Fall 2006 arts&letters Faculty of Arts Alumni Newsletter passing through middle-earth UW Drama grad is a proud member of the vibrant Canadian theatre community. BY CHRISTINE WOODS ylan Roberts, BA ’96 Photo: Helen Tansey Drama, dabbled in acting while attending Cameron Roberts was quite skeptical Heights Collegiate in when the call came out for the DKitchener and with the K-W LOTR. How on earth could you Little Theatre, but really found condense three very detailed his calling to the theatre while and rich novels into a single attending Waterloo. Ten years evening at the theatre? How will later, he is catapulted to the the music be woven into the world premiere production of story? What about the battles J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The and the plethora of races and Lord of the Rings. species involved in the story? Roberts plays the role of “These were all questions that Merry Brandybuck, a young came to mind,” he says. “I hobbit, in the breathtaking looked at who was involved on musical adaptation that has the creative team and quickly been described by the director, became very interested.” Matthew Warchus, as a hybrid Auditions were the first of text, physical theatre, music, indication of the sheer and spectacle never previously magnitude of the production. seen on this scale. “To read the His initial audition with the novel is to experience the events Canadian casting director was of Middle-earth in the mind’s somewhat typical: “The actors eye. Only in the theatre are we were measured to make sure actually plunged into the events they met the maximum height as they happen. The environment for a hobbit, sang, read through surrounds us. We participate. the scene, and that was that,” Photo: Manuel Harlan We are in Middle-earth,” says he recalls. A few weeks later he Dylan Roberts (Merry) and Owen Sharpe (Pippin) in a scene from LOTR. Warchus. continued on page 4 Ⅲ Alumni Achievement Award Ⅲ Upcoming Events Ⅲ Alumni Life Stories inside this issue… editorial 3 from the dean 11 upcoming arts alumni events Photo: C. Hughes Don’t miss UW’s 50th anniversary! 6 2006 alumni achievement award 12 message from your alumni Lenora Hume receives the 9th and communications officers Faculty of Arts Alumni Achievement Award 13 retiree leaves legacy Welcome to the Fall 2006 edition 8 convocation highlights 14 faculty news of Arts & Letters. Medalists honoured This past year has been an 18 class notes exciting one for the Faculty of 9 arts $ at work Arts. We’ve welcomed a new dean, 22 alumni life stories published our first Arts report, 10 past arts alumni events and started an alumni authors library. In this issue of Arts & Letters, you will discover a diverse range of Waterloo Arts alumni. You will read about one grad’s adventure in Middle-earth; another who has built a 30-year career in the UW DRAMA 2006-2007 entertainment industry; and yet another who has excelled in THE IMPORTANCE UPSTART 07 THE CAUCASIAN human resources. As editor of Arts & Letters, my OF BEING EARNEST A festival of CHALK CIRCLE goal is to keep in touch with you, By Oscar Wilde new plays directed by By Bertolt Brecht our alumni, and find out what’s Directed by UW Drama students Directed by new in your life. It would be great Anne-Marie Donovan February 1-10, 2007 guest director to hear from you. November 15-18, 2006 Studio 180 Alex Fallis Theatre of the Arts Hagey Hall March 15-24, 2007 Happy reading Theatre of the Arts and stay connected! Christine Woods For more information, visit www.drama.uwaterloo.ca BA ’97 Speech Communication [email protected] BOX OFFICE 519-888-4908 519-888-4567, ext. 32119 TIME 8:00 p.m. TICKET PRICES $12 general public $10 students/seniors 2 arts &letters from the dean – Ken Coates first impressions of a new dean t is an enormous privilege and One of the advantages of Waterloo. The people that make Ipleasure to be contributing being an outsider, I believe, is up this remarkable Faculty are my first missive to the alumni the fact that I see the University truly impressive. We have, as of the Faculty of Arts. As some of Waterloo from a very you well remember, a group of you may know, I joined the different perspective. Before my of talented teachers and University of Waterloo on July 1, job interview in February, I had researchers, support staff 2006, having previously served not been to the UW campus nor dedicated to providing the at universities in Saskatchewan, to Waterloo. But the university highest quality service, and British Columbia, New was well-known to me. This students who bring a wonderful Brunswick, and New Zealand, came, in part, through combination of skill, energy, in both administrative and professional encounters with and intellectual curiosity to teaching positions. I am faculty members from UW, their studies at UW. I have been delighted to be here and which firmly established the terrifically impressed with the consider it a tremendous academic reputation of the quality of the undergraduate honour to be asked to serve as place in my mind. It came, as and graduate programs, the dean of this truly impressive well, from the impressive results uniformly given high marks and internationally renowned in the annual Maclean’s survey, by the top national and Faculty of Arts. The departing which reported statistically international reviewers we bring dean, Robert Kerton, did a what is widely known in the in to assess the curriculum and terrific job of preparing me for Canadian university community student learning experiences. the new post and of ensuring — that UW is the most that the Faculty was in superb innovative and creative shape financially and adminis- institution in the country. I will…no longer wonder how tratively, setting an impressive This general impression is King Street manages to go standard for me to match. certainly well-entrenched across ‘‘ Given that I have been on the country. Many people, when in all four directions… campus only a few short weeks, learning that I had accepted a I was unsure of the first post at UW, commented The list of research grants delighted to be the Dean’’ of message that I should share favourably on the choice and the and major academic Arts and thrilled to be part with you. After all, you folks opportunity. Even if they did not accomplishments continues of the community of alumni spent years at the University of have a particularly firm sense of to grow each year as UW associated with this great Waterloo and know the campus, where Waterloo was located, solidifies its place in the first university. with all its delightful they knew the quality and rank of Canadian universities. When I write to you again eccentricities and great well-deserved reputation of the Perhaps most importantly, next year, I will have three qualities, with far greater depth institution, its faculty, and its these academic successes are academic terms under my and insight than I can offer at alumni. matched by a strong sense belt, will no longer wonder present. I have, these past First impressions are of social commitment and how King Street manages to go weeks, been wandering around important ones for incoming outreach, reflecting a widely in all four directions within a campus, map in hand, trying to students, staff, and faculty, and shared belief that the university few short kilometres, will be identify all of the major even for deans. I am delighted must make a solid and used to driving the 401, and buildings and find my way to to report to you that the continuing contribution to will have absorbed the unique the key administrative offices, impressions gained from afar the broader world. energy, excitement, and the library, recreational and from my initial meetings at You know that the commitment to innovation facilities, and cafeterias. So far, the University of Waterloo have University of Waterloo is a that is so central to Kitchener- I have only been lost a few been more than confirmed remarkable place and a truly Waterloo and the University times! But as I made my way during my first months on impressive university. While of Waterloo. Until then, I wish around the campus, the campus. this was my general impression, you the very best in your community, and the region, I My initial experiences with gained from many years in personal lives and professional have had many opportunities faculty, students, and staff in Canadian post-secondary careers. I hope that 2006-2007 to reflect on how fortunate I the Faculty of Arts confirm education, it is now even more brings many blessings and am to be here. what I had believed about firmly etched in my mind. I am much success. Ⅲ fall 2006 3 continued from page 1 … passing through middle-earth received a call that the graduate of Waterloo’s received a Dora Mavor Moore tragic characters all find creative team from England Cultural Management Award nomination for the themselves in the same group was in town and wanted to see Specialization, was the acting ensemble. therapy session. “We found a him. “I had three callbacks assistant stage manager for Roberts had planned to free slot at Second City,” says with the creative team, the LOTR production). concentrate on economics and Roberts, “did one show, and including a gruelling physical “Each job brings its own political science while at then we were off. We found fitness test and dance challenges,” says Roberts. Waterloo, but quickly agents, started auditioning, session.” A month later, “That’s how I like it.