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University of Toronto’s community newspaper Independent since 1978
January 29nd – February 4th, 2009 Vol. XXXI, No: 17
the newspaper
the newspaper write between the lines
the news
the arts 4 5 3
10 days in a tent We’re smokin’! Gaza Op-Ed
6 7 3
U of T Film Fest! Wavelength 447 What the hell are you doing?
Fight the violence
Opera ain’t no Oprah
NERISSA CARIÑO
OLIVIA FORSYTH-SELLS
UTSC Community Bureau
Theatrical Arts Bureau
V-day comes to U of T
It is said that 1 in 3 women in North America are victims of violence. V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women, will soon take hold of the University of Toronto at Scarborough for the first time ever – eleven years after its conception. Serving as a catalyst for the V-Day movement was playwright/ activist Eve Ensler’s award winning play, “The Vagina Monologues,” a work based on interviews with over 200 women. The V-Day movement’s current goal is to promote creative events that raise awareness regarding the reality of violence against women, and to raise money for local anti-violence organizations and the current V-Day Spotlight Campaign. Although Ensler’s play has been produced in thousands of high schools, colleges, universities, and communities worldwide, and last year alone there were over 4000 V-Day campaigns across 120 countries, UTSC has never hosted its own V-Day Campaign. Because the school has a reputation for its somewhat conservative student body, there have been questions raised as to whether
or not Scarborough Campus is actually ‘ready’ for V-Day and “The Vagina Monologues” due to its ‘shock’ factor. But, the response so far has been extremely positive with more than 100 students volunteering to participate in the campaign. Challenging ideas and culturally formed ideologies is all part of the university experience. This involves reading between the lines, and looking beyond the horizon, beyond our campus and our intimate spheres to where issues such as violence against women often lie. As university students with a voice, it is our responsibility to be conscious of – and to bring awareness to – the pervasive problem of violence against women. UTSC is definitely ready for V-Day. The University of Toronto at Scarborough will be host to a series of mini events, including a showcase benefit, an art exhibit/auction, and a date raffle. Among the main events are the screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “Until the Violence Stops”, productions of “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer,” and
Author Eve Ensler in Special Austin, Texas Production of Vagina Monologues
Photo: Nerissa Cariño
Continued on page 4...
Shocker of a show-stopper
The Hart House Theatre has consistently produced controversial plays, and this year they continued to shock and impress with the production of Jerry Springer - The Opera. The production was an operatic comedy designed to offend; should you have a strong stomach and a liberal sense of humor, this production is for you. Having read earlier reviews of this play, descriptions of the brilliant and blasphemous lingered in my mind as I sat waiting for the production to commence. But when the lights dimmed and the delightfully trashy chorus began, I started to realize that only the unpredictable would ensue. Well, to be fair, the first act began as one familiar with Jerry Springer might imagine: at centre stage sat a young man blessed with minimal intellect confessing his affair with his girlfriend’s best friend. For the weak of heart, this would normally satisfy the appetite for drama. But no, a mere affair won’t cut it here: enter stage right a Dr. Frank-NFurter look-a-like, confessing his love for the young man in question. Should this young man follow his heart? Should the innocent girlfriend forgive her long-time lover? And who
Byron Rouse as Jerry Springer with the Ensemble Photo: Daniel Dimarco
L to R; Ian Bender as Angel Gabriel, Greg Finney as God, Hayley Toane as Angel Michael Photo: Lydia MacIntosh and Jenny Chisolm
will take care of the lonely transvestite when all is said and done? These questions are addressed by the chorus of audience members all looking for their own personal salvation through the torture and pain of others. The second act of the play grows progressively more dramatic (and bizarre), including a scene of Jesus humiliating himself by breaking down and admitting his closeted homosexuality. From a theatrical standpoint, the production was well-executed and brilliant liberties were taken with the notion of ‘opera’. Harmonious Gregorian-style chanting even makes the song entitled “Chick with a Dick” somehow beautiful – if not only slightly less offensive. Byron Rouse, who plays Jerry Springer, miraculously succeeds in achieving an accurate portrayal of the iconic persona. Rouse presents Springer as a wounded soul simply trying to get through the day and do his job. Yes, it is a job that is morally questionable, and yes, Springer encourages people to publicly humiliate themselves for television airtime. However, the character stubbornly claims that he is not responsible for the behaviour that occurs on his stage, and he should have the right to profit from it. The newspaper sat down with Byron Continued on page 7...
2 the newspaper
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the inside THE TABLE OF CONTENTS the front page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 the inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 the editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 the news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5 the arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,7 the jumbler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 the comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
it’s a free-for-all! Calling all writers, copy editors and artists! Have you ever wanted to work in journalism? Would you like a chance to have you work published? the newspaper is U of T’s ONLY independent newspaper, distributing across all 3 campuses as well as the surrounding community. This is an open call to all potential contributors. We want writers for politics, current events, sports, finance, arts and more! We are looking for creators to submit flash fiction, prose, poetry, photography, art, comics and anything else that falls out of your head. If you’d prefer to work behind the scene and help to edit and refine a weekly publication with 15,000 copies in circulation, then come see us. One more important thing: we offer free food! Yes! Come to our weekly open staff meeting, EVERY Thursday @ 5pm in our offices. We will feed your face! Awesomeness! We are on the South-West corner of St. George campus. Just North of College on Spadina. We want YOU to write between the lines.
the newspaper Publisher Matthew Pope
News Editor
Arts Editor
Ashley Minuk
Helene Goderis
Editor-in-chief Ari Simha
Administrative Assistant
Layout & Design
Caroline George
Jeffrey Spiers
Copy Editors
Photo Editor
Elisabeth Bennett, Michelle Ferreira Tayyaba Jiwani
Sam Catalfamo
Contributors Newton Addo, Amanda Campbell, Nerissa Cariño, Daniel Craig, Hammam Farah, Olivia Forsyth-Sells, Andrew Gyorkos, Mathiaus Poe, Semra Eylul Sevi
Ads & Marketing Peter Josselyn ads@thenewspaper.ca
the mission statement the newspaper is proud to be University of Toronto’s ONLY independent news source. We look to our readers and contributors to ensure we provide a consistently superior product. Our purpose is to provide a voice for university students, staff, faculty and U of T’s extended community. This voice may at times be irreverent but it will never be irrelevant.
write between the lines
Warning: Multi-tasking may result in multiple personalities
the newspaper 3
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
BEER • WINGS • POOL • JAVA SPORTS • JUKEBOX • SPIRITS EVENTS • OPEN STAGE • GAMES
the editorial People WWRBD? MATHIAUS POE Opinion Column Bureau
Serving up a good time Every time since 9T6!
Weekly Events: Man vs. Martini MONDAYS Toonie TUESDAYS Open Mike WEDNESDAYS NOW PODCASTING (from our website)
Thirsty THURSDAYS TGIF! (Thank Guinness it’s Friday)
FRIDAYS Live Music SATURDAYS Free Pool & Comedy SUNDAYS PODCASTING AS HOGTOWNCOMEDYRADIO (from our website)
I’m going to take a slight departure from the usual format of this column to tell you a story. Partly because I hope some of you will share your own experiences as multi-lingual peoples and largely because it affords me the opportunity to mock People. I had the opportunity this weekend to attend a Robbie Burns dinner. For those of you who don’t know of Robbie Burns, he is the Scottish Bard. He was a notorious drinker, womanizer and occasionally a poet. For many he epitomizes all that it is to be Scottish and on his birthday, Scots come together the world over to celebrate his life and everything Scottish. If you want more information, stop being lazy and go to Wikipedia (if you haven’t already). My family on my father’s side is Scottish and can trace its lineage back to the Hunter clan (for those of you that care). Moreover, my dad used to play the bagpipes when he was at Royal Military College (RMC) and got back into bagpiping a few years ago. The heritage plus the fact that his pipe band was playing at the event is a roundabout way of explaining why I was invited to attend in the first place. It struck me to bring a lover of mine to the event. I didn’t really want to be stuck with my folks alone and I knew that her step-dad is Scottish. However, both her biological parents are Korean and that,
my friends, is where the fun began. I knew that we were going to a place where everyone would be as White as White can be, and that my lover (who we’ll call Lily) would be the only nonWhite there. She speaks relatively fluent Korean, whereas I most certainly do not. Nonetheless, I hit upon the idea to act as her translator for the night. What this mostly consisted of was me pretending to translate conversations to her by speaking a gibberish that imitated the basic lingual phonics I heard when she spoke to me in true Korean, all the while we were actually communicating through only gestures, intonation and eye-contact. I found it astounding that the entire performance was taken at face value. Not only that, Lily was essentially a ghost at the table for the duration of the event. It seemed that, if I had not made some inquiries on Lily’s behalf, no one would have attempted communicating with her at all. The only question posed directly to her was “do people in your country wear kilts?” Aside from that, at no time did I notice anyone even making eye-contact with Lily. The highlight of the night came when the food was served. Mushy peas, neeps, tatties and, of course, haggis. It was at this point that Lily produced chopsticks from her purse and proceeded to eat with them. Raised eyebrows were all this elicited, as people politely kept their eyes on their plates. I almost died. At this point I’m going to let Lily give a first-hand account of the event and our performance. It was brilliant. Being multi-lingual and fortunate enough to understand/make myself understood in most countries I’ve
traveled to, it’s ironic that I should encounter this prejudicial (and purely psychological) communicative barrier in my home country. With mischievous glee I repeatedly tried to make eye contact with each person at the table, earning nothing but one quick wink from the gentleman across from me. I was sure the chopsticks would do the trick, but sadly, the other guests took it all in stride. Even when I asked a question (through my interpreter) the response was given to Mathiaus while I sat there ignored and excluded from the conversation, as though mentally incompetent. I also noticed about halfway through the night that the only other Asian girl (6yrs old and adopted from China) somehow turned up sitting next to me. It felt like ‘Diversity Corner’ all over again. The hardest part actually came after dinner when the DJ started playing anthems (those songs we all know the words to but would never admit to liking). It was all I could do to stop myself from mouthing the words to “YMCA” and blowing my cover. My dad almost spoiled the joke for us, but a firm hand and soft voice in his ear stopped his guilty tongue. After about 3 hours of this, I grew tired of the game. I was thoroughly disappointed by how ignorantly polite everyone was. I was not even asked how I had learned Korean or how Lily and I met. This is just another example of how Canadians, and sometime People as a whole, can be polite to a fault. So afraid of offending anyone or revealing their ignorance, everyone hid behind silence and polite smiles. The true joy was spending an evening wallowing in our private joke while the entire table squirmed in discomfort. Last impressions were that I should “take good care of that girl” and that Lily was a “nice, reserved girl”. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We’re still laughing about it. I think Lily and I deserve an Oscar for our performances. Please feel free to nominate us and, please, send your thoughts in to me. [thenewspaper@ thenewspaper.ca Subject: I hate you]
the campus comment HELENE GODERIS
the newspaper asks: “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Photos: Helene Goderis
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“I’m lost.” Joe Paiva (right), 10th year Parking Services U of T
“Coffee and smoke.” Giovanni Burdo, 10th year Campus Services U of T
“Fishing!”
“I don’t even know what I’m doing.”
Kevin McGahon, 6th year Elevator Department U of T
“Just going around. I thought I was coming into work. Keepin’ busy. Putting in my seven and a half. I’m burnt out. Then I’ll go home and put in another seven and a half. I just got a house.”
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Dan Craig, 4th year Political Science student
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4 the newspaper
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the news 10 days in a tent, in a library. The “Live in for Literacy� NEWTON ADDO Campus Events Bureau Imagine spending ten straight nights sleeping on the floor of Robarts Library. On January 25th, University of Toronto students Rebecca Nugent (fourth year) and Chris Somma (third year) were relieved from their ten day stay at Robarts, part of Live-in for Literacy’s campaign to raise money for libraries in India. The students set up camp on January 16th in the main lobby of Robarts and stayed put for 24 hours a day under constant webcam surveillance. Only five
minutes per hour were devoted to bathroom breaks or were banked to allow time for a quick shower. Most of their time was spent roped off and requesting donations destined for Room to Read, a well known charity that has constructed over 5,600 libraries in developing nations in the last eight years. The campaign aimed to raise $40,000 dollars to build nine school libraries in India. The final count has yet to be announced, but let’s hope, for the sake Photo: Newton Addo
of many deserving children – and our brave campers – that the efforts paid off. Last year’s campaign exceeded its $20,000 goal, raising $27,000 to build six libraries in Nepal. This year’s campaign raised the bar significantly, doubling its target proceeds. As Live-in for Literacy expands and more universities join, the campaign can expect to continue raising more money each year, enhancing its impact on children around the world. The event, the first of its kind at U of T, was started at Queen’s University by the group DREAM and has been successfully taking place at Queen’s for four years. This year it took place simultaneously at seven universities across Canada, including Concordia, McMaster, Queen’s, and U of T. To find out more information about Live-in for Literacy and its future events, you can check them out at www. liveinforliteracy.com.
Christopher Somma (left) is a third year University of Toronto student double majoring in Architectural Design and Fine Art History. Rebecca Nugent (right) is a fourth year University of Toronto student studying English, History and Sociology.
...continued from page 1 the award-winning “The Vagina Monologues.� V-Day UTSC is seeking actors, artists, and other performers to participate in the events. Auditions are being held on January 29th and 30th, and February 5th and 6th. If you cannot make the auditions, please email for alternative accommodations. For more information, contact: vdayutsc@gmail.com V-Day Performers from Seattle University
Photo: Nerissa CariĂąo
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the newspaper 5
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the news
cont’d
Op-Ed - The Gaza conflict We’re smokin’ Canadians continue to light up SEMRA EYLUL SEVI & HAMMAM FARAH
ASHLEY MINUK (NC)
Community Concerns Bureau
Health Bureau
For nearly a month now, there has been the hum of furious and frantic laptop action about us. Since Israel’s latest assault on Gaza began on December 27, our circle of Palestinian friends has relied on computers and cell phones to reach their loved ones in Gaza. Everyone is feeling rage, fear, and despair as Israel carries out their crimes with impunity. Each email received, each phone call makes our hearts skip a beat; each contact made means potentially bad news. In recent months, Palestinians in Gaza have been dying silently for want of basic medications and food prevented from reaching them. Now, they are dying from shells targeting their homes and schools. Already, the bone-chillingly cold streets of Toronto have seen several mass demonstrations of solidarity with the people of Gaza. For Palestinians in the Diaspora, it’s about education, solidarity, and the promotion of the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and its institutions. The long-term goal is the ending of Israeli apartheid. But the immediate aim is to prick the conscience of humanity, breaking the world’s silence over the two-year-old siege on Gaza and its culmination in this massive assault that has taken the lives of more than a thousand people. When Hammam Farah phoned his grandmother who lives in Gaza to check on her last week, she explained that while one once could choose between bread and rice, now there is only bread. It seems clear that soon there will be nothing. She went on to say that the electricity was out and that the water was dirty and had to be boiled before usage. The psychological aspect is even worse. People are left to contemplate their few options: stay at home, or seek shelter elsewhere within the narrow streets of Gaza – one of the few territories on earth where civilians are denied the chance to leave and seek refuge during a time of war or bombardment. Like those in Gaza, Farah and our Palestinian friends live in constant fear and uncertainty, always wondering if their families are dead or alive. But the suffering only strengthens our will to persist; we cling desperately to hope, for it’s all there is to hold on to. Here in Canada, our universities have not been consistent in their responses to the
violence. Several university presidents issued a statement in 2007 condemning the motion of Britain’s University and College Union to discuss the academic boycott of Israel, citing the principle of academic freedom as justification. But they have remained silent over the bombing of the Islamic University of Gaza and other educational institutions. All the student unions, including UTSU, that refused or kept delaying the passing of boycott resolutions, will now have to make a choice. This is just the beginning. It is inspirational to see the thousands of people who came out to the streets in protest and the many who attended a teach-in regarding Gaza last week. The number of unions who are pledging to boycott Israel is continuing to grow. The number of Jews opposing Israel’s apartheid is continuing to grow. Even the media has begun reporting on Jewish condemnation and protest of Israel’s action. And the governments of Venezuela and Bolivia have cut their ties with Israel. On top of the intense anger and sadness so many people feel about the violence in Gaza, there is frustration at the lack of ways to channel it into a political response that can change the course of events, end the suffering, and bring justice. But there are ways, and this is a moment to focus on them. At U of T, concerned students have formed a coalition in support of Gaza to strategize actions that students can take to publicly condemn the bombings of educational institutions in Gaza by Israeli forces and pressure our University president, David Naylor, to do the same. To get involved, please email saia@ riseup.net Semra Eylul Sevi is a student activist and a member of the Students Against Israeli Apartheid at U of T and is also a part of the collation of students formed in support of Gaza at U of T. Hammam Farah is a Palestinian Canadian who was born in the Gaza Strip. He resides in Toronto and is a solidarity activist with the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), which is spearheading the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign in Canada.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper or its staff. Our goal is to give voice to the wide variety of peoples and opinions that comprise the U of T community. To have your voice heard in an Op-Ed, please send an email to thenewspaper@thenewspaper. ca Subject: Op-Ed.
Given the wellknown health risks associated with smoking, one might think smoking rates would be on a steady decline over the past few years. Sadly, this is not the case. Despite increased education regarding smokingrelated diseases and stricter laws surrounding tobacco purchasing and consumption, smoking rates remain unchanged. While there have been some minor decreases in smoking among youth (aged 15-19 years) and young adults (aged 20-24 years) within the past year, the Canadian population, as a whole, is not ‘butting out’. Smoking is a major public health issue that kills approximately 37,000 Canadians a The newspaper writer Dan Craig defiantly enjoys a smoke Photo: Helene Goderis year. It is the single most important preventable cause smoking rate of any province at 24%, or of lung cancer, contributing to 85% of double the national target rate. all new cases in Canada., which, as a When surveyed for The Lung Asresult, causes a great financial burden sociation’s report Making Quit Happen: on Canada’s healthcare system. Tobacco Canada’s Challenges to Smoking Cesuse costs Canada billions of dollars sation, 91% of smokers indicated some each year, and costs have increased desire to quit. Despite government steadily since 1966. In 2002, tobacco efforts to reduce smoking prevalence, use accounted for $4.4 billion in direct which included tax increases, adverhealth care costs and an additional tising bans, warnings on cigarette $12.5 billion in indirect costs such as lost packages and smoke-free legislation, productivity, long-term disability and the lack of progress during the last three premature death. years can likely be attributed to the main In the summer of 2007, the Federal barrier to quitting smoking - nicotine Health Minister announced a goal to addiction. reduce smoking rates from 19% to 12% Addiction to nicotine is what keeps by 2011. However, according to results Canadians smoking – it is not a choice from the Canadian Tobacco Use Monor lifestyle habit. In order for smokers itoring Survey (CTUMS), over the past to receive treatment for nicotine addicthree years the current smoking rate has tion, viable access to helpful resources remained unchanged at 19%. Prior to is needed. The lack of consistency in 2005, smoking had been steadily on the the coverage of smoking cessation decline, but now, due to the stagnant medications and the resources available national smoking rate, Canada is not across Canada can be discouraging to on target to reach the federal governthose who want to quit, but struggle ment’s goal. Currently, 15% of Canadians with how to quit. In order for Canadian reported smoking a daily average of 15.5 smoking rates to get back on track, new cigarettes, while 4% were reported as ways of treating nicotine addiction and occasional smokers. better access to resources will need to The CTUMS data shows that even be explored by federal and provincial British Columbia, the province with the governments. lowest percentage of smokers, main- News Canada tains a 14% smoking rate – two per cent higher than the national goal. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has the highest
6 the newspaper
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the arts U of T Film Festival
Off on the right F.O.O.T.
For reel
Festival of Original Theatre
ANDREW GYORKOS
AMANDA CAMPBELL
Film Bureau
Theatrical Arts Bureau
Since its humble beginnings in 2002, the U of T Film Festival has grown to become a premier destination for local aspiring filmmakers to cut their teeth and exhibit their material. Last year’s Festival was a four night affair that proudly presented around 100 short films and two feature length movies. Because 2009 marks the eighth year of the Festival, the organizers intend to up the ante with a six night celluloid extravaganza with plans to increase the number of short and feature films on display. This year’s Film Festival is sponsored by a motley handful of partners, each member dedicated to bringing a unique element to the proceedings in order to create as diverse and engaging an event as possible. The Hart House Film Board, which has been with the U of T Film Festival since its inception, is presenting its annual Film Board Gala¸ a juried screening of the best shorts the Hart House Film Board has to offer. They are also responsible for the Super 8 Circus, a stream of twenty-four silent Super 8 films put to live music by the jazz ensemble Book of Gnomes. The Hart House Art Committee will host UofTube, a recently added programme that airs YouTube-style short films, as well as The Debutante Ball, a collaborative video assembled in various workshops by lead artist Oliver Husain. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Transgendered of the University of Toronto (or LGBTOUT) recognizes and presents the sexual diversity side of the Festival, and as such will be showcasing a programme of short queer-themed works in association with the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery. The Cinema Studies Student Union will also be taking their Free Friday Films event to the Friday evening of the Festival, as well as hosting a Spotlight on Cinema Studies programme to display the works of CINSSU students. Additionally, they will play host to the second annual Shitty Film Contest, which honours the shittiest films with the shittiest prizes. In other (less profane) words, the Shitty Film Contest airs the worst minute-long films and rewards them with appropriate prizes (all in good fun, of course). Last but not least is the Frontier College screening of “Amal”, the breakout feature length film directed by recent U of T graduate Richie Mehta. “Amal” was shown at a handful of festivals in 2007, including the TIFF and the Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, before having a limited theatrical run over the late summer of this past year. The film was considered to be one of the best Canadian films of the year and received much critical acclaim. Many even consider director Richie Mehta to be U of T’s next Atom Egoyan or Babak Payami. The 2009 U of T Film Festival is shaping up to be an ambitious event with a copious and varied catalogue to satisfy all manner of filmgoer. Over
Did you know that Hart House isn’t the only theatre at the University of Toronto? There is one just upstairs from the bookstore, in the Koffler Building! It is called the Robert Gill Theatre and this week it is the site of the 15th Annual Festival of Original Theatre (F.O.O.T), on from Thursday, January 29th to Saturday, January 31st. Why should you go? Well, if you’re at all interested in theatre, the answer is simple. I guarantee you will find an interesting idea, or a kernel of one, at F.O.O.T. Maybe it will inspire a play, or a directing choice, or make you question something you once thought was set in stone. F.O.O.T always has a theme, this year’s being violence and its representation onstage. The keynote panel on Friday January 30th at 7:30pm is sure to engage. It will feature brilliant director and actor David Storch, and one of Canada’s most successful playwrights, Judith Thompson, who will be speaking about the Canadian Stage Company’s production of “Palace of the End”. I can’t think of two more qualified people to speak about staging violence than these two: Storch’s Artistic Directorship at the Canadian Stage Company last year included “The Pillowman” and “Misery”, and Thompson’s plays are sometimes parodied for their violence. The Festival also includes perform-
the years the Festival has expanded to become something of an international affair, one that occasionally exhibits work from over seas, but rest assured that the vast majority of the featured content is home-grown local material from U of T students and Toronto in general. The Festival will continue accepting all submissions up until February 4th, but be aware that there is a FROM strong preference for shorter films that are in English or feature English sub-titles. There is no question that this would be a great place for aspiring filmmakers to gain exposure and showcase their talents, and all those interested are encouraged to make a submission. Additionally, there is a demand for entries into the first annual Sweding Contest in light of the 2008 film “Be Kind Rewind”. This competition calls for brief three minute long movie parodies with prizes for the cream of the crop. For the spectator, the Festival runs from March 9th to the 14th. Tickets for all students are $5 per evening, and $8 per evening for the general public. Friday March 13th is free to all, courtesy of the CINSSU.
ances: two fully staged shows on Saturday, January 31st at 8:00pm will explore the theme of violence, and three readings of plays written by scholars at the Drama Centre will run from 4:30pm6:30pm on Friday, January 30th. On Thursday, January 29th (2pm-10:30pm), Friday, January 30th (12:30pm-10:30pm), and Saturday, January 31st (10am-10pm), the Robert Gill Theatre will also be host to paper readings, among some other events. The best part is that F.O.O.T is free and functions entirely on a drop-in basis; there is no obligation to stay for long periods of time. It’s a win/win all around. Hearing the thoughts, perceptions and anecdotes from the people who create such theatre is sure to be a rare experience. No matter what your role in the theatre community, it should be a wonderful opportunity for growth. Check out http://www.graddrama. utoronto.ca/newsEvents_foot09.html for more information.
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IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE JANUARY 30
the newspaper 7
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the arts
cont’d
The number of people that make it to Wavelength despite the frigid temperatures just goes to show that Wavelength is awesome enough to have a committed following. The three bands that took the stage for Wavelength’s 447th show met the expectations of that trusting audience, propped in front of the psychedelic mind-fuck that is the backdrop provided by the light guy, General Chaos. The Weirdies Who would’ve thought that punk garage rockabilly would be so easy on
the ears? The Weirdies are a “tight mix of not taking themselves too seriously and good songs,� as organizer Jonny Dovercourt put it. The three-piece band seemed to fully enjoy their songs, and I was buying it. Each member took turns with lead vocals and slickly ran through fun songs like “Knife Fight at the Planetarium� and “Fuck Switzerland.� The countdown clock The Weirdies perched on stage proves how fast time flies when you’re listening to good music. Adolf Glitter The crowd filled in by the time Adolf
Glitter went on stage. Their set seemed to be a parody of the crusty underbelly of bad electro music. Glitter did to electro music what Hitler did Europe. Mission accomplished. At one point in the show, bouncer Gord had to confiscate a mickey from the band. Admittedly and unapologetically, they’re a “drunk band,� sporting unflattering underwear and still learning the lyrics to their songs; surprising, considering that their songs were short on lyrics, except for the highlight of their set, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. Basically, it was a sh*t show. Oh No Forest Fires Oh no, somebody find Smokey the Bear, ‘ cause I’m not drunk enough for this. Yet. Let me restate that Sneaky Dee’s sells $4 Grolsch on Sundays. Headlining act Oh No Forest Fires raged out of control across the dry underbrush of the stage. Just kidding. It was more like a forest fire that didn’t know it was contained yet. Exceptional percussion laid the foundation for an overcrowded soundscape. The strongest moments were in the heavier rock-out sections where their muddy
The Weirdies: Creepy? No. Awesome? Yes!
Adolf Glitter were good, but the men’s boxers definitely stole the show.
Oh No Forest Fires tries to heat up Wavelength 447
The Wavelength Weekly: 447 The Weirdies, Adolf Glitter, Oh No Forest Fires DANIEL CRAIG & HELENE GODERIS Musical Arts Bureau
sound seemed most at home. Their intensity and strong, driving beats made up for the unconventional chord progressions and it was this energy that stoked a fire under everyone’s feet before we all headed back out into the cold winter night. ...continued from page 1
Rouse, an actor who, after graduating from the University of Guelph’s Dramatic Arts program in 1996, continued his theatrical studies in the UK at the London Academy for Dramatic Art and has been performing in Toronto theatre productions ever since. Rouse notes that the play “is a satire, it’s not intended to be blasphemous;� however, he does admit that this is by far the most controversial piece he has participated in. When asked if he has any major personal issues with the play’s content, Rouse claims that the most controversial aspect is “the religious nature of the second act. But this is only in Jerry’s mind: it is by no means a direct reflection of truth, nor is it claiming to be.� In order to play Jerry Springer honestly and faithfully, Rouse endured painstaking research. “I could only watch about 5 minutes of the show then I had to turn it off,� he explains. Springer “seems like an intelligent guy; he ran for Senate, and he knew what the people wanted. But everybody has two sides to their personality.� This is precisely the underlying point of the play: that Jerry is also a regular human being, with his own anxieties about failure, and his own secrets. And, his own demons to battle with – both literally and figuratively.
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8 the newspaper
January 29th – February 4th, 2009
the end the jumbler
BY: ASHLEY MINUK
Unscramble the letters to form common words. Use the letters in the highlighted boxes to answer the riddle!
BY STEPHEN NOTLEY
Answer for last week’s jumbler: “We come in pieces” Solution to THIS jumbler in next week’s the newspaper