version we are using."

The story begins as World War I is ending and the Spanish flu is taking hold. A young priest, having recently arrived in the small parish, commissions a wandering Italian painter to create a fresco dedicated to the Virgin Mary to ward off the oncoming plague. As he chooses his model between four local virgins – all named Mary – the Madonna painter changes the fate of the entire community.

"Our cast is small, only seven characters," Guist explains. "Every character in the play has their own journey and their own beauty to discover. In turn, each actor has to go on that journey too; to discover their own beauty."

"The audience will experience great contemporary Canadian theatre that comes to life on a stunning set designed by faculty member and alumnus Roger Schultz (BFA '89), with costumes designed by Leslie Robison-Greene. Bouchard said he wanted the audience to leave with one element from the play: an image, a character, a line or a moment. I know this play both provokes and entertains – it's very beautiful, like a great work of art," says Guist.

Tickets for The Madonna Painter are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office, Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets are $15 regular, $10 for seniors and students.

This story first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Shakespeare's best on stage

trevor.kenney — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:04:22 +0000

Hamlet is the culmination of Shakespeare's profound genius at the height of his career as a playwright. It is synonymous with the classic conception of theatre; from its unforgettable imagery to its moving poetry and poignant plot.

Hamlet takes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage Feb. 14-18 with performances at 8 p.m. nightly.

Directed by Brian Parkinson, Hamlet is a production that requires tremendous resources, research and creative consideration.

Shakespeare's Hamlet, under the direction of Brian Parkinson, plays Feb. 14-18 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre.

"Hamlet is the pinnacle production in a director's career; it's the kind of play on every director's bucket list. It is the ultimate directing challenge because it is comprised of so many layers," says Parkinson.

Revenge, deception, incest, love and murder are some of the themes knitted throughout Shakespeare's script. It is also the longest of Shakespeare's works, and as such, poses numerous challenges for directors and actors.

"There isn't a single production of Hamlet that has the same script," Parkinson says. "Director's change and cut components of it, making bold choices to keep audiences riveted. In preparation, I worked for many months on the version we are using – a combination of all three editions – First Quarto, Second Quarto and First Folio. I'm confident we have a script that will engage our audience."

His father murdered and his mother remarried to the uncle he suspects of the killing, Hamlet's world has been turned upside down and into uncertainty.

Struggling to understand how this world and his mother are able to move on, Hamlet, tormented with loathing and consumed with grief, plans to avenge his father's death.
MFA candidate David Barrus designed the world in which Hamlet's tragedy unfolds.

"Barrus has created a superb setting that can infer multiple places," says Parkinson. "Our interpretation is modern; from the costumes designed by Leslie Robison-Greene to the modern weaponry, but it all exists on a very neutral stage. We've transported Hamlet's origins from ancient Denmark to an interpretation of a royal family of today.

"What interests me is framing the play in a contemporary context, so that it is relevant and understandable to the audience."

Tickets are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office, Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets are $15 regular, $10 for seniors and students.

Possible worlds a fantastic ride

trevor.kenney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:29:13 +0000

Part murder mystery, part science fiction and part mathematical theory, TheatreXtra's presentation of Possible Worlds by Canadian author, playwright and mathematician, John Mighton, takes audiences on a trip through space and time.

Playing nightly at 8 p.m. in the David Spinks Theatre from Jan. 26-28 (with a 2 p.m. matinee Jan. 28), Possible Worlds is an original story presented in a very unique way.

First-time director and third-year drama major Ryan Reese was attracted to the creative concepts and unusual storytelling found within the play.

"Mighton has a PhD in mathematics from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto and the play is what I call math noir. It's based on a mathematical theory and explores that theory. The noir is the mystery!" says Reese. "There's truly something for everyone in this play. The story is very compelling and touches on so many elements."

A man, traveling through space and time, tries to do the right thing for the woman he loves, while two detectives attempt to solve a gruesome murder case.

"There's a lot going on in this play, with parallel narratives and alternate worlds. The cast loves the script as much as I do, and it's been exciting to put what's in my head, on the stage," he says.

Tickets for this suspenseful and thought-provoking drama are on sale at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office beginning Jan. 9, Monday to Friday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets are priced at $11 regular, $7 for students and seniors.

New Orford a unique treat

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:27:08 +0000

"Ravishing beautiful tone" and "extraordinary technical skills and musicianship" are just a few of the accolades critics heap on the New Orford String Quartet. Brilliant and refined, the New Orford String Quartet has risen to national acclaim with sold out concerts across the country and Lethbridge audiences have their opportunity to hear the group on Saturday, Dec. 3 in a special 2 p.m. matinee performance.

The ensemble, which was formed in 2009, is comprised by either former or current principal members of the Montreal and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, including Jonathan Crow (violin), Andrew Wan (violin), Eric Nowlin (viola) and Brian Manker (cello).

"There is a long history of performance associated with the New Orford String Quartet, stemming back to its previous incarnation as the Orford String Quartet," says Nick Sullivan, Faculty Artists and Friends co-coordinator. "Aside from the amazing musicianship of the ensemble, the chance to hear performers that are also current or former members of some of the biggest orchestras in Canada is an opportunity that cannot be missed."

The concert includes music by Sokolovic, Beethoven, Brahms as well as contemporary work. In addition, Lethbridge violinist Aaron Au joins the quartet for a compelling performance of Brahms' String Quartet op. 111 in G Major.

To reserve seats for this rare and exciting performance, visit the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (open Monday to Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or call 403-329-2616). Tickets are $15 regular, $10 for seniors/students.

UNews - 403-329-2616

Searing drama examines indifference to HIV crisis in early 1980s

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Pianos as you've never heard, or seen, before

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Estuary features big set, big issues

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Bringing alive the world of Fantastica

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Family dysfunction hits a whole new level

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Shakespeare's best on stage

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Possible worlds a fantastic ride

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