Moira
Buffini Festival A satirist. A feminist. Wickedly smart and funny.
Loveplay October 30 – November 8 at 7:30 pm matinee November 6 at 12:30 pm
University of Alberta Timms Centre for the Arts Tickets $11 – $22 Available at the Timms Centre ualberta.ca/artshows
Yiwen Zhou Design
LOVEPLAY BY MOIRA BUFFINI
THE ACTING COMPANY – In alphabetical order Nikki Hulowski Maxwell Theodore Lebeuf Kabriel Lilly Dylan Parsons Zvonimir Rac Morgan Yamada CREATIVE TEAM Director
Jan Selman
Set & Costume Designer
Robert Shannon
Lighting Designer
Zsófia Opra Szabó
Composer/Sound Designer
Matthew Skopyk
Assistant Set Design
Alison Yanota
Assistant Light Design
Camille Maltais
Voice/Speech/Text Coach
Elizabeth Moulton
Movement Coach Preliminary Production Dramaturgy
Marie Nychka
Kendall Savage
STAGE MANAGEMENT Stage Manager
FengYi (Mona) Jiang
Assistant Stage Manager
Kate Quinn-Feehan
ADVISORS Design Advisor
Robert Shannon
Stage Management Advisor
John Raymond
Amateur performance rights to produce Loveplay are courtesy United Agents Inc. UK There is no intermission.
Contents
• 3 Production Team • 4 Romp Through Histor y •5, 6 Dramaturgical Notes • 7, 8 Award Spotlight• 8 Production Histor y & Mandate • 13 Staff • 16 Donors 2
PRODUCTION TEAM PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager: Gerry van Hezewyk Technical Director: Larry Clark Assistant Technical Director: Maria Burkinshaw Wardrobe Manager: Joanna Johnston Cutter: Julie Davie Stitchers: Karen Kucher Kathleen Mulder Practicum Students: Tegan Figanski Head Scenic/Stage Carpenter: Darrell Cooksey Scenic Carpenters: Barbara Hagensen Brian Maxwell Chris Chelich Scenic Artist: George Griffiths Scenic Painters: Rachael Alexandre, Chris Chelich, Micha Hlebnicov, Hannah Matiachuk, Mattia Poulin, Allison Robinson, Johnny Samycia, Cheyenne Sykes, Alison Yanota Properties Master: Props Builders: Lighting Supervisor: Head of Lighting: Lighting Technicians:
Jane Kline Sarah Karpyshin Kathleen Mulder Jeff Osterlin Jules Labots Stephanie Bahniuk, Chris Chelich, Matt Koyata, Charlie Lynn, Camille Maltais, Rhys Martin, Jacinda Maxwell, Mattia Poulin, Doug Radford, Alison Yanota
Sound Supervisor: Sound Technician:
Matthew Skopyk Allison Robinson
RUNNING CREW: Sound Operator: Dressers: Stagehands:
Allison Robinson Elise Jason Liza Xenova Charlie Lynn Kai Villneff Maria Burkinshaw
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Nikki Hulowski Maxwell Theodore Lebeuf Kabriel Lilly Dylan Parsons Zvonimir Rac Morgan Yamada
THE ACTING COMPANY
The action of Loveplay takes place on the same square of land, which moves through time from the past to the present.
A CRITICAL ROMP THROUGH HISTORY
MOIRA BUFFINI – BIOGRAPHY by Rohan Kulkarni,
UAlberta MA Drama candidate
M
oira Buffini, born in 1965, is a British playwright, actor, and director.
The second of three sisters, Buffini was born and raised in Cheshire, England and eventually moved to study English and Drama at the University of London. She then trained as an actor, while developing plays to tour at local Fringe festivals. Her first major success was Silence, which premiered in 1999, and Loveplay followed in 2001. Since then, Buffini has written several plays, including Dying for It (2007), Welcome to Thebes (2010) and the recent tongue-in-cheek women’s political drama Handbagged (2013). She is the winner of Time Out and Writer’s Guild awards, as well as two-time recipient of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions by women playwrights. Buffini has served as the playwright-inresidence at the National Theatre Studio in London. She is also a well-known writer for TV and Film, and wrote the adapted screenplay for the critically acclaimed 2011 film Jane Eyre. Buffini’s body of work has distinguished her as a self-aware feminist playwright, which is why the University of Alberta is presenting not one, but two of her plays this Studio Theatre season, and a third in the Bleviss Labratory Theatre. This unique showcase of Buffini’s work intends to celebrate the spirit of feminist writing and its necessity in today’s theatre. Canadian audiences have yet to be fully introduced to her plays, and the festival is a way to inspire conversation about this celebrated playwright. Buffini’s writing is fresh, relevant and delivers some hard-hitting lessons in a lighthearted fashion.
Fall Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7 PM - 12:30 AM Sundays: 7 PM - 11 PM
780-4-WALK-ME
su.ualberta.ca/safewalk
WE’LL WALK YOU HOME.
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PRODUCTION HISTORY by Rohan Kulkarni,
UAlberta MA Drama candidate
Loveplay was first performed at the Pit Theatre in London in February 2001, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It received favourable reviews at the time, with the Telegraph calling the play “delightfully quirky, funny and touching” and noting that Buffini is “capable of conjuring up both an absorbing dramatic situation and the spirit of an age.” Loveplay has become a popular performance piece among established professionals and emerging artists alike. It has seen productions at Fringe festivals across the English-speaking world, particularly in Britain and Australia, where it has become a staple. Some of Buffini’s plays have been staged in Canada over the years, and the number is growing, mainly due to an increase in feminist theatre companies across the country. Loveplay was first performed in Canada by Vancouver-based Shameless Hussy Productions. The award-winning company, whose mission is “telling provocative stories about women, to inspire the hand that rocks the cradle to rock the world,” produced Loveplay in 2005. It received positive reviews and was declared a “runaway hit” by the Vancouver Sun.
U OF A STUDIO THEATRE MANDATE • To provide sterling training and educational opportunities for BFA acting, technical theatre and stage management students, and MFA design, directing and MA dramaturgy students • To provide research / creative activity opportunities for the Department of Drama’s faculty practitioners • To provide opportunities for connections with departments across campus through the choice of plays which have cultural, literary and historical significance • To provide opportunities for the community at large to engage with the Department of Drama through guest artist collaboration and attendance as audience members Kathleen Weiss, Artistic Director, U of A Studio Theatre and Chair, Department of Drama 6
AWARD SPOTLIGHT
Acting instructors recognized for excellence in helping students learn the art of stagecraft.
Bev Betkowski
(Edmonton) Putting his stamp on a monologue from Shakespeare’s Othello was not easy for Zvonimir Rac, and there was little sympathy from his professor when his interpretation failed to evolve over the weeks.
fine arts degree, and is powered by a group of instructors whose dedication has earned them the U of A’s Teaching Unit Award for 2014. The award recognizes teaching excellence that results from collaborative instruction.
“I got a slap on the wrist,” the University of Alberta drama student recalls. “I was told I hadn’t worked on the piece, and it was true. So I chose to work harder, and the next time I presented that monologue, I got the praise.”
The group of instructors was among top faculty, staff and students recognized at the university’s annual Celebrate! Teaching. Learning. Research event Sept. 25.
It’s that kind of tough love, given through the U of A Department of Drama’s BFA Acting Teaching Unit, that has polished the confidence and talent of Rac and many actors before him.
Under the teaching unit’s guidance, students like Rac learn the whole spectrum of stagecraft, spanning everything from dance and voice training to “full-on certification” for stage combat, said Sandra Nicholls, co-ordinator of the BFA teaching unit.
The dynamic studio-style conservatory training program, based in the Faculty of Arts, is small but intense, honing 12 hand-picked students over three of the four years they study for a bachelor of
The program provides a creative learning environment that readies the students for careers in professional theatre, film, television, radio and newer, nontraditional spotlights like video games. 7
AWARD SPOTLIGHT (continued)
“The whole program works in building blocks. We work towards amalgamation of body, mind and spirit,” Nicholls said. Over the course of the program, students explore and build on their abilities. And by the fourth year, “we take them onto that big stage and that is their professional year.” They showcase their talents through four full-scale professional shows as part of the U of A’s Studio Theatre season. Along the way, Nicholls and her fellow teachers push the students to new heights. “We strive to raise the bar with each project so as they learn something, they are also being challenged, always being tested.” Evaluation is constant, with ongoing student interviews. “We give them an opportunity to sit down with the unit and talk about their progress and hopes, celebrate their victories and identify where they need to work harder.” Rac, entering his final year of the BFA program, feels ready to launch a career as a full-time actor, thanks to what he’s learned. “The program gave me a determination to succeed; it pushed me to exhaustion, working up to 14 hours a day at school. Through all that, I have to keep a high standard of achievement and I can look back at my three years and say, ‘I’ve been through this and I can really tackle anything now.’ “The professors are so supportive in everything we as students do. Our relationship is more as colleagues than
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as teachers and students,” Rac added. “Our professors need us as much as we need them; they have their passion for teaching and we have our passion for learning the craft. There’s a mutual respect and with that, a lot of freedom to be yourself.” Proud to receive the Teaching Unit Award, the BFA team chalks up its success to connecting with and caring about its students, Nicholls said. “We have a high level of engagement with them, both by ensemble year and with the individuals within the classes, so are very good at addressing their needs. The greatest success for us is that we train graduates who have long-standing and sustainable careers in the performing arts,” she added. “Our grads go out and work at all levels in theatre and film as actors, directors, playwrights, artistic directors and theatre arts entrepreneurs.” Alumni include Canadian television stars Paul Gross and Lorne Cardinal, and other finely trained professionals who power theatre scenes in Edmonton, throughout Alberta and beyond. Everything from Edmonton’s Fringe Festival and Shakespeare in the Park to Ontario’s prestigious Stratford and Shaw festival theatres has shimmered with a dash here and there of U of A-trained talent, Nicholls added.
WHAT’S ON AT UALBERTA? Blavatsky’s Tower MFA grad show By Moira Buffini
Mind Body Phone
A blind visionary and his family, secluded in a decaying tower, face mortality. A tragi-comedie.
What boundaries?
Emilie St. Hilaire
Drawing & Intermedia
An innovative concert of new and recent works featuring Department of Music faculty composers.
FAB Gallery
Timms Centre for the Arts
Timms Centre for the Arts
Nov 27 - Dec 6
Nov 4 - 29
Jan 10
ualberta.ca/artshows
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Administrative Staff Kathleen Weiss: Chair, Department of Drama Julie Brown: Assistant Chair Administration David Prestley: Theatre Administrator / Events Coordinator Jessica Parr: Box Office Coordinator / Events Assistant Ruth Vander Woude: Graduate Advisor / Chair’s EA Connie Golden: Undergraduate Advisor Helen Baggaley: Office Coordinator With assistance from Faculty of Arts staff: Salena Kitteringham: Fine Arts Communications Lead Terah Jans: Fine Arts Marketing Specialist Kyle Ireland: Fine Arts Recruitment Coordinator
Production Staff Gerry van Hezewyk: Production Manager / Administrative Professional Officer Larry Clark: Technical Director, Timms Centre for the Arts Darrell Cooksey: Head Carpenter Julie Davie: Cutter Joanna Johnston: Costume Manager Jane Kline: Property Master Karen Kucher: Costumer, Fine Arts Building Don MacKenzie: Technical Director, Fine Arts Building Jeff Osterlin: Lighting Supervisor Jessica Parr: Production Administrative Assistant Matthew Skopyk: Second Playing Space Coordinator / Sound Supervisor
Front of House Bonita Akai, Angela Cotton, Danielle Dugan, Alisdair Gadowsky, Bob Gaudet, Terri Gingras, Tasreen Hudson, Laura Norton, Candice Stollery, Faye Stollery, Cheryl Vandergraaf and Catherine Vielguth Volunteers: Christian Badiu, Debbie Beaver, Oleg Bogatryrevich, Susan Box, Franco Correa, Sarah Culkin, Joan Damkjar, Alana De Melo, Jonathan Durynek, Mary and Gene Ewanyshyn, Thom Friesen, Ron Gleason, Darcy Hoover-Correa, Mary Ingraham, MarieAndrĂŠe Lachapelle, Don Lavigne, Kabriel Lilly, Connie Logan, Sareeta Lopez, Tom and Gillian McGovern, Marlene Maylj, Connor Meeker, Jennifer Morely, Joe Perry, Alice Petruk, David Prestley, Leila Raye-Crofton, and Jane Voloboeva 12
DEPARTURES & ARRIVALS W
e regret to announce that Mel Geary has stepped down from his position as Lighting Supervisor. We celebrate his significant contributions to the department and the industry as a whole during his twenty-seven year tenure. In recent years due to his infectious curiosity, Mel consistently performed well beyond his scope of work leading the introduction of innovations in projected media, moving lights and LED technology to the teaching and learning within the department. More significantly, he leaves a legacy of mentorship to an entire generation of design and production practitioners in theatre, film and television, due to his unique approach in enabling creative endeavors to flourish. In addition to his work as technical demonstrator and instructor, Mel’s lasting reputation as an expert in his field is evidenced by his stints as a designer, technician, guest lecturer, coach, consultant/advisor, workshop facilitator, and panelist. Jeff Osterlin, our Technical Director for rental events, has agreed to fill the position on an interim basis for this academic year. Ann Salmonson, the Cutter in our wardrobe department, has recently accepted a position with the Royal Alberta Museum. This opportunity will surely draw upon the qualities that made her invaluable to us, including her profound technical skills and knowledge, not to mention her seemingly limitless curiosity. We are delighted that Julie Davie has accepted our invitation to fill this vacancy. With formal education in fashion design and production, she brings many years of theatrical wardrobe experience, including seasons with the Stratford Festival, The Citadel, Edmonton Opera, and the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. We wish to congratulate FOH Box Office/Production Administrative Assistant Jonathan Durynek who has accepted a year-long secondment with Alumni Relations as an Event Coordinator. We are not surprised that his immense talents have been recognized by others on campus, such that he has been afforded this well-deserved opportunity for professional growth. We are pleased to announce that Jessica Parr, a recent graduate of our BFA Stage Management program, has been appointed as his replacement until October 2015. We applaud the achievements of Mel, Ann and Jonathan, and wish them well as they embark on what will no doubt be very fruitful journeys of continued exploration, while welcoming equally enthusiastic collaborators Jeff, Julie and Jessica on board. Gerry Van Hezewyk Production Manager/APO
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DONORS H
eartfelt thanks to the individuals, foundations and organizations listed below for recognizing the importance of the arts by directly investing in the Department of Drama’s innovation and leadership in theatre training and performance. A round of applause to our supporters!
Baha R. Abu-Laban Janet Allcock Giovanna Anselmo Vera Apletree Doug Armstrong Annalisa C. Baer Barbara Baer Pillay Roderick E. Banks James T. Barmby PHD David Barnet & Edith Mitchell Marg Barrie William Barton Carole Barton Joan Bensted William Betteridge Richard Bowes David Brindley Julie Brown Dr Adolf Buse Rachel Christopher Brent Christopherson Penny Coates Faye Cohen Dr Lesley B. Cormack Brian Crummy Brian J. Deedrick Robert Desmarais W Gifford Edmonds Jacqueline Evenson John & Bunny Ferguson Mike Giles
Ron & Sheila Gooding Melvina M. Gowda Bohdan Harasymiw P Ruth Harle Dr Murray Hawkins Christopher Head Bonnie Irwin Jeanne Irwin Pavel and Sylva Jelen Dr Joan M Johnston Gerry Kendal Michelle Kennedy Matthew Kloster Karen Kucher Patricia Langan Bill Lauder Peggy M Marko Gordon McIntosh Rod McLeod Mary Ellen Meszaros Betty Moulton Dr Audrey O’Brien Dale Olausen Esther Ondrack Mary-Ellen M. Perley-Waugh Tom A. Richards Dr Owen Ricker Judith Robinson Kenneth L. Roy Valerie Sarty R Brenda Devlin Schmidt
Dr Alison Scott-Prelorentzos Albin Shanley Phillip Silver Betty Lou Sloan Dr & Mrs Brian Sproule Cori Stent Gilda L.F. Valli Henriette van Hees Sonia Varela Doug Warren Deborah Yee Edmonton Community Foundation Various Anonymous Donors
This list includes those who donated to various Drama funds from August 2013 - July 2014. Apologies for inadvertent omissions or errors. Contact 780-492-2271 for corrections.
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