UNews - Doug MacArthur

Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition announced

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 22:09:39 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) learned early that he was not destined to become an actor, but it did not dampen his enthusiasm for the theatre.

Terry Whitehead supports theatre at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge through a number of different avenues.

Already the backer behind the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s annual Play Right Prize and Striking Prose competitions, Whitehead is now the lead donor behind the Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition that will commission a new, full-length on-campus play to be produced in October 2017 in celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary.

“I thought this would be a great way for the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts to participate in and celebrate the 50th anniversary,” says Whitehead, a managing partner with Alexander Whitehead Executive Search in Vancouver and Calgary. “What greater thing to do than commission brand new Canadian plays and then have that play produced and performed on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ stage?”

Whitehead studied English at the U of L and took full advantage of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s liberal arts focus by participating in a variety of theatre classes, saying he had ample opportunity to be on stage.

“That’s where I realized my career in theatre was not on stage because you need talent, of which I lacked,” jokes Whitehead. “But I really came to appreciate what putting together a play was all about. I saw all the comparisons between a sports team and a theatre production, in terms of the teamwork needed to be successful, and those experiences were very formative to me.”

Fiction at Fifty is open to all Canadian playwrights, amateur or professional, single or as a collective. Playwrights must submit a four-page commission proposal to the contest by Mar. 17, 2014, at which time a jury will select three proposals and offer a $2,000 commissioning contract to each to write a full-length draft within 18 months.

From there, a second jury will convene and evaluate the completed drafts and select a winning play. An additional $2,000 plus travel expenses will then be awarded to the winner, as well as royalties upon production of the play. The play will be a part of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts mainstage season in October 2017.

“One of the great things about this contest is that the format allows for three plays to get initial funding, it’s very rare that playwrights get a commission to go and write their works,” says Whitehead. “What’s been so great about this process is the work that the entire department and especially Doug MacArthur and Nick Hanson have done to pull this together. It’s one thing to come up with an idea and quite another to have support throughout the entire department to make it happen.”

For more information on the Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition, visit this website.

For more inspiring stories on the individuals and organizations who have helped shaped the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, please visit: http://www.uleth.ca/campaigns/giving/

Abbondànza, a night like no other

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:46:02 +0000

Fine arts professors, students and a local restaurant have once again joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 12th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city!"

The annual Abbondànza evening is one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs, accompanied by tasty music, works of art, drama and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Guests vote in a most unusual way for their favourite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"We have some good news we want to share with everyone," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza Organizing Committee Chair. "Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and thanks to the abundant support from the community, we are approaching our $1-million goal for the Abbondànza Endowment Fund."

Creating an endowment fund ensures that donations in support of student scholarship continue to work far into the future.

"If anyone in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community wants to support our students and help us reach our goal a little faster, they are welcome to make a donation to the Abbondànza Endowment Fund," says MacArthur. "No gift is too small or too large."

Cash and cheque donations can be dropped off in W627 or faculty and staff can use the handy payroll deduction option available through the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos) by clicking Abbondànza Endowment Fund in the gift designation section.

Tickets for Abbondànza 2013 are $150 (include $75 income tax receipt). Call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227 as soon as possible for tickets, as very few remain.

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Abbondànza is all about abundance

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:24:08 +0000

For the past 11 years, Faculty of Fine Arts professors, staff, students and a local restaurant have joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 11th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city!"

Chef Ken Kain, left, and CoCo Pazzo co-owners Tony Rose and Rocco Suriano with the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy.

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of various regions of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs coupled with tasty music, works of art and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Guests get to vote in a most unusual way for their favorite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and we have received an abundance of support from the community, for which we are grateful," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza committee chairperson. "To date, 34 students have received scholarships totaling $26,000. All the donations go directly to the Abbondànza Endowment fund that will continue to support students far into the future."

Tickets for the event are priced at $125 each and include a $60 income tax receipt.

There are very few tickets left for the event. To book yours, call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227.

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Abbondanza

trevor.kenney — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:22:32 +0000

For the past 10 years, Faculty of Fine Arts professors, staff, students and a local restaurant have joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 10th Anniversary of Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 29.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city."

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of various regions of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs. Music, works of art and humour are all provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Guests get to vote in a most unusual way for their favourite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"Abbondànza is Italian for abundance, and we have received an abundance of support from the community, for which we are grateful," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza Committee Chairperson.

To date, 29 students have received scholarship totaling $22,000.

"All the donations go directly to the Abbondànza Endowment fund that will continue to support students far into the future."

Tickets are $125 (include $60 income tax receipt). There are a very few tickets left for the event, and for more information, call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227.

Theatre season packs punch

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:26:09 +0000

Challenging, engrossing and engaging describe the 2010/2011 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts theatre season.

From classical to controversial, the plays strike a balance between academic challenges and audience appeal.

The first show of the season, Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein, is directed by Dr. Shelley Scott and appears in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre Oct. 19 to 23. Set in 1978, five women reunite in a restaurant to evaluate where their lives have led them. The action flashes back six years to when they met as students at a prestigious, all-female college, formed friendships and made the choices that shaped their destinies.

Director Jay Whitehead then tackles the fascinating and emotionally challenging play, Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (translated by Jonathan Franzen), which runs Nov. 24 to 28. Teenagers Melchior, Moritz, Wendla and their young friends are experiencing sexual awakenings and are increasingly curious about their bodies, each other, masturbation and more. Their teachers and parents, respectable adults, fight to keep these young people on the straight and narrow, often with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results.

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov is directed by Richard Epp, and appears in the David Spinks Theatre from Feb. 15 to 19. Konstantin loves his mother, but he's jealous of her fame as an actress and depressed about his lack of success as a playwright. He also despises the celebrated young writer who is living with his mother and seems to have captured the attention of the girl he adores. On a Russian country estate, passions abound and idealism is challenged by triviality in this absorbing play from the master of comic realism.

The season ends with William Shakespeare's Richard III. Widely regarded as Shakespeare's most important play, this eternal classic is directed by Doug MacArthur and appears on stage Mar. 22 to 26. On a road paved with blood, treachery and seduction, Richard's tumultuous attempt to claim the throne of England for his own is fraught with lies, deception and murder.

To experience each of these unforgettable productions, season ticket purchases include all four productions for the price of three. Individual tickets are priced at $15 for regular admission and $10 for seniors/students. Season Tickets are $45 regular and $30 for seniors/students.

All tickets are available at the U of L Box office or by calling 403-329-2616. Closed for the summer, the U of L Box Office reopens on Sept. 13. Season tickets are on sale until opening night of the first production.

Theatre season packs punch

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:56:49 +0000

Challenging, engrossing and engaging describe the 2010/2011 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts theatre season.

From classical to controversial, the plays strike a balance between academic challenges and audience appeal.

Scholarships get a boost from CoCo Pazzo

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:26:50 +0000

Fine arts professors, students and a local restaurant have once again joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 9th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Sunday, Feb. 28, beginning at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in the city."

The festivities include a unique menu that highlights the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy's most northeastern region. Prepared by CoCo's expert chef, the food combines with tasty music, works of art, and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Guests vote in a most unusual way for their favorite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"All the funds raised go into an endowment for student scholarships in art, music drama and music," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza committee chairperson. "Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and we have received an abundance of support from the community, for which we are grateful."

Tickets are priced at $125 (include $60 income tax receipt) apiece with only a very few remaining available. To purchase tickets, contact Katherine at 403-329-2227.

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