Meet the Executive! Sophie Gareau-Brennan, Secretary

Meet Sophie Gareau-Brennan, the festival's impassioned secretary and one of our six playwrights!

1. What is your involvement at the U of A? I am currently in my fourth year of the BA Honors in Drama.

2. What is your background in theatre? I started doing theatre with l'UniTheatre (the French theatre in Edmonton) and then went on to take classes at the Foote Theatre School (Citadel Theatre Robbins Academy) and performed in shows with them for a few years. I was involved in teens@theturn and the Citadel Young Acting Company as well as being a teaching assistant and the summer programs assistant for FTS. I was honored to be a performer in the first ever Found Festival (organized by the Common Ground Arts Society). At the University of Alberta, I've been involved in multiple productions ranging from ABBEDAM 2011, New Works 2013, and Media Room shows.

3. What drew you to the New Works Executive this year? What are you most excited for in this year's festival? I wanted to be a part of the New Works Executive this year because I was a part of New Works last year as an actor and I wanted to become more involved with the actual creation of the festival - I wanted to make sure this festival continues to grow and succeed because of its importance in the university community. It allows students who will form the Edmonton arts community to create new theatre that will be relevant to those around them and allows us to apply all of the concepts we learn in classes to to a real-life situation.

Honestly, I am most excited this year to have a play that I've written produced and be able to go through the whole dramaturgical process as a playwright because I'm used to working as an actor.

4. Do you have a favourite play? (new work or otherwise!) There are too many plays to choose from! It is very difficult to decide because I believe all plays have wonderful things.

Meet the Executive! Desiree Leverenz, Production Manager

Members of the New Works 2014 production team are getting to know this lady well, but for those of you who don't know her yet, meet Desiree Leverenz, our Production Manager!

1. What is your involvement at the U of A? 4th year BA Honours

2. What is your background in theatre? I've been involved in theatre for as long as I remember! I was that kid in grade 4 that auditioned for "Grease" for the role of Danny because I thought it would be a challenge.

3. What drew you to the New Works Executive this year? I'm really interested in fostering and encouraging creativity, self creation and new works. I think that as an artist it is vital to always work on something new and creative beyond anything you have ever learned before. This festival offers that kind of opportunity for all artists of the theatre: playwrights, actors, designers and technicians. When artists work together to create something brand new, it's magical.

4. Do you have a favourite play? (new work or otherwise!) I'm love postdramatic work, and right now I'm really into Romeo Castellucci's work!

Meet the Executive! Catherine Vielguth

New to the executive committee but a familiar face to the New Works Festival, ABBEDAM, and the rest of the drama department, get to know Catherine Vielguth, the 2014 festival executive director.

1. What is your involvement at the U of A?
I am currently in the 3rd year of the BA in Drama and am minoring in Arts and Culture Management.

2. What is your background in theatre?I graduated from the performance program at Mount Royal in 2011, after which I took time to assistant direct at a high school, and act for companies including Shakespeare in the Park and Beyond the Brick Productions. I have also co-produced/created and directed performance art based shows the past two summers in Calgary. I was also a director this year in Sage Theatre's Ignite! Festival. At the U of A I acted in last years ABBEDAM production and in the New Works Festival as well as stage managed for 457's production of Great Expectations.

3. What drew you to the New Works Executive this year?
I was drawn to the NWF because of the invaluable experience it offered as well as the awesome people I'd get to work with. This festival calls on our entire department of drama and it really excites me to work on a festival with a collective group of fellow students who value and thrive off of creating theatre.

4. Do you have a favourite play? (new work or otherwise!)
My favorite play... that is such a tough question and I would love to be able to wish away my indecisiveness! 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane is one play that stands out for me. Its poetic and tragic story of a misunderstood and confused mind left me inspired and very curious. Its form or rather lack of convention liberates my creative core and beckons me to sink my teeth in deeper and deeper into its content!

Meet the Executive! Brooklyn Ritchie, Artistic Director

The executive committee has been working tirelessly for months to lay the groundwork for the 2014 New Works Festival, and this work has been spearheaded by the intrepid Brooklyn Ritchie. He's gone from being last season's only member at large to this season's artistic director. Now, get to know the executive committee's only male member:

1. What is your involvement at the U of A?

I’m in my 4^th year of the Bachelor of Arts in Drama with a minor in Arts and Cultural Management.  And yes, Arts and Cultural Management is a real minor. 

2. What is your background in theatre?

 I studied both acting and technical theatre at Mount Royal University, in Calgary.For a few years after that, I hung out in Calgary and worked mostly as an actor or stage manager with some companies like Theatre Calgary, Shakespeare in the Park, Downstage, and Ground Zero. I also co-ran an ad hoc theatre company called Ronin Theatre, where I mostly wrote or directed the shows. I’m at the U of A trying to sharpen my directing skills and meet some new folks.

3. What drew you to the New Works Executive this year?

I was obviously drawn to a New Works Executive position because I have an interest in facilitating new play development. However, beyond that, I’m wanting to keep building a sense of community within the Drama Department. I’m keen to bridge some of these little gaps between what program you’re in or what year you’re in and encourage us to come together as a community of young professionals to create some pertinent and enriching theatre come February.

4. Do you have a favourite play? (new work or otherwise!)

I’m a sucker for David Mamet. I’ve worked on a few of his scripts before but I’m starved for more. If I could work on a new play, I’d work on whatever Hannah Moscovitch has coming up next.

Audition Notice

The time has finally come - you can now sign up to audition for our 2014 festival! 

Reserve your audition spot on the forms outside of the Drama Office, on the 3rd floor of the Fine Arts Building. 

Auditions are November 18th, 19th, and 20th. Cold reads will be provided.

Who's Who? The 2014 Festival Line Up

The 2014 New Works Festival will run from February 4^th - 9^th, in the Second Playing Space at the Timms Centre for the Arts.

It will feature the following lineup:

All That’s Left, by Liam Salmon

Director: Lucy Collingwood

Dramaturg: Rachel Gibeau

The Comedian, by Tyler Hein

Director: Tori Morrison

Dramaturg: Lily Climenhaga

Gandhi’s Last Words, by Lisa Gilroy

Director: Nick Eaton

Dramaturg: Erin Valentine

The Only Other One, by Pamela Berekoff

Director: Lisa Daniels

Dramaturg: Amy Couch

Solitaire, by Sophie Gareau-Brennan

Director: Catherine Vielguth

Dramaturg: Liam Coady

The Young Revenger’s Society, by Harley Morison

Director: Brooklyn Ritchie

Dramaturg: Lily Climenhaga

New Works Festival Executive Committee:

Brooklyn Ritchie - Artistic Director

Catherine Vielguth - Executive Director

Desirée Leverenz - Production Manager

Erin Valentine - Treasurer

Sophie Gareau-Brennan - Secretary

Lucy Collingwood - Member at large

Stay tuned to this blog to learn more about the development of the shows and the fantastic people behind the process!

NEW WORKS FESTIVAL 2014 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SEPT. 19 2013

Minutes taken by Secretary Sophie Gareau-Brennan

PLACE: FAB 2-43

IN ATTENDANCE: 26 in attendance (including executive committee, faculty liaison, interested parties & students) – for a full list, please contact Sophie Gareau-Brennan.

AGENDA

Round of introductions
- NWF execs and playwrights specify their role
- Students could specify their program and interest in NWF

Future calls:
- Directors and Dramaturges:
     - Call is open as of Friday, September 19^th     - Submissions due by Monday, September 30^th     - Scripts available to candidates on Tuesday October 1^st     - Interviews will be October 7^th and 8^th           -> Brooklyn, Catherine, and Lucy will be directing for sure.
     - Auditions will be after midterms

Retooling of NWF:
- Dramaturgical process

DESIREE: Technicians/designers:
- One designer per show
- One head technician for each of:
     - Sound
     - LX
     - Set
     - Props
Calls will go out next week

ERIN: Discusses members at large:
- What the position is
- How to apply

Encourage people to Like us on FB, follow us on Twitter, check out the Tumblr, etc.
Questions, etc.

CALL TO ORDER: 12:00pm

Introductions: Brooklyn
Explanation of the Agenda (calls, schedules, re-vamping of the festival, tech, etc.)

What is the role of New Works Festival 2014 (NWF 2014)?
To produce and workshop new works of theatre for the university community (thus the name New Works Festival)

Rough Schedule of NWF 2014
- The dramaturgy will take place mostly in the first term.
- The rehearsals will start in the second term.
- The productions will be in February 2014 in the Second Playing Space.

NWF 2014 is a student-run festival
Challenging and supportive environment for students and theatre artists.
Full productions of each chosen piece
This is a practical application of all the concepts learnt in drama classes.

How can students get involved with NWF 2014?
There will be a call for directors & dramaturges going out on September 20^th – the application will be due on September 30^th.
Successful applicants will then go through an interview process.
There are three directing spots available.

What is a dramaturge?
An informed reader & partner, a champion of the play, a nurturing second set of eyes.
The dramaturgical process is being adjusted to incorporate readings & workshops.
This is a community process from beginning to end.

Actors will be able to audition in the fall term after midterms – keep looking for updates on exact times, places, etc.

Design & Tech elements:
There will be one designer per show (both current students and alumni are welcome to apply)
There will be no permanent set and a festival hang for lights.
We are looking for a technical director to act as an advisor to the tech heads.

Members-at-large:
There can be up to 4 members per year.
They will be representing their group (actor, director, designer, student, etc.)
They will be involved in the development and creation of the festival.
Members-at-large are voting members of the NWF committee and ensure the continuity of the festival.
If you have any questions, please contact us via email, Facebook, twitter, or Tumblr.

Private Question Period
More questions about the festival & involvement (Stage Managers, co-directors, etc.)

MEETING ADJOURNED: 12:46PM