UNews - David Barrus

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ announces distinguished group of inductees for Alumni Honour Society

trevor.kenney — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 16:42:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association is pleased to announce its 2015 Alumni Honour Society inductees.

A total of five distinguished alumni are being inducted this year, representing the fine arts, architecture, nursing education, public service and athletics.

Introduced in honour of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 35th Anniversary in 2002, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association established the Alumni Honour Society to recognize the achievements of a select group of alumni each year. The individuals honoured serve as role models through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

Like those before them, the 2015 inductees are outstanding examples of U of L alumni. Each of the individuals being honoured used the knowledge they gained at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to achieve their personal and professional goals, and through these achievements has left a lasting impact on the people, organizations and communities with which they are involved.

The group will be inducted into the Alumni Honour Society at the Spring Alumni Celebration, May 27, 2015.

2015 Alumni Honour Society Inductees

David Barrus, BA ’09, MFA ’13

David Barrus

David Barrus is a passionate supporter of the arts whose work has had a significant impact on the southern Alberta creative community. Throughout more than 20 years in theatre, Barrus has demonstrated an enthusiasm both in front of audiences as a skilled performer and behind the scenes as an innovative set and costume designer. Recognized nationally and internationally, Barrus shares his knowledge and experience with young performers as part of the Chinook Performing Arts program at Chinook High School. His work is integral to local theatre at the professional, semi-professional, educational and community levels, and has helped enhance the arts in our community.

Alvin Fritz, BASc (BA) ’80

Alvin Fritz

After graduating from the U of L, Alvin Fritz obtained a bachelor of architecture from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, receiving the RAIC Gold Medal for the highest standard in his class as well as a DAAD scholarship to pursue post-graduate studies at the Technical ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Munich. He later returned to Lethbridge, becoming principal architect of his own firm. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Fritz has donated countless hours to charitable organizations throughout the community. He has organized and led 10 mission teams in building homes for the less fortunate in Mexico, and has also led projects closer to home, including in Stand Off, Alta.

Ruth Grant Kalischuk, BN ’85, MEd ’92

Ruth Grant Kalischuk

Ruth Grant Kalischuk is a well-respected leader in nursing education in Alberta. After completing her nursing degree, Grant Kalischuk drew on her practice as an RN to move through the academic ranks, ultimately becoming a professor. Recognized as a superb educator and researcher, she has been instrumental in multiple research programs in nursing and more recently, health as it relates to environmental issues. A strong leader and passionate advocate, Grant Kalischuk was the associate dean of nursing in the U of L’s Faculty of Health Sciences, helping establish the program’s strong reputation on the national stage.

Manwar Khan, BSc ’07

Manwar Khan

Manwar Khan, who came to Canada in 2001 from Bangladesh to study at the U of L, is an active community advocate against violence whose work earned him recognition as one of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2014 and The Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. Since witnessing and intervening to stop a deadly attack against a fellow commuter on an Edmonton LRT train in December 2012, Khan has organized a number of anti-bullying rallies across the province, raising awareness around the issue of bullying and empowering citizens to take a stand against violence.

James Steacy, BASc ’09

James Steacy

As an athlete, James Steacy has represented not only the U of L but Canada at throwing competitions around the world. During his five-year career with the Pronghorns, Steacy went undefeated in the weight throw and won a total of nine CIS medals, including eight gold. He currently holds the Canadian record in men’s hammer throw and has represented our country at two Olympic Games and earned a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. A role model for younger students, Steacy spends countless hours speaking to local schools about the importance of education and the opportunities available through athletics, and volunteers his time as a coach for youth track programs.

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.

Richard III provides a worthy challenge

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:48:05 +0000

One of literature's most notorious villains, Richard III, charges onto the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage in an epic tale of treachery, deceit, seduction and murder. Playing Mar. 22-26 at 8 p.m. nightly, Shakespeare's classic takes a new form under the direction of Douglas MacArthur.

The play follows a disfigured Richard III as he plots to ascend the English throne and claim the crown from his brother, King Edward IV. Through betrayal and murder, Richard III's short-lived victory results in his tragic downfall.

MFA candidate David Barrus designed the set and lighting as part of his final project.

"Richard III is the telling of a story that suited the Tudors and royalty of Shakespeare's time," says MacArthur. "This man was born with a physical deformity that symbolizes the evil streak in his nature."

"Richard III is an expert performer, who draws in the audience as he does his adversaries," adds MacArthur. "He is on his way to becoming a deceitful dictator, and the other characters are undeniably intertwined with his actions. He's able to be what he needs to be to get what he wants, and sets the stage for his treachery."

Considered one of Shakespeare's most important works, MacArthur endeavors to make the script accessible and entertaining for audiences.

"Richard III is one of Shakespeare's earlier plays and except for Hamlet, is the longest of his works. In addition to adapting the script to suit our purposes, we've also created a completely unique world for Richard III, through an amalgamation of gothic and contemporary elements," says MacArthur.

MFA candidate, David Barrus, designed the set and lighting for the production. Barrus created the world for Richard III's tumultuous rise to victory and tragic fall as part of his final MFA project.

"The set represents the main character as architecture," he explains. "It symbolizes Richard's grip on his environment and the starkness of his character."

The contemporary costumes, designed by Leslie Robison-Greene, and electronic sound effects, designed by fourth-year drama tech/design major Josh Hellawell, complete the surreal atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind production.

Tickets to this timeless tragedy are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office, open weekdays from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets are $15 regular and $10 senior/student.

For a look at the March issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Spring Awakening shocks, resonates

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:08:38 +0000

By AMANDA BERG

A revelation of teenage truths, sexual stirrings and adolescent angst experienced throughout history to present day, Frank Wedekind's wonderfully twisted tale, Spring Awakening, has it all.

Set in Victorian era Germany, this so-called "children's tragedy" follows the escapades of Melchior, Moritz, Wendla and their young friends. The group is experiencing their sexual awakening and becoming curious about their bodies, masturbation and each other. Their teachers and parents, respectable adults all, fight to keep these young people on the straight and narrow, with often hilarious and disastrous results. While the characters struggle toward an uncertain future, several wither and fail to survive the awakening of spring.

Students prepare the backdrop for the twisted tale, Spring Awakening.

"At the time Spring Awakening was written, in 1891, it was so outside the norm in both content and form that Wedekind faced heavy scrutiny," says director Jay Whitehead. "With its candid inclusion of sex, masturbation, suicide, homosexuality and even sado-masochism, the play was considered far too shocking for any government to allow it to be performed. Even 15 years later, when it was finally staged, it was never done so uncensored. However, our production has censored none of Wedekind's original vision."

Whitehead adds that the shock value of the play does not hinder its message.

"The play is poignantly relevant to our time," he says. "When sexual confusion and misguided notions of morality are leading youth to put a gun in their mouth or jump off the George Washington Bridge, this play is as important as it ever was. I chose the translation by award winning author, Jonathan Franzen, because of his approach to the original text. Certainly this is a play with a strong social conscience and the message resonated all the more packaged in the extremely dark comic sensibility of Franzen's translation. "

With sets and costumes designed by MFA drama student, David Barrus, Spring Awakening promises to be a mesmerizing night of theatre.

"The set is unlike anything I've seen or worked with before, and the costumes, featuring a chorus of grotesquely masked adult characters, fits beautifully with the weirdness of the overall production," says Whitehead.

Dark yet funny, stunning yet inspirational, Spring Awakening is an absorbing and memorable play. It shows at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre stage, Nov. 23-27 at 8 p.m. nightly.

For tickets, visit the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office, Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or call 403-329-2616. Tickets are priced at $15 regular admission, $10 student/senior.

The spirit of Christmas

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:36:21 +0000

The Christmas spirit comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as the Opera Workshop presents Amahl and the Night Visitors on Dec. 5 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and again on Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall.

Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the heart-warming story of an impoverished crippled boy, Amahl and his mother as they meet the Three Kings who are following a star to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. Through goodwill, sacrifice and kindness, Amahl discovers the power of miracles and the true meaning of Christmas.

"This opera is both funny and dramatic and the music is very approachable and listenable – perfect for the whole family," says Dr. Blaine Hendsbee, Opera Workshop Director. "Originally produced for television and composed by Gian Carlo Menotti, Amahl and the Night Visitors has become the most frequently performed one act opera of our time."

Featuring a talented cast and chorus of singers and dancers, Amahl and the Night Visitors showcases the high level of musicianship for which Opera Workshop is known. This 45-minute production immerses the audience in a fantastic land with beautiful sets and costumes.

"My colleagues in the Theatre and Dramatic Arts Dept. have been wonderful," says Hendsbee. "Leslie Robinson-Greene designed the gorgeous costumes, David Hignell designed the lighting, and David Barrus designed the set."

Start the holiday season with the joyful melodies of this beloved opera. Tickets for Amahl and the Night Visitors are $15 regular and $10 student/senior at the U of L Box Office (403-329-2616).

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:08:34 +0000

Dr. Ed Jurkowski (Music) and Dr. Deanna Oye (Music) co-presented a paper in July entitled, Interpreting the Music of György Kurtág, at the annual meeting of the International Musicological Society in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Dr. David Townsend (Education) and Dr. Pamela Adams (Education) released their book, The Essential Equation, A Handbook for School Improvement. Through case studies, research and best-practice information, the book is designed to help educators learn more about school improvement and the challenges facing educators today.

David Barrus has been accepted as the first MFA Dramatic Arts student and is specializing in scenic design for theatre, which also makes him the first recipient of the John Farwell Memorial Award.

Don Gill (Art) and dancer Sarah Williams (formerly of La La La Human Steps) are featured in a collaborative video-installation exhibition, The New Flâneurs: Contemporary Urban Practice and the Picturesque, running Sept. 5 through Dec. 13 in the RBC New Works Gallery in the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton.

Soprano Audrina Poepping-Steciw (BMus '09) placed first in the Provincial National Voice Class in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Edmonton this spring and represented Alberta in the National Class at the competition in Saskatoon in August.

Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) returned from 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.

James Graham's (New Media) installation, Unforgivable, used many commonly available commercial products – and specifically those of the French cosmetic giant L'Oreal – to draw connections back to their French fascist and anti-Semitic origins. Displayed in the SAAG storefront gallery during August, the exhibition examined the troubled history of Vichy, France.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will receive a 2009 Allied Arts Council Award for Excellence (AACE) at the Mayor's Luncheon for Business and the Arts on Sept. 10.

Michael Campbell's (Art) exhibition, Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting, toured over the summer to the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ont. and then to the Esplanade Gallery in Medicine Hat. A version of this exhibition appeared at the Nanaimo Art Gallery in June.

Dana Inkster (New Media) has received generous support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for her new production, Ladies of the Saturday Night, a short documentary about lives lived in the sex trade in Alberta boomtowns. The production is slated for completion by fall 2010.

The Contemporary Works Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dr. David Renter (Music) and including ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and community musicians performed at the first incarnation of the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival in Lethbridge in June. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ musicians included student Brad Brouwer, Ryan Heseltine (BMus/Ed '04), Don Robb (former U of L Jazz Ensemble conductor), Nick Sullivan (Music) and Ed Wasiak (Music Education)

Bobbi-Lee Copeland (BA '05), who has been working as an adult literacy instructor for the Lillooet Area Library Association, has been accepted to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Indigenous Education Master's Program.

Dr. David Renter (Music) has been invited to participate in the 2009 Chiayi City International Band Festival in Chiayi City, Taiwan in December 2009. Renter will perform with an Afro-Cuban Jazz group from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Andrew Staniland (BMus '00, Great Distinction) who completed his PhD in composition at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto in 2008, went on to win the grand prize in CBC's National Evolution Composers Competition in March 2009. Staniland has accepted a tenure-track appointment in composition at Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Newfoundland, starting in January 2010.

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.

Age of Arousal a passionately-charged production

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:00:05 +0000

When two spinster sisters and a charismatic cad named Everard invade Miss Mary's School for Secretaries, they become the catalyst for political, sexual and emotional upheavals. Age of Arousal, by Canadian playwright Linda Griffiths, appears in the David Spinks Theatre Oct. 14-18, nightly at 8 p.m.

The play is set in 1885, a time of change and confusion, with corsets busting in
unbridled desire and Suffragettes threatening the status quo.

"The play deals with confusion, change and how what seems clear to the mind may not always be clear to the heart. It is all about people having a hard time figuring things out," says director Gail Hanrahan.

The plot revolves around Mary's lover Rhoda, who has dedicated her life to championing rights for women and "the Woman Question," and Monica, the younger sister of the spinsters, who is living through her physical desires. Both fall for the charismatic cad and in the end neither is fulfilled.

"Although set in Victorian England, these same issues touch us today and provide something for audiences to
contemplate," adds Hanrahan.

"This vibrant play takes audiences through the gamut of emotions, from some very funny bits to some extremely touching moments," she says, adding she was attracted to the play because of its emphasis on acting.

"I think this is the strongest cast I've had since coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and all six actors — Jocelyn Haub, Geneviève Paré, Caylee Stewart, Leeanne McLim, Jazlyn Dow and Adam Beauchesne — are excited about working hard to reinforce their skills."
The cast faces some interesting challenges.

"The play is full of 'thought speak', where character's feelings are spoken out loud," says Hanrahan. "So in some places there's a spoken conversation going on with the added complexity of thoughts also being spoken by the same actors. Actors have to develop contrasts to clarify that difference for the audience."

Unlike many U of L mainstage productions, Age of Arousal has a small cast and an intimate setting in the David Spinks Theatre.

"To emphasize that it is a time of change, we've contrasted the rich soft fabrics of Leslie Robison-Greene's beautiful costumes with the clean lines of David Barrus's shiny black set, which emphasizes the new industrial age," says Hanrahan.

Although not strictly of the Victorian period, the costumes reflect that rich draped and layered feel of Victorian times and include delicate embroidery and fine detail work — down to hand painted embellishments.

"I love fabric and I have to say the costumes are gorgeous, I'd call them succulent," she says with a smile.

Taking a little artistic license, the set pieces reflect what is new now, while props used by the actors offer a more Victorian feel.

Another unique feature of the production is original music composed by Bente Hansen of the U of L Music Department.

"There is a lyrical quality to the play," says Hanrahan. "I had heard Bente performing and asked her to get involved."

Hansen has been at most of the rehearsals and has woven her music into the production.

"Bente watches the actors and reacts to the action and mood she sees. Her piano became another voice and I can't imagine the play without music," says Hanrahan.

Tickets for Age of Arousal are priced at $15 regular and $10 student/senior at the U of L Box Office, 403-329-2616.
Katherine Wasiak is the communications/PR officer for the Faculty of Fine Arts

UNews - David Barrus

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ announces distinguished group of inductees for Alumni Honour Society

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