Scenes from "Scenes from an Execution"

by Wendy Philpott, Communications Officer, Faculty of Arts

“This is a huge show for us,” says uWaterloo Drama production manager Janelle Rainville about Scenes from an Execution, the final production of the department’s 2011-12 season. Opening in Theatre of the Arts this Thursday, the production features a cast of 16 students and one professional actor (Heather Hill, actress and voice teacher). Rich in language and ideas, the production also features sophisticated performance and design elements including an original sound score performed live, a major video component, and a 13’ x 8’ pool of water in which the actors perform.

Howard Barker’s Scenes from an Execution takes us to 16th century Venice, shortly after the Battle of Lepanto: an event that changed the course of history by preventing the Ottoman Empire from advancing further into Europe. In the play, the head of state has commissioned the most talented and extraordinary artist of the time to paint this pivotal victory on a canvas measuring 1000 square feet. The size of the project alone suggests the outcome will be a major public event, but, as we discover in the play, the painting of the Battle of Lepanto proves also a contested encounter. Galactia, the artist, possesses a vision and approach to her art that turns the painting into a traumatic experience, mirroring the slaughter of the battle itself.

A contemporary British playwright, Howard Barker’s work often confronts art and politics. A master of incisive language and dark wit, his work at once illuminates and provokes. Barker wrote Scenes from an Execution in 1984, in part as a response to Margaret Thatcher’s aggressive attack on Argentina over British territory in the Falkland Islands. In many ways, his text is even more poignant today, post-911, after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in a time when the idea of Europe is questioned.

Along with the play, the Theatre of the Arts Gallery features ‘Blood & Paint: A Feminine Response to War’, an exhibition of contemporary women artists’ responses to military conflict. Paralleling the story on the stage, this exhibition features the original work of over a dozen diverse female artists, including prominent Canadian artist Gertrude Kearns, member of the Canadian Forces Artists’ Program. Also on display in the Gallery during Scenes is a digital presentation on how the Battle of Lepanto served as a turning point in Europe’s history.

Scenes from an Execution runs on March 8, 9, 10 and 15, 16, 17 at 8:00 p.m. The production is a collaboration between university members and theatre professionals: direction by professor Andy Houston; lighting and set designed by Arun Srinivasan and Kelly Wolf, respectively; costumes designed by Jocelyne Sobeski of the Drama department; original music and sound composed by Meghan Bunce; video segments by Drama/Digital Arts Communication student Tallen Kay; and, dramaturgy and gallery curation by Drama students Robert Motum and Simon Thibodeau.

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Nicol competition winners announced

a media release from the Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Centre

Five student teams competed in the final round of the University of Waterloo’s Nicol Entrepreneurial Award Competition last week. With a total of $8,000 up for grabs, finalists presented their business idea to a panel of judges in hopes of attaining one of three cash prizes. Students from the Enterprise Co-op program and VeloCity participated in the competition, and the following business ideas won the judges over, and were awarded the cash prizes:

• $5,000 and first place awarded to Philip La (Chemical Engineering) for Kingpin, a time saving service for busy single men that provides pre-ordered everyday essential grooming and personal care items through an online subscription based store with timed delivery to customers doors.
• $2,000 and second place awarded to Emily Peat (Civil Engineering) for ItsMyEcoPlace, an online community connecting people to local businesses that provide products and services geared towards sustainable gardening, landscaping and agricultural practices.
• $1,000 and third place awarded to Peter Pagacz (Pharmacy) for My Pharmacy Patient, an educational tool that provides pharmacy students with interactive, accessible, and easy-to-use virtual patient cases, in a safe environment.

Next, Waterloo’s winning team, Kingpin, will have their business plan submitted to the national competition, along with winners from all 16 participating universities. After the judging panel reviews each plan, six finalists will be chosen and announced next week. The final six teams will travel to Ottawa for the final gala on March 27, 2012, where one lucky recipient will be announced as the national Nicol Entrepreneurial Award winner for 2012.

Pictured above are (l-r) Philip La, Brad Menezes (Kingpin), Andrew Jackson (Accelerator Centre), Peter Pagacz (My Pharmacy Patient), Gary Brock (University of Waterloo Commercialization Office), Aubrey Walters (Junior Achievement), Leo Tobi (Brentwood Livery), and Emily Peat (ItsMyEcoPlace).

The Nicol Award is a national program designed to generate and reward interest in entrepreneurship on the part of undergraduate students in any faculty or field of study at participating universities across Canada. Launched in 1997, this program now awards over $100,000 in prize money each year to individual students or student teams who submit winning plans for their entrepreneurial business ideas.

For several years now, the Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology Centre has been fortunate to act as host to the University of Waterloo Nicol competition, witnessing many promising new business ideas move through the competition. In 2007, Jasmin Hofer, a University of Waterloo student, won the national competition and received the Nicol Award.

Photo by Tanya Yaworski

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Tuesday's notes

The Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) has announced the latest dates for the Getting Started in LEARN course (CTE656), which are held in the FLEX lab in LIB 329. Registration is handled through myHRinfo.

Session 036: Monday, March 26, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Session 030: Monday, April 9, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Session 031: Wednesday, April 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Session 032: Thursday, May 3, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In addition, drop-in sessions for LEARN will be held in EV1 242 on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 7, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Friday, March 23, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 28, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

And here's the latest daily nutrition tip in support of Nutrition Month courtesy of Health Services dietician Sandra Ace, who you can contact if you have any questions or comments:

"Myth": Sea salt is natural so it’s better for you than table salt.
"Truth": Sea salt, just like kosher and gourmet salt, has about the same amount of sodium as table salt so it is not a healthier choice. Too much sodium can be harmful to your health so whichever salt you choose, use less and flavour foods with garlic, lemon and herbs and spices instead.

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