UNews - Set designer

Gift of the past creates future opportunities

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 20:37:06 +0000

Kay's story was featured on Global News. View the video on the Global Lethbridge website.

When you sit in the presence of Dr. Kathleen Kerr (LLD ’04), better known as Kay, you have the keen sense that she’s the type of person you could shoot the breeze with for hours on end. Often recognized by the hats she frequently wears, she has a twinkle in her eye and carries a certain spunk not typically associated with a 94-year-old. It takes only minutes of conversation to confirm this suspicion as her story begins to take shape.

Kay Kerr and her late husband Jack owned four Kentucky Fried Chicken locations, and she personally developed the gravy recipe still used by KFC, while staying in the home of Colonel Sanders himself.

As Kay will tell you, her first job out of business college was in John Diefenbaker’s law office in Prince Albert, Sask. She was married in 1939, just a few days before Canada joined the Second World War, and she lost a brother (LAC George Hanson) in a flying accident in 1941. Kay and her late husband John (Jack) owned four Kentucky Fried Chicken locations, and she personally developed the gravy recipe still used by KFC, while staying in the home of Colonel Sanders himself.

Although Kay and Jack travelled the world, they made their home amidst the mountains in the Crowsnest Pass where they ran the legendary Turtle Mountain Hotel in Frank, Alta. Kay has received numerous accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an honorary degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Her life history is rich.

It follows then that her former three-story home was filled to the brim with nearly a century's worth of collectables, each with its own memory: German-crafted wardrobes, a long cigarette holder kept in a roll top desk, an intricate Arctic oosik (made from the bone of a walrus penis), a cup and saucer received as a wedding gift, boxes of KFC memorabilia, a K-Tell plug-in coffee maker for your car (still pristine in its box), a red velvet couch and a vintage camera – just to name a few.

However, when Kay made the move to a lodge in Blairmore, Alta., she knew she had to downsize and was faced with finding someone who would love her collection as much as she had.

A former member of the U of L Senate and Board of Governors, and long-time U of L supporter, Kay believed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ might be just the place. Following a phone call and a visit, Kay made a plan to give the entire contents of her house to the U of L theatre department.

“After packing everything up in boxes, my two-car garage was absolutely loaded. I’ve seen pictures of houses where someone was a recluse and they’d saved everything, and corridors are piled high on both sides, well, that was my garage, right up to the rafters,” Kay recounts with a smile.

What followed was an epic move headed by James McDowell, the technical director for the U of L theatre. A 26-foot U-Haul trailer made the trip twice, three loads were carted in a pick-up and one more in a van – finally Kay’s garage was cleaned out.

The timing was serendipitous. Just weeks later, a set designer came into James’s office, explaining that he was looking for a large collection of antique furniture for his upcoming production, Courting Johanna.

“The opening line in the show was to be: “I have some furniture to ship…”

So I said, ‘come with me,’” James recalls. “We walked into the theatre where we had it stored, and he was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there it is.’”

And so it was, that many of Kay’s items already made their debut on stage earlier this year. As James explains, the newly acquired props can be hard to find and will help expand the drama department and benefit students.

“I’m grateful to Kay for offering this to us. She could have easily put it all up for auction and given the profit to her children. But she wanted to see it used. And she knows we’ll give it a good home. She recognized the value of what we do here, and we’re thankful,” says James.

As for Kay, she carries with her these words on stationery: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

“People ask me if I was sad to see everything go, but as far as the stuff is concerned, I really don’t miss it,” she says. “I think it’s just wonderful that my things will be used in a new way. It will just keep on giving, and that’s the best.”

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.

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 - Set designer

Gift of the past creates future opportunities

Related Topics

Estuary features big set, big issues

Related Topics

Bringing alive the world of Fantastica

Related Topics

Campus Kudos

Related Topics

Campus Kudos

Related Topics