Vol. 26 No. 3 January 2011 Editor: Rick Mawson Layout: Sandy Tait As I write this, the Holiday Season is well underway. We’ve hosted several seasonal events: Creative Outlet’s Christmas show, the annual Sally Ann lunch, and the UFV Deans’ Reception, to name just a few. Theatre students presented their final monologues, group projects and scenes, with some amazing creative work on display in every class. And last, but far from least, the cast and crew of Girl in the Goldfish Bowl have been rehearsing, sewing, and building in preparation for the January opening of this delightful award winning play by celebrated Vancouver playwright Morris Panych. As the semester winds to a close, and we look forward to the New Year, the incredible dedication and enthusiasm of our students keeps us all motivated and inspired. To all of you, theatre students, theatre patrons and supporters alike, from all of us here at UFV Theatre, we wish you a happy and successful 2011! Bruce Kirkley, Department Head New Play Reading Draws Enthusiastic Audience UFV theatre student and Friends of The Theatre member Hennie Regoczi (Angeline: Les Belles Soeurs, November, 2008) presented a dramatic reading of her new play The Droning of Bombers, on Thursday, November 18 in the Studio Theatre on the Chilliwack campus. An enthusiastic audience turned out for the reading which engendered a great deal of positive feedback and discussion on its conclusion. The Droning of Bombers, which describes Hennie’s experiences as a young girl in German occupied Holland, is scheduled to be performed at the April/May 2011 Director’s Theatre Festival. Don’t miss it.
A scene from Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
Theatre Student Association Members Visit Local High Schools Members of our UFV Theatre Students Association (TSA) recently developed an outreach program whereby they have begun to visit local high school Drama departments to promote the department’s program and productions. J.D. Dueckman, Tim Howe, Ali Shewan, and Josh Wilson visited three high schools: Chilliwack Senior Secondary, where our Shakespeare Educational Coordinator Muriel Morris teaches; Brookswood Secondary in Langley, where former UFV Theatre student Gordon Hamilton (Caliban: The Tempest, March, 1995) teaches; and Robert Bateman Senior High in Abbotsford. Our students were enthusiastic about their reception at the schools and felt that some good connections were made that could see an increase in Fraser Valley high school students transferring to our program when they graduate. TSA members also assisted Theatre department publicity manager Rick Mawson at UFV orientation meetings on the Chilliwack and Abbotsford campuses. New and prospective students often benefit from advice and insight from their peers and are more comfortable exploring any apprehensions or potential problems with people their own age. The department really appreciates the responsibility and commitment shown by our TSA members, as well as many other theatre students, in their efforts to promote our program. It is service and responsibility way over and above what is required of them as part of their regular studies.
FOTT and Others Raise Funds for Forum Students Barry Cameron Passes On Barry Cameron, the former husband of our former production manager Jody Cameron, recently passed away at the age of 83. Barry was a supporter of the UFV Theatre program and in 1996 donated a gift of furniture for our green room space. A special memorial service for Barry was held on Sunday, December 5 at Hampton House in Chilliwack. The service was attended by a large group of relatives, as well as former colleagues, friends, neighbours along with several members of the UFV theatre department. Barry was a lieutenant in the Canadian regiment of The Queens Own Rifles and taught Social Studies and Law at Chilliwack and Sardis Secondary School. He also developed a highly successful high school law course while teaching at Chilliwack High School. Barry was noted for his zany sense of humour. Rest in peace, Barry. Sheri Takes Teacher’s Training Sheri Eyre (Beatrice: Much Ado About Nothing, March, 2005) is the latest addition to the list of UFV Theatre graduates who have decided to go on to pursue teacher training credentials at the PDP Program at SFU. Sheri, a UFV Theatre graduate, who until recently worked at the Bookman in Chilliwack, appeared in major roles in many UFV Theatre productions. We wish her all the best in her prospective new career.
Friends of The Theatre hosted two special events (Dinner Theatre at Bozzinis on November 10 and a TeanParty on November 21 in the theatre lobby) to raise funds to subsidize the expenses of student cast members of our first production of the year A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. We are delighted to announce that a total amount of $591.05 was raised through these two events. Additional generous donations from Jim and Jean Servizi, Joe Poulton and a fifty-fifty draw organized by the Theatre Students Association plus a contribution from the Theatre department, came to a grand total of $1,375.05. A big thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to this worthy cause. New Dinner Theatre and Tea Party Dates and Times The recent fund raising efforts by Friends of Theatre for “Forum” students were so successful that the Friends have decided to repeat them for our upcoming production of Girl in the Goldfish Bowl. The Dinner Theatre evening will once again be at Bozzinis restaurant on Yale Road, this time on January 20, starting between 5 and 5:30 p.m. at a cost of $24 for a ticket to the show and a spaghetti dinner — with a vegetarian stir fry option. The Tea Party, with payment by donation, will be at 1 p.m., before the January 30 matinee performance which will start at 2 p.m. To reserve your dinner Theatre tickets call Audrey Neufeld at 604-792-4434 or Email: greeksalad@shaw.ca
Poetry Slam Fun Returns One of the most popular annual events to be held in the UFV Theatre lobby will be back again this year. The Third Annual Poetry Slam will take place, again in the theatre lobby, on Friday, February 11 at 7 p.m. The first two slams played to standing room only audiences, so get there early so you don’t miss the fun. Potential participants are advised to register at least one hour before the event on a first come first served basis. There are usually twelve spaces available for participating poets, who then proceed through several elimination rounds to choose the evening’s eventual winner. Audience reactions and a panel of judges are usually used to make the final decision. For additional information contact Lisa Morry at 604-7920025 local 2471 or Lisa.Morry@ufv.ca Check Out Our Improved Website Why not pay a visit to our recently revamped Website, featuring new user friendly links and increased information access plus our Facebook page, Youtube channel and program video. New work study theatre student Gabe Kirkley (Miles Gloriosus: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, November, 2010) has been putting his considerable computer and web designing skills to good use for us. A new archive section is currently under construction that will feature a gallery of images from past productions and the Ashland trip page has also been augmented with more shots from former visits. The improvements will continue throughout the year, so check us out when you get the urge at www.ufv.ca/theatre. Join Our Email Message Group If you would like to keep up with what’s happening at the UFV Theatre department, why not add your name and Email address to our list and you will receive regular updates. Send your information to theatre@ufv.ca or sign up on the list in our theatre lobby on your next visit.
Before After Astrid Assists Nursing Student’s Final Project Our technical manager Astrid Beugeling recently helped UFV Nursing Program student Matt Krabbendam with his final project. Matt wanted to convey the physical effects of cancer and the radiation and chemical treatment options to his instructors and fellow students. Astrid spent hours in our dressing room area using her stage make up skills on Matt to obtain the required physical effect of someone in the advanced stage of cancer treatment. See the before and after results of her work in these shots taken during the process. In the past our theatre students have also assisted UFV Nursing Program students in their studies by “role playing” as patients with specific heath complaints to allow them to hone their diagnostic skills.
Ashland Trip Close To Sold Out Our upcoming trip to the world famous Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon is close to sold out, with only three spaces still available. Set for June 20 to 27 this popular tour includes travel in a deluxe, air conditioned coach, bed and breakfast accommodation in Southern Oregon University residences, all theatre tickets (Shakespeare plays as well as modern classics and new works) back stage visits and workshops as well as several evening meals. If you are interested in signing up for this popular trip, please contact tour coordinator Ian Fenwick at 604-795-2838 as soon as possible to avoid disappointment or Email Ian.Fenwick@ufv.ca for more information. Dayna In Africa: Still Playing Leading Roles. UFV Theatre graduate Dayna Thomas (Melita Linton, Schoolhouse, November, 2009) recently contacted us to bring us up to date regarding her work as a volunteer at the Good Samaritan Orphanage in Uganda. Dayna reports that she visited Nairobi, in Kenya, for a few days and saw the stage of the elementary school where she first fell in love with acting. Dayna, who took leading roles in several of our main stage productions during her time here at the Theatre department, was cast as Cinderella in the Kampala Amateur Dramatic Society’s Annual Christmas pantomime and is currently working on several original scripts of her own. She is also busy on a fundraising drive for the orphanage where she volunteers and welcomes anyone interested in making a donation to that institution to visit the website at: http://www.hehadcompassion.net. Dayna will be returning to the Fraser Valley on December 31. We look forward to a visit from her in the New Year and we are sure she will have lots of interesting tales to tell. Keep up the good work Dayna!
Winter Semester Registrations Way Up Registrations for our winter semester theatre courses are way up this year. There’s a waiting lists for Theatre 111: Acting 1, and our second year Theatre History course: Theatre 201, so far has a record enrolment of 36 students. Also, to accommodate demand for advanced level acting classes, an extra section of Theatre 212: Acting IV has been added. It’s great to see our first year students continuing with their studies at such a steady and increasing rate. Way to go guys! Christmas Fund-Raising Lunch A Great Tradition A festive group gathered in the Chilliwack Theatre Lobby on Monday, December 13 at noon for the annual Salvation Army Christmas Fund-raising Pot Luck lunch. Background music from A Charlie Brown’s Christmas set the tone and, as always, those who attended brought a dish of food while contributing $5 towards a group donation to The Chilliwack Salvation Army Christmas Fund. This fun and tasty event organized every year by The Marketing and Communication department’s Anne Russell, has become a popular tradition since its inception well over two decades ago. It’s a great opportunity for UFV employees to get together, swap stories, and chew the fat at the end of the year. In additon to a great turn-out of Chilliwackers, UFV president Dr. Mark Evered and his wife Maureen attended, as well as several other members of UFV support staff from Abbotsford. It was a fine affair and a total of $265 was raised for a worthy cause. Many thanks to all who attended.
Parking Options on UFV Chilliwack Campus For theatre patrons, the need to pay for parking can sometimes be frustrating, especially when there are long line-ups at the parking machine just outside the theatre entrance. To avoid the line-ups, there are two options available which we encourage you to consider. First, if you have a cell phone, you can sign up for a wireless account with Impark, the company that manages UFV’s parking lots. Once you have a wireless account, all you need to do is call the number posted on the parking lot signs, enter the lot number, then the period of time you wish to park, and that’s it! Your parking transaction is processed automatically, so all you need to do is walk to the theatre and enjoy the show! Setting up a wireless account is easy: visit the Impark website at www2.impark.com/ps/wireless, and select ‘Pay-by-Phone Program.’ (By the way, your wireless account is good at any Impark location in the Lower Mainland, so you can use it everywhere you go.) A second option is to purchase a pre-paid parking pass at the time you book your theatre tickets. This can then be placed on the dash of your car when you come to see the show. This avoids long line ups and frustrations dealing with parking machines. For more information on parking options call 604-795-2814.
Scenes from Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
Reformatted for the web by Gabriel Kirkley