January 14, 2013 To the Pure Research Selection Committee, We are writing to propose a research collaboration about the dramaturgical potentials of public information. We have worked together in various capacities for two years. We intend to continue to develop a body of work together. Natalie Schneck is a theatre artist currently working in Vancouver. Her interests lie in the integration of physically demanding movement and voice in a theatrical setting. She has recently worked collaboratively with choreographer Noam Gagnon, visual artist Karilynn Ming Ho, Radix Theatre, Theatre SKAM, and Neworld Theatre. Natalie is one of the founding members of the new play development collective with Universal Limited. She moved to Vancouver to get her BFA in Theatre Performance at SFU. Natalie continues to train vocally and in various physical forms including ballet, contact improvisation, and contemporary dance. Joanna Garfinkel started a new play development collective as part of Universal Limited in August 2011, after a dozen years of working in theatre creation. Previously, she cocreated and directed the pedicab adventure Tour for HIVE 3 with the Electric Company, Universal Limited and the Cultural Olympiad. That site-specific escapade went on to the Firehall and was award-winning at the Fringe. She works as a freelance dramaturg for PTC, and for writers and companies in Vancouver; most recently for My Mother’s Story, which premiered at Presentation House in October. She moved to Vancouver to get her MFA in directing at UBC, and her focus since has been primarily in new play development, multidisciplinary, and site-specific work. She has trained with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company in New York, and Viewpoints and Composition plays a strong role in the classes she teaches and the workshops that she leads. We are requesting three days in the studio. Our estimated budget is approximately $4000, including artist fees for all collaborators and performers, equipment rentals, and supplies. Detailed budget available upon request. Our specific goals are to discover new dramaturgical potentials by approaching nonpoetic texts through physically demanding movement styles, found items, performance theory, and rules. All source material will be publicly-available pamphlets, with our primary sources being one political, one self-help and one “outsider,” or self-distributed pamphlet. Thank you for your time and consideration
Project Description: The Dramaturgical Rules of Encountering Public Information Chief Artist Researchers: Natalie Schneck, choreographer-dramaturg/creator Joanna Garfinkel, director-dramaturg/creator Potential Collaborators: Naomi Sider, designer Jenn Griffin, writer Elliot Vaughan, composer Victoria Lyons, performer (ideally we will be adding one more performer/collaborator) Our primary research question: What are the dramaturgical potentials of non-narrative, public information? Under this larger rubric, we will explore the dramaturgical rules of encountering public information in the form of a pamphlet; can theatre be as direct and personal as a pamphlet? How many different ways can we approach the material physically and philosophically? Can we create theatre that relies on the physical exchange of information--direct and personal transfer with political, religious, and graphic components? A brief overview of how our days in the studio will be spent: After Natalie leads a physically rigorous warm up, Joanna will pose several compositional questions to get collaborators working in unusual pairings. Each question will have a rules component, lending structure and form to the collaborations generated. Working in units of approximately 25 minutes to create, pairings will then share their work, comment, and reassess. New and larger groups are formed, to create new pieces. By the end of the third day of studio research, we hope to have accumulated information in repeatable forms, as well as documenting moments/experiments not intended to be repeated, recording notes on our experience, and gaining insight and perspective to where our research can go next. We are approaching this with the spirit of pure research, we have no specific outcome or answer in mind. Yet, our questions and structure are clear. Pamphlet text might not initially seem theatrical, but is informative, concise, and with a specific, personal and physical connection to the reader/encounter. Pamphlets are a tool for communication borne out of distance; encapsulated, poetically terse, and with a necessarily bodily component in interaction. Pamphlets have begun revolutions, fanned dissent, prevented health disasters; pamphlets provide forums for outsiders, the underground, xenophobes and the unstable in equal measure. Pamphlets are tied to a
historical tradition, more personal, one-sided and permanent than their internet-based modern approximation. Research parameters and rules: only use text that is available to the public. Find ways to confront, physicalize and embody the text. No digital information. Fluidity within the artistic roles, all creators and collaborators will be involved in performing. Say yes. All innovations are tied to source material. There should be a direct relationship between the source material and the form that it inspires. Pamphlets, while compelling, are really a means to explore the limits and potentials of dramaturgy. We believe that even in the most untheatrical text lies the potential for beautiful, physical art. This can emerge from juxtaposition and surprise, of course, but there is buried in public text the potential for pure emotion. Moreover, we are drawn to the direct, communicative and often prescriptive (or proscriptive) text as inspiration and focus. We long for theatre to be direct, emotional and communicative, even as it is not naturalistic. The pamphlet is providing a structure but the burning question is the expansion and new potentials of dramaturgical form, and dramaturgy as a resource for play creation. We are using this research opportunity as vehicle to explore this territory. Desired equipment: (old-fashioned) overhead projector and transparencies, large-format paper for giant pamphlet creation; sound equipment and/or musical instruments. While we believe that a necessary component of the pamphlet experience is the physical relationship between the reader and the material, we are happy to scan in some of our source material upon request. At least one of our primary sources is a hand-drawn, hand-distributed leaflet that might be considered outsider art.
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Natalie Schneck
natschneck@gmail.com 604-314-7663 #204-1450 Burnaby Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 1W7
EDUCATION 2009
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre Performance) School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY 2012-
School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C. Graduate Program Assistant
2011-
Radix Theatre, Vancouver, B.C. Apprentice Artistic Associate: www.radixtheatre.org
2011
Woodward’s Cultural and Community Program Unit, Vancouver, B.C. Secretary and Bookings Coordinator
2009-11
Stroke Recovery Association of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Administrative Coordinator
2005-2009
Miette Hot Springs, Jasper National Park, Jasper, A.B. Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
ACADEMIC AWARDS 2008
University Service, Centre for the Arts Award, Simon Fraser University
2008
Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation, Government of Canada
2008
Adaline May Clark Bursary, Simon Fraser University
2004
Alberta Grant, Government of Alberta
COMMISSIONS 2010
Siphonophore Dance Theatre ensemble piece with live viola commissioned for the BC BUDS – Firehall Spring Arts Fair
RESIDENCIES 2012
Caravan Farm Theatre, Armstrong, B.C. For the creation of Magnetic Experiment #3
2011
Bloom, Mascall dance, Vancouver, B.C For the creation of the physical theatre piece, Natalie in the Morning.
2010
Bloom, Mascall dance, Vancouver, B.C. For the creation of Siphonophore
Natalie Schneck
PERFORMANCE WORK 2013
Magnetic Experiment #3 Back Solo (working title) Sorry Now
Dancer/Creator Dancer Honey
Natalie Schneck & Noam Gagnon (in development) Noam Gagnon (in development) Joanna Garfinkel (in development)
2012
Untitled Video A Doll’s House Beautiful Carats The Tempest Charisma I, Miss Vancouver
MIHA Nora Carotene Miranda Dancer Performer
Karilynn Ming Ho, Stride Gallery, Calgary Pegah Tabassinejad, SFU, Vancouver David Mackay, Progress Lab, Vancouver Kristopher Buller, Vancity Culture Lab, Vancouver Pegah Tabassinejad, Vancity Culture Lab, Vancouver Lesley Ewen, Commercial Street Studio, Vancouver
2011 An Uncertain Theatre Feed Breakfast Upskirt Uncommon Women(and others) Beautiful Problems Natalie in the Morning Troika White Dreams
Natalie Nurturer Kimberly Krysler Susie Friend Chorus Natalie Performer Mara
Karilynn Ming Ho, Surrey Art Gallery Athena Han, Festival des Films du Monde, Montreal Streaming Current Collective, Havana Theatre, Vancouver Jacqueline Bennett, PAL Theatre, Vancouver Paul Ternes, Roundhouse Theatre, Vancouver Joanna Garfinkel, Mascall Dance, Vancouver Collective Creation, Little Mountain Studios, Vancouver Pegah Tabassinejad, SFU, Vancouver
2010 Tranquilizer Read Me Siphonophore Acts of Performance The Show Must Go On Poetics: A Ballet Brut
Rachelle Actor/Dancer Performer Performer Dancer Dancer
Jenna Rae Jacobson, Vancity Theatre, Vancouver Pegah Tabassinejad, SFU, Vancouver Collective Creation, Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver Theatre SKAM, HIVE 3, Vancouver Jerome Bel, PuSh Festival, Vancouver Nature Theater of Oklahoma, PuSh Festival, Vancouver
2009 Alice in Wonderland Underground Man Mixie and the Halfbreeds
Alice Narrator Chorus
James MacDonald, Burnaby Village Eliza Newman-Saul, Artspeak, Vancouver Maiko Bae Yamamoto, Vancity Culture Lab, Vancouver
2008 The Visit The Sin Eater Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights
Doctor Older Sister Chorus
Penelope Stella, SFU, Burnaby Aileen Yoon, SFU, Burnaby DD Kugler, SFU, Burnaby
TRAINING SFU CONTEMPORARY ARTS Acting: Penelope Stella/ Steven Hill/ Marc Diamond/ Michael Springate Voice: Lisa Beley Movement: Dianne Miller/Marin Wilde/Odette Slater Clowning and Mask: Penelope Stella Tap Dancing: Penelope Stella Dramaturgy: DD Kugler Playmaking: DD Kugler /Penelope Stella Directing: DD Kugler Stage Management: Gary Harris Stage Production and Technology: Anil Chauhan OTHER Catalyst Theatre Master Class: Jonathan Christenson/Calgary, AB Pilates: Noam Gagnon/Vancouver, BC Singing: Judith Rabinovitch/Vancouver, BC International Voice Intensive: Richard Armstrong/The Banff Centre, AB On Camera Acting: Andrew McIlroy/Studio 3 Media/Vancouver, BC Dance: Ballet/Iris Lau/SFU Contact Improvisation/Peter Bingham/EDAM Dance/Vancouver, BC
Joanna Garfinkel
Director + Dramaturg
1-2930 Cambie St. Vancouver V5Z 2V8
jgarfinkel@gmail.com
BIO
Born in Toronto, Joanna has traveled extensively since. She works to develop new material, working collaboratively, or with new writers, and frequently site-specifically. Specifically, she focuses on integrating voice and movement into performance and seamlessly utilizing her design and technical experience to adventurous ends.
EDUCATION, TRAINING University of British Columbia, MFA in Directing, 2007 Studied with Stephen Malloy, K.J. Sanchez, Neil Freeman and Stephen Heatley. Saratoga International Theatre Institute, Summer Intensive, 2006 Trained with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company; Viewpoints and Suzuki, directing, composition, collaboration and development of new work. Ongoing and recent workshops: further training with SITI Company; Performance and neutral mask Jeremy Jones of Theatre du Soleil/Electric Company; Dramaturgy workshops at Playwrights Theatre Centre with Bill Lane, DD Kugler and Brian Quirt; Performance creation with Forced Entertainment (Sheffield)/Theatre Replacement, Theatre Creation workshops with Lori Carlos, Adrienne Kennedy, Magda Gomez, Carmelita Tropicana, and Lisa Wolpe Oberlin College, BA in Creative Writing, Theater Concentration University of Minnesota, Theater and Creative Writing, Dean’s List
DIRECTING, DRAMATURGY, DESIGN MY MOTHER’S STORY Dramaturg EGNI’S EYE Dramaturg WORKS IN PROGRESS Director/Dramaturg NATALIE IN THE MORNING Director/Dramaturg
Presentation House, N. Vancouver Performance Works, Vancouver Russian Hall, Vancouver
TOUR ESCAPE ARTISTS
Director/Creator Director
Vancouver Fringe Festival Vancouver Fringe Festival
MY MOTHER’S STORY
Director
(Development Workshop/UBC)
TOUR
Director/Creator
HIVE 3 (Cultural
Mascall Dance, Vancouver
Olympiad/Electric Company Co-Production) TOUR
Director/Creator
BC Buds/Firehall Arts Ctr.
Joanna Garfinkel CV 1 of 5
DIRTY WHITE
Dramaturg
Vancouver Cultural Ctr.
WORDWEAR
Dramaturg
Vancouver Fringe Festival
THE GLASS BOX
Director/Dramaturg PTC, Vancouver BC
THE GLASS BOX
Director/Dramaturg Intrepid Theatre, Victoria BC
LETTERS FROM LITHUANIA
(Stanley Park)
Co-Director
Mortal Coil, Vancouver BC
APPARITION
Director
PAL Theatre, Vancouver BC
SORRY NOW
Director/Creator
UBC/ Site Specific, Vancouver BC
BIG LOVE
Director
Telus Theatre, UBC
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH Director
Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC
THE DISPUTE
Director/Adapt.
Dorothy Somerset Studio, UBC
BEAR
Director
Dorothy Somerset Studio, UBC
HOUSE OF ATREUS
Asst. Director
Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC
3 New Plays
Director
Bonfire Festival, Austin TX
(KRYPTON IS DOOMED/DINNERTIME FOR BABY BIRD/FREEDOM BANDITS)
HONEY
Director
Frontera Festival, Austin TX
DON’T DROWN
Director
Rude Mechanicals, Austin TX
CURIE-OSITY
Set Design
iron belly muses, Austin TX
MUD
Director
iron belly muses, Austin TX
WALKING TO RUSSIA Asst. Director CAMP QUEER Director/Dramaturg ROS. & GUILDENSTERN… Director TITUS ANDRONICUS Director/Lt Design SALOMÉ Asst. Director SWEARING AT THE PARK Director/Dramaturg GRAY Director/Dramaturg INFRINGEMENT Director/Dramaturg THE LESSON Director FOUR EXAMPLES… Director LIFE UNDER WATER Director CAREER Writer/Director
Theatre Passe Murailles, Toronto Frontera Festival, Austin TX Off-Center, Austin TX Falk Theatre, Austin TX Vortex Theatre, Austin TX Temporary Labor, Austin TX DiverseWorks, Houston TX Public Domain, Austin TX Oberlin College, OH Oberlin College, OH Oberlin College, OH Oberlin College, OH
Joanna Garfinkel CV 2 of 5
TEACHING Acting Teacher, Shadbolt Centre Movement, voice and story creation for a mixed-abilities class presented by Theatre Terrific Adjunct Professor, UBC Movement for specialized BFA acting program, and performance creation (movement specialty) for BA students Viewpoints/Suzuki, The Only Animal Instructor of CORE training with Vancouver’s The Only Animal Acting/Movement, Methodica Integrated various theatre theories, creating curriculum at accredited downtown acting school Methodica TA for Directing with John Cooper, UBC Instruction, coaching in directing, assisted in creating Brave New Playwrights Series for UBC Solo Instructor, Workshop and Training, Intermediate Year BFA, UBC While still a grad student, created Voice, Movement and Acting curriculum utilizing Suzuki, Viewpoints, and other techniques. Led playmaking and development for performance. TA for Shakespeare, Intermediate Year BFA with Neil Freeman, UBC Intensive instruction in Shakespeare, old texts and language, Asst. Director for Measure for Measure TA for Acting, First Year BFA with Stephen Malloy, UBC Coaching, instruction in initial scene work, fundamentals of Acting TA for Introduction to Theatre with Craig Holzschuh/Richard Wolfe, UBC Led independent section of students in overview of theatre history and literature, acted as resource for students
AWARDS Best BYOV, Vancouver Fringe Festival (UQ critics), 2010 Jessie Richardson nominee/Vancouver Sun Critics’ Choice Innovation Award, 2008 Poole Award, 2006-7 John Brockington Scholar of Theatre, 2005-6 Sidney Risk Award for Directing, 2005-6 Two Austin Critics’ Table Awards for Don’t Drown Best of Fest, Frontera Festival (for Honey and Camp Queer) B. Iden Payne award nominee for Set Design for Curie-Osity FILM Stewing
(Crazy Eights Selection) Script Editor
Shadoarts, 2013
Joanna Garfinkel CV 3 of 5
Everything Louder than Everything Else (Whistler Film Festival Selection) Lead Robsolete Films 2010 Glue Producer Hyperbolic Films, 2004 Freedom Bandits Director Hyperbolic Films, 2004-5 RELATED EXPERIENCE PLAYWRIGHTS THEATRE CENTRE Dramaturg/Jury Member Vancouver, BC, 2007-(ongoing) Freelance dramaturg for playwrights. Produce written reports and work in workshop setting with writers. KOOP FM Music Director/Programmer Austin TX, 2000-5 Instructor in basics of Sound Design and Engineering. Trained, supervised, and coordinated volunteers; assisted in fundraisers; operated sound board and other technical equipment. Solicited and selected music, managed scheduling and distribution of music to programmers. Produced a weekly, two-hour program of music and interviews. Organized and catalogued music library. WASP Guilded (Austin Designers’ Guild)
Prod. Manager Falk Theater, Austin, TX, 2000 Prod. Mgr./Lighting Flatbed Press, Austin, TX, 2000
SKILLS AND INTERESTS Read/write in French, working knowledge of Hebrew and Portuguese. Familiar with technical equipment for radio and sound production/design. Experienced freelance technical theater assistant. Published photographer, photography featured on national television. Play bass, keyboard, accordion and ukuelele inexpertly but enthusiastically (and to some acclaim) in at least two bands.
REFERENCES Stephen Malloy, Associate Professor (Directing and Acting), (604) 822-3103, University of British Columbia, Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing, 6354 Crescent Rd., Vancouver V6T 1Z2 malloy@interchange.ubc.ca Heidi Taylor, Dramaturg, Playwrights Theatre Centre, (604) 685-6228, #201-1398 Cartwright St., Vancouver V6H 3R8 heidi@playwrightstheatre.com
Joanna Garfinkel CV 4 of 5
Jennifer Herzman Capraru, Artistic Director, Theatre Asylum (Toronto) and Theatre Isoko (Rwanda), (416) 979 3942, 172a Baldwin Street, Toronto M5T 1L8 jencapraru@gmail.com Gayle Murphy, Associate Professor (Voice and Speech), (604) 822-4963, University of British Columbia, Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing, 6354 Crescent Rd., Vancouver V6T 1Z2 gmurphy@interchange.ubc.ca
VIDEO CLIPS, THEATRICAL REVIEWS AND ACTING EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Joanna Garfinkel CV 5 of 5