Edugyan & Price at Russell’s

Posted on May 13, 2013 by john threlfall

Good news for local literature lovers—not only is Russell’s Books expanding again, but they’re also kicking off a new reading series! In an age where independent bookstores seem to be vanishing faster than space in newspapers for book reviews, it’s great to see a local outfit like Russell’s breaking new ground.

Edugyan & Price

As part of their latest expansion, Russell’s Books is now opening Russell’s Vintage, which collects all their antiquarian books in one handy spot—the former Fort Café location, downstairs at 742 Fort Street. Better still, Russell’s Vintage will also offer a stage which will host a new reading series. This week, the series kicks off with multiple award-winning author Esi Edugyan (Half-Blood Blues) and local poet and novelist Steven Price (Into That Darkness), plus poet Marita Daschsel, at 7pm Tuesday, May 14.

Like Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane for the next generation, the husband-and-wife team of Edugyan and Price both hail from the Writing program and have both taught for the Writing department. (They’ve even been nominated for the same award at the same time.) Come on out and support them on Tuesday night . . . after you vote. And you are going to vote, right?

Summer art courses

Posted on April 17, 2013 by john threlfall

Looking to broaden your visual horizon? Check out these summer courses offered by the departments of Visual Arts and History in Art.

Detail of Sara Graham’s “StreetFinder: Halifax” (2012, Photograph mounted on dibond)

Reconfiguring the City (Art 351) — Tired of seeing the city in the same old way? This course will reposition the city as a place, as a space and as an idea for artistic experimentation, intervention and critique. In addition to introducing current dialogues about urban space and the interrelationships between art and the city and between public and private realms, students will conceive assignments focusing on interdisciplinary artistic approaches to social mapping, site specificity and the creation of real or imagined strategies for artistic interventions. This project-based class is open for students to explore in any medium and it should be regarded as a means for extending independent research and studio practices into considerations of the urban context of contemporary art.

If that sounds daunting, however, keep in mind that the groundbreaking and super-cool Arcade Fire video The Wildness Downtown influenced the development of the first assignment and is required viewing for this course.

Reconfiguring the City runs daily 9:30am – 2:50pm June 12 – July 5

Art 351 is taught by Sara Graham, who has been primarily concerned with the issues and ideas of the contemporary city. Mapping has long been a central tenet of her artistic practice, and over the past several years she has created a series of diagramatic drawings and sculptural models that describe and represent urban networks, traversing that liminal space between the real and the imagined. “I’m really excited to experience Victoria through the eyes of my students,” she says.

King Tut’s burial mask

Meanwhile, over in History in Art, check out the Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt: New Kingdom and Late Period (HA 355B). This course provides an introduction to the material culture of Egypt, focusing on the late 18th dynasty—which includes, but is not limited to, the reigns of Amehotep III, Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Monuments and art objects will be considered in their historical and social contexts, and some emphasis will be placed upon archaeological procedures in terms of the rediscovery and conservation of specific sites/artifacts.

Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt runs daily 10:30am – 12:20pm June 12 – July 5.

HA 355B is taught by Dennine Dudley, who believes in tracing threads through time. She is also interested in history from the big bang through to tomorrow, and her current focus is mainly on early modern visual culture. She’s also a textile arts and technology aficionado.

England’s Stonehenge

But if architecture is more your thing, check out Architecture: The Sacred and the Mythical (HA 392 A03). From the beginning, certain natural formations—mountains, caves, springs, and so on—were thought to be the earthly dwelling-places of the Divine. Typically, temples were built on these sites at an early date, and in many cases those first temples have been replaced by buildings that are still standing (some in a ruinous state). From these, in turn, most modern sacred architecture—and much that we think of as secular— has developed.

Vienna’s Church of the Most Holy Trinity

This course will reflect on the anthropological and theological phenomenon of sacred space and sacred architecture, and on case studies drawn mainly (but not solely) from the history of Euro-American architecture. In the “secular” modern age, from which the sacred has supposedly vanished, this is a highly complicated question, with, instead, temples to national heroes and warrior-martyrs; gallery and museum “shrines” to house talismans of history, art, and culture; and even the veneration of hero-architects—Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind. These phenomena, too, will be acknowledged.

Architecture: The Sacred and the Mythical runs daily 12:30 – 2:30 pm, June 12 – July 5.

HA 392 is taught by Christopher Thomas, whose area of specialty is Modern architectural history, 1750 to the present, with an emphasis on Western architectural history, Canadian art and architectural history, art and architecture of the United States, and sacred architecture and its meaning.

A March of Music

Posted on March 7, 2013 by john threlfall

March is a busy month for the School of Music, with 35 concerts, recitals and performances on deck. Check out the full list here, but if you’re looking to get a tasty sampling of their sonic delights, here are some highlights:

• Sonic Lab returns with Ajtony Csaba directing UVic’s new music ensemble as they perform Adventures in the interior of a major chord – and “hausmusik.” Expect works by Gérard Grisey, Gordon Mumma, Pierluigi Billone, as well as some “Soundpainting.” That’s at 8pm Friday, March 8, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. By donation.

Scott MacInnes

• The latest Faculty Concert Series features trombonist Scott MacInnes and guests. MacInnes, UVic’s trombone instructor, has a mission to prove that this bellowing brass instrument is viable and versatile in the mainstream. While the trombone has come a long way since it’s earliest ancestor (the sackbutt, circa 1450) as a support instrument, solo repertoire is still somewhat limited. For this concert, MacInnes has prepared several transcriptions of works originally composed for other instruments, including Camille Saint-Saëns’ Sonata for Bassoon.

“I believe that this is the first performance attempted on the trombone,” he says. “The work demonstrates the extreme capabilities of the bassoon, so it is tremendously difficult on the trombone.” Other pieces on the program include Trauermusik by Paul Hindemith (originally composed for viola), the Canadian premiere of Jacob TV’s multimedia work, I was like…WOW, and a couple tunes that will leave you “toe-tapping and humming.” (Tommy Pederson’s Blue Topaz “is like getting a big hug from a trombone choir with solo bass trombone,” MacInnes says.)

Several members of the Naden Band, the Victoria Symphony, and a few UVic alumni will join him at 8pm Sunday, March 10, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. Tickets are $17.50 & $13.50.

Alexander Dunn

• The next Faculty Concert Series features guitarist Alexander Dunn and guests performing Guitarworks. Music has been likened to the songs of angels, the gateway to the soul, and has frequently been associated with spiritual experiences; now, Dunn will draw you into the realm of spirits, ghosts and mystics with this concert featuring contemporary music for guitar.

Described as a “genius and wizard” of the guitar by the Times Colonist, Dunn will perform Tim Brady’s Ghosts for guitar quartet and electronics, which Dunn describes as “a striking work moving between atmosphere and rhythmic propulsion, with an ambient electronic part that acts as a ‘ghost’ identity shadowing the live players.” Also on the program is the Canadian premiere of George Crumb’s darkly rich and layered Ghosts of Alhambra, as well as Peter Maxwell Davies’ intensely meditative Dark Angels.

Dunn will also give the premiere of Liova Bueno‘s Poema Mistico. Born from a germinal musical idea, the single-movement work “explores the facets of mysticism,” explains Bueno, a recent School of Music alumnus. “Calm and meditative moments are interspersed with sections of rhythmic intensity, creating a sound world which alternates between both the gentle and the wild energies of mystical and spiritual discovery and experience.”

Aided by soprano Susan Young, baritone Stephen Price, clarinet Patricia Kostek, and Alex Rempel on bass, Dunn has also invited students from the School of Music to join him on stage, including Jay Schreiber (percussion) and guitarists Brian Desjarlais, Stefan Maier, and Graeme Cruickshank.

Guitarworks kicks off at 8pm Friday, March 15, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. Tickets are $17.50 & $13.50 at the door or through the UVic Ticket Centre (250-721-8480).

Patrick Boyle

• Following that is the latest performance by the UVic Jazz Orchestra. Conducted by Jazz Orchestra director Patrick Boyle, expect an eclectic evening of standards and originals featuring jazz students from the UVic School of Music that will go above and beyond past performances.

Describing it as their “most daring program to date,” Boyle says, “Part of our mandate is to encourage the performance of new Canadian works, especially works by ensemble members.” With that in mind, the Jazz Orchestra will perform pieces by UVic students Aaron Pang and Jared Richardson, as well as original arrangements made collectively by the group. In addition to big band, the concert will feature two new groups: the UVic Latin Ensemble E Pluribus Uno and the UVic Rhythm Kings & Queens, a small group that plays an amalgam of New Orleans and Balkan music.

“In jazz music, knowing whom you are playing with is critical to presenting the music holistically,” explains Boyle, who is no stranger to collaboration and has played and recorded with some of the nations best jazz musicians. “This particular version of the UVic Jazz Orchestra blends a wonderful camaraderie and mutual respect with a serious work ethic and commitment to professionalism.”

Hear what it’s all about at 8pm Saturday, March 16, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. Tickets $15 & $10.

• School of Music alumni Matthew McConchie (tenor trombone), Robert Fraser (bass trombone) and Tzenka Dianova (piano) will perform an eclectic program of jazz and classical repertoire, including works by Professor Emeritus Ian McDougall, Leonard Bernstein and Daniel Schnyder on March 19.

After completing his Bachelor’s degree at UVic, McConchie went on to do post-graduate work at the Eastman School of Music then changed course to study law at the University of Calgary; he currently practices with the firm of Jones Emery Hargreaves Swan in Victoria. Fraser studied music education at Brandon University and trombone performance at McGill before winning the bass trombone position in the Victoria Symphony in 1990; he completed his Master of Arts in Musicology with Performance at UVic in 2008. Dianova began her studies in her native Bulgaria, at the academies of Pleven and Sofia; she moved to Canada in 1998 to pursue her Master’s degree at UVic and currently works as a concert pianist, accompanist, chamber and orchestral musician and is the principal keyboard player for the Victoria Symphony. She is also an internationally recognized authority on new music and extended/prepared piano techniques.

Their performance is at 8pm Tuesday, March 19, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. Admission by donation.

• Finally, there’s the Vocal Jazz Spring Showcase. Director Wendell Clanton will present Moods of March, featuring charts by New York Voices, Burton Lane, Eric Clapton, Michelle Weir, Arlen & Capote, Darmon Meader and more.

Clanton shares Patrick Boyle’s sentiments on the importance of connections within the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, which he has been directing since 2005; he often incorporates movement, improvisation, and games into his rehearsals. “By bridging the social and academic environments, spontaneity is restored to music-making and people let their personalities shine,” says Clanton. He describes these sessions as “fun, hilarious and educational” which is important to fostering “natural engagement, energy and enthusiasm which spreads to all areas of learning and performance.”

Expect a wide range of styles and moods in their upcoming March 24 concert, with tunes like “He Beeped When He Shoulda Bopped,” “The Lady Is A Tramp,” “Baby Driver” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (yes, the theme song from childhood favourite, Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood). Clanton says the show “ping pongs between intimate ballads, quirky upbeat numbers and powerful showstoppers. It will begin like a lamb and end like a lion.”

Be there at 8pm Sunday, March 24, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall. By donation.

—Additional content by Kristy Farkas

Fine Arts benefit CD nominated for Juno Award

Posted on February 19, 2013 by john threlfall

Big news for School of Music Professor Emeritus Ian McDougall‘s 2012 album The Very Thought of You—the Fine Arts benefit CD has now been nominated for a Juno Award!

A gorgeous collection of 13 jazz standards featuring McDougall’s signature trombone backed by a lush string section, The Very Thought of You—produced by Ian’s wife, Barb McDougall—has been nominated in the “Instrumental Album of the Year” category. (In case you’re curious, his disc is up against the likes of Five Alarm Funk’s Rock The Sky, Hugh Sicotte & Jon Ballantyne’s Twenty Accident Free Work Days, Pugs & Crows’ Fantastic Pictures, and the Ratchet Orchestra’s Hemlock.)

McDougall on CTV

“Barb and I are overjoyed about the Juno nomination,” says McDougall. “This CD however, could never have been produced without the support—both financial and moral—of Jim Crawford, Tony Gage and the other generous partners involved in the forming of Ten Mile Music Production. Our gratitude also goes out to the fine musicians on the CD, the magnificent arrangements by Rick Wilkins and all those involved in bringing the production
to completion.”

CTV Vancouver Island talked with McDougall about the nomination on their February 19 broadcast, which you can watch here. (Scroll down to “Arts & Lifestyles.”)

As reported earlier on this blog, $10 from every $20 copy of The Very Thought of You goes directly to McDougall’s “one potato” student benefit fund—officially titled the Ten Mile Fine Arts Student Assistance Fund. Back in December 2012, McDougall presented Fine Arts with a cheque for $16,000, the first payback from the CD to the fund. “That’s the real bonus,” says McDougall of the CD. “Students in the Fine Arts now have a fund to turn
to in times of need.”

McDougall is no stranger to the national award scene. “I’ve been a significant part of many Junos as a musician and writer, particularly with Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass,” he says. “I have one on our mantel as a soloist, writer and conductor with the Brass Connection in 1982.” He has also received Best Big Band at the National Jazz Awards, Grammy Awards with the Boss Brass and a SOCAN Established Composer Award.

If you haven’t picked one up yet, The Very Thought of You is available in the Fine Arts office, UVic’s Bookstore, Arts Place cafe, the School of Music, and Phoenix Theatre, as well as Lyle’s Place, Larsen Music and Munro’s Books. Online, you can find it at CD Baby or through McDougall’s own website.

Winners of the 2013 Juno Awards will be announced on April 21 at a gala ceremony in Regina. We’re already cheering for Ian!

Update: unfortunately, The Very Thought of You didn’t win the Juno, which went instead to the album Fantastic Pictures by the Vancouver band Pugs and Crows.

Writing alum update

Posted on February 19, 2013 by john threlfall

Seems hardly a month goes by when there isn’t news about Department of Writing alumni earning some kind of accolades.

Shoemaker (centre, with bat) and her Iowa Writers’ Workshop softball team at their annual Fiction vs Poetry game

First up this time around, Writing grad Jeanne Shoemaker was recently named one of the winners of the latest Pushcart Prize for her short story, “Sonny Criss.” Originally published in the Iowa Review, Shoemaker’s western was originally written as a way of avoiding an essay assignment. “I wrote ‘Sonny Criss’ while at UVic,” says Shoemaker. “I workshopped it with Lorna Jackson.” You can read a brief interview with Shoemaker here.

Shoemaker, who received her BA from UVic back in 2002, went on to receive her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2010. “Sonny Criss” was published in the Iowa Review in 2011 and currently appears in the Pushcart Prize 2013 Anthology. But just to prove that persistence is anything but futile, Shoemaker says her manuscript was rejected 40 times before being accepted. “I kept sending it out because I felt I had something to say with this story, something I discovered while writing it,” she told the Iowa Review. “I had recreated a world that doesn’t exist any longer—a world I miss terribly.”

Marjorie Celona

Also just announced is word that Writing grad Marjorie Celona is a finalist for the $7,500 Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Celona, of course, is up for her debut novel Y, which received rave reviews when it debuted last fall, and earned a spot on the prestigious Waterstones Eleven list. Past winners of the First Novel Award include the likes of Michael Ondaatje, Nino Ricci, Rohinton Mistry, Anne Michaels and Joseph Boyden. The winner is announced on April 24. Fingers crossed!

Arno Kopecky with his new book

Meanwhile, busy alum Arno Kopecky tackles the Enbridge pipeline in the February issue of Reader’s Digest and asks the $273 billion question: is the payoff worth the risk? Kopecky also recently launched his first nonfiction book, The Devil’s Curve: A Journey into Power and Profit at the Amazon’s Edge—which the Georgia Straight reviewed as “a vivid example of immersive journalism” and “a trenchant critique of both our representatives and of us [as Canadians].” Arno was also one of the alumni authors featured at last fall’s All-Star Alumni Reading night.

And if you check the longlist for the CBC Short Story Prize, you’ll find four familiar names included: Writing grads Yasuko Thanh (for “Dolls”), Eliza Robertson (“L’Étranger”), Judy LeBlanc (“The Truth About Gravity”) and former Writing instructor Holly Nathan (“Breathing in Siberia”). Thanh made headlines not so long ago for winning the Journey Prize and publishing her first collection, Floating Like The Dead, while Robertson was in the news for both her Booker Scholarship and winning various writing prizes, and LeBlanc won the recent Antogonish Review fiction contest.

While, yes, this is only the longlist—the shortlist is announced the week of March 11—it’s still gratifying to see so many UVic names appearing there.

Page-turner Yasuko Thanh

And speaking of Yasuko Thanh, word is the much-tattooed mom will be one of 12 authors to doff their duds in the new Bare it for Books 2014 charity calendar, due out in October 2013. (What, nobody asked Bill Gaston?) All proceeds will go to PEN Canada, an organization that supports freedom of expression in Canada and around the world. “The fact that there’s an organization out there, fighting for people’s freedom of speech, well that’s great,” the future Miss July told the the Coastal Spectator recently. “And I want to support that any way I can.”

As reported in the National Post, the inaugural Bare It for Books calendar will feature past winners of the Giller Prize, the Booker Prize, the Journey Prize, the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and CBC’s Canada Reads—specifically, Angie Abdou, Trevor Cole, Farzana Doctor, Dave Bidini, Miranda Hill, Daniel MacIvor, Terry Fallis, Sachiko Murakami, Vincent Lam, Saleema Nawaz, Yann Martel and, of course, Thanh.

When Coastal Spectator writer and fellow Writing alum Will Johnson asked Thanh how she feels about appearing alongside Life of Pi author Yann Martel in the calendar, her answer was characteristically frank. “It feels friggin’ awesome!”

Visual Arts grad earns honourable mention in RBC competition

Posted on December 3, 2012 by john threlfall

Department of Visual Arts MFA graduate Katie Lyle was named an honourable mention winner in the 14th Annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition recently. As well as national exposure, Lyle picked up a cheque for $15,000 for her oil painting, “White Night,” which will be added to RBC’s 4,000-work corporate art collection.

Katie Lyle’s “White Night”

As reported in the Vancouver Sun and the Globe and Mail, among other media outlets, 15 finalists were chosen in June this year, five each from of the three regions (western, central and eastern) into which the prize is split. The winners were announced in Toronto on November 29, with Toronto’s Vanessa Maltese named the overall winner; Montreal artist Betino Assa was also named honourable mention. Maltese earns $25,000 for winning the top spot.

“Through this competition, we have helped launch the careers of many of today’s successful visual artists and are excited to continue to discover and promote promising new talent from across the country,” RBC’s curator Robin Anthony said in a news release.

Lyle’s winning painting came from a series of intimate female portraits. “My recent paintings focus less on cultural archetypes and more on images I filter on a daily basis,” she said on the RBC’s website. “The gaze, the arch of an eyebrow, or the path of a nose can all be points or forms from which to generate an image.” Now based in Vancouver, Lyle has recently exhibited at Deluge Contemporary here in Victoria and Art Metropole in Toronto. She is the curatorial assistant at Western Front.

Chisholm’s RBC entry

But Lyle wasn’t the only artist with UVic connections in the running for the RBC prize this year—Visual Arts sessional instructor Thomas Chisholm was also a finalist, and painting professor Sandra Meigs was on the jury. This was the second RBC shortlist in a row on which Chisholm has appeared, this time with a piece titled Interference 1 (2012).

“I love painting, and of all the arts it’s the one I’m most drawn to,” Adam Gopnik, the keynote speaker at this year’s RBC Canadian Painting Competition ceremony, told the Globe. “I’m well aware there’s this sense that painting is a dying form and that the beatific vision is now available in a video installation in a darkened room with an enigmatic track playing alongside it and a long explanation of how the enigmatic track and the video together do something or other to this or that for the construction of reality. And I have no reason to think that’s not a completely authentic aesthetic experience; it’s just that I vibrate to painting.”

Gopnik, art critic for The New Yorker, was raised in Montreal and was a juror in the 2011 Sobey Art Award, and is quite familiar with Canadian art. “You can make the case that painting is actually the single most relevant thing we have right now. … We live in a civilization where the idea of craft, the idea of the artisanal, of the thing made with skill that the rest of us can’t do at all, is simultaneously deprecated—‘It’s not important’—and hugely valued individually. … We continue to be drawn to painting because we recognize it represents [like a chef cooking on a TV show] that enviable excellence of craft, the transmission of lived experience through the prism of a particular sensibility. … It’s one-on-one communication in a world of million-on-million communication.”

Grateful Dead Archive talk

Posted on October 2, 2012 by john threlfall

A (dead)heads-up to fans of both archives and the Grateful Dead: University of California Santa Cruz associate librarian Robin Chandler will be giving a public talk about the Grateful Dead Archive Online on Friday, October 12.

Distant view of Grateful Dead stage with lighting design by Candace Brightman. Photo: Susana Millman

The Grateful Dead Archive documents the iconic American rock band’s 30-year history from 1965-1995, and was donated by Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart and Bob Weir to the UC Santa Cruz in 2008. As the project manager for the digitization of the archive, Chandler oversaw the transfer of the materials, as well as the creation of the project’s socially constructed website.

An example of a hand-drawn fan envelope, this one by Linda Gross

Launched in June 2012, the Grateful Dead Archive Online boasts nearly 24,000 items and over 50,000 digital scans of posters, photos and artifacts, including hand-decorated envelopes sent in by fans requesting show tickets. As such, it is one of the most significant popular culture collections of the 20th century.

After all these years, they’re (mostly) still Truckin’ . . . but we all miss Jerry! The Grateful Dead: Bill Kreutzmann, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh & Bob Weir. Photo: David Bluestein

As a bonus, wear any piece of tie-dyed clothing to the event and the five best-dressed will win prizes, courtesy of co-sponsors CFUV and the Greater Victoria Public Library!

Catch this free public talk with Robin Chandler from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 12 at UVic’s Cinecenta in the Student Union Building.

All images courtesy Special Collections, University Library, University of California Santa Cruz, Grateful Dead Archive

Arts Place wins award

Posted on May 10, 2012 by john threlfall

And . . . we're officially open, as Sarah Blackstone and Jim Dunsdon cut the ribbon on Arts Place

Tasty things come to those who wait, as we all found out when Arts Place officially opened this year. Although in operation since last fall, we had to wait for the final design tweaks before officially kicking it off, which Dean Sarah Blackstone and Associate VP Student Affairs Jim Dunsdon did when they cut the ribbon on Arts Place back in February.

While Arts Place has unquestionably proved popular with Fine Arts staff and students, it’s also been successful in its mission to give the faculty a place to meet and mingle. Thanks go out to all those who made it happen, notably Cathie Patrick, Raubyn Rothschild and Rebecca Simmons in Facilities Management, Dan Lissowski and Craig Jenkins of the Carpentry Shop, the whole team in Food Services, plus architects Brian Lord and Tony James of the Warner James firm.

The Wood Works! trophy . . . made from BC wood, of course

And in case you missed it in the most recent issue of the Fine Arts faculty newsletter, architect Tony James recently took home the Interior Beauty Design award for his work on Arts Place at the annual Wood Works! BC 2012 Wood Design Awards. A national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, the annual Wood Design Awards honours excellence in wood-based projects and recognizes the people and organizations pioneering and achieving this objective. When it came to Arts Place, the jury praised James for using wood to solve the project’s design challenges—including designing the cafe as a free-standing sculptural object,as well as creating a transparency effect to allow daylight to continue to shine into the lobby and give it an after-hours lantern-like glow. (If you’re curious, Arts Place’s distinctive look comes from a mix of Western birch, birch plywood and custom millwork to give it a contrast in warmth, colour and texture.)

Learning from a Legend

Posted on March 15, 2012 by john threlfall

Charles Marowitz working with Kenney (left) and Lo (right) Photo: Adrienne Holierhoek

Can you imagine getting the chance to work with a legendary Shakespearean master? This was the opportunity offered to more than a dozen talented actors, designers and aspiring directors at the Department of Theatre when the illustrious playwright, director and critic Charles Marowitz came to UVic this spring to direct his reinterpreted version of Hamlet that will be performed at the Phoenix Theatre, running March 15–24.

An elder gentleman of the world of theatre, Marowitz has worked at the revered Royal Shakespeare Company in London’s famous West End, directed hit plays on Broadway and written for most of the leading theatre media including the London Times, New York Times, Theater Week and American Theatre.

He has also, somewhat notoriously, reinterpreted almost a dozen Shakespeare plays over his celebrated career. Viewing them as “collages” of the original, he uses the same poetic language as Shakespeare, but rearranges the lines and scenes, sometimes attributing lines to different characters. What emerges is a contrasting view of the characters’ motivations and a new perspective on the play’s meaning.

For students involved with the UVic presentation of The Marowitz Hamlet, it was a unique chance to glean insightful information from his vast experience. “Because it was his play that he had directed so many times, he understood the motivations of each character so clearly and was able to express the difference from Shakespeare’s original and this play to the actors,” says Mika Laulainen, a fourth-year student and assistant director. “I could see how well the actors responded to his depth of knowledge about their characters.”

The two met regularly to discuss the progress in rehearsals, however sometimes conversations wandered and revealed great stories from his past. “He told me about his first directing gig in New York where, straight out of high school, he walked in to an Off-Broadway theatre and asked them to let him direct a show—and they did! It’s amazing how times have changed.”

Michelle Lo, fourth-year student and costume designer for the play, also received the benefit of his clear ideas. “He allowed me to explore ways to have fun with his characters, to make them more ‘theatrical’, while still encompassing the direction he wanted. He’s a very interesting person. Sometimes he could come across as quite serious, but then his wry humour would randomly surface and he’d spontaneously say something hilarious.”

Preparation for the set design necessarily begins almost a year in advance. For MFA candidate Bryan Kenney, this meant the opportunity to visit Marowitz at his Malibu home to discuss their ideas. “It was interesting. He showed me a lot of examples of his past productions, and I was able to understand the minimalist aesthetic he is interested in. We talked about ways of making the vast space of our proscenium theatre a more intimate experience for the audience.”

Leaving California with a basic concept, Bryan communicated by phone, mail and email to finalize the design. After Marowitz arrived in Victoria, the conversations continued in more detail. “We had some really insightful discussions about how the actors could best use the set to get his story across. He was very open to my ideas in the rehearsal process.”

And what does the Shakespearean master feel about his experience working with students? “Refreshing!” says Charles Marowitz. “There’s a clean slate with young students. They avoid clichés and haven’t developed any bad habits. Professionals tend to draw from their experience, recycling and distilling actions or ideas from other productions, other experiences. There’s a freshness to working with young people that I think is healthy for a director.”

In the end, Marowitz was pleased with the cohesion between his “more traditional director’s vision” and the new ideas of the students. “The kick is working with kids that are really smart to produce something that, while exactly what the director wants, is an ‘entente’ between the two.”
—Adrienne Holierhoek

Laskarin in Sculpture mag

Posted on October 25, 2011 by john threlfall

Daniel Laskarin is reviewed in this issue of Sculpture

The work of Visual Arts chair Daniel Laskarin has made it into the pages of Sculpture magazine. The current issue features Rachel Rosenfield Lafo’s review of Laskarin’s 10-year survey exhibit, Agnostic Objects (things persist), which was on view at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria earlier this year. “The sculptures intrigue yet mystify, their meanings open-ended and seemingly just out of reach,” writes Rosenfield Lafo. “They demand close and repeated looking.”

Laskarin’s work is reviewed alongside some impressive international contemporaries, including Andy Goldsworthy, Arne Quinze, Donald Judd, Betye Saar, Sook Jin Jo, Rosalyn Driscoll, Ronald Bladen, Jim Campbell and John Clement.

Laskarin's "Packing the Fleece and Trapping Owls"

Clearly impressed by what she saw, Rosenfield Lafo notes, “Like the writings of Samuel Beckett . . . Laskarin’s sculpture eludes the possibility of exact meaning.” The review also included a photo of Laskarin’s piece, “Packing the Fleece and Trapping Owls” (2006-10, powder-coated aluminum, steel, rope and moving blanket).

Sculpture magazine is produced by the U.S.-based International Sculpture Center, a member-supported, nonprofit organization founded in 1960 to champion the creation and understanding of sculpture and its unique, vital contribution to society. Members include sculptors, collectors, patrons, architects, developers, journalists, curators, historians, critics, educators, foundries, galleries, and museums—anyone with an interest in and commitment to the field of sculpture.

In conclusion, Rosenfield Lafo says, “Ultimately, Laskarin’s inscrutable objects succeed because they demand an intellectual and a physical response from the viewer, exercising both brain and body.”

Curious? Read this January 2011 interview with Daniel Laskarin from the Ring.

Artsy Type

UVic's Faculty of Fine Arts: Thinking with the right side of your brain

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