This month, actor Aris Athanasopoulos (BFA 2007) will be playing Spinoza in New Jerusalem by David Ives at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company. In this spotlight, Aris shares stories of his career so far and his thoughts on what made his time at York special. While he’s at it, he’s got some great advice for current students, those about to graduate and recent alums.
Author Archives: jkaracs
Devised Theatre Festival 2014
The 4th year Devised Theatre class has been working all year to bring you 3 exceptional, completely devised theatrical pieces, in March 2014. The class of 30 has been split up into 3 theatre companies working towards creating their own individual show for the DTF. A 4th group, called the Meta Group, will be focusing on areas of Production, Hair and Makeup, Fundraising and Publicity, as well as providing fresh opinions to the companies, becoming an “outside eye”. The 3 companies are the afterimage collective, Theatre P.O.V, and Theatre Orenda.
Slideshow: “The Beggar’s Opera
Photos from John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera,” directed by Gwen Dobie—this photo set features images of students from the Departments of Theatre, Dance, and Music in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Photos by: Jeremy Mimnaugh.
Video: Wardrobe Crew Never Sleeps Trailer
Student Laura Krause has made a video of the Wardrobe Crew busily assembling the costumes for The Beggar’s Opera which opens this week at York’s Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre. With designs by Celine Moniz, the crew battles the clock to build the costumes in time for Dress Rehearsal, Preview and Opening Night.
Professor Peter McKinnon Awarded Golden Pen Award by USITT
The U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology has just announced that Peter McKinnon’s book World Scenography 1975-1990 has won the Golden Pen Award for 2013 as the most significant book on stage design and technology in the world last year. The award will be presented to him and his co-editor, Eric Fielding, in Fort Worth, Texas in March. And volume II will come out late this summer.
Spotlight on Faculty: Professor Emeritus Don Rubin
Don Rubin, whose specialization is Theatre Studies—in particular aesthetics, criticism, Canadian theatre, and modern drama—has been teaching in the Dept. of Theatre since it’s very first days. He sat down to discuss his work, how he came to York, and the response to the conference on the Shakespeare Authorship Question that he hosted this Fall.
Spotlight on Alumni: Coyote Collective
Alumni (BA/BFA 2012) Susannah Mackay, Eric Welch, Blue Bigwood-Mallin and Max Tepper formed the Coyote Collective in 2012, after graduating from the Creative Ensemble and, for Tepper, the Acting Program. They catch up to tell us about the making of their company, their time at York, and their next production, Labour .
Spotlight on Alumni: Claire Armstrong
Claire Armstrong graduated from the Devised Theatre program eight years ago, and has been working successfully as an actor and producer. Her recent project, After Miss Julie played to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. She has much to say about her experience at York, and the artists’ life beyond York.
Video: “The Painted Skin”
Fairchild TV aired a clip about The Painted Skin, by the Nanning Cantonese Opera Troupe that played the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre on Sept. 10 and 11. (Note: the clip is in Mandarin but you can get a good sense of what the show was like, and some audience response in English.)
Spotlight on Alumni: Bryan Demore
Actor, Director, Producer Bryan Demore (BFA 2009) is back in Toronto working on Enda Walsh’s Disco Pigs this month. He talks with us out his experiences since leaving York, and about how to hustle in order to make your own opportunities.
