Ontario Community Newspapers

Waterloo Chronicle (Waterloo, On1868), 3 Sep 2008, p. 20

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W 7, 20 ° WAN lll i ll ) ( HHUNHZLE. - Wednesday, Neptembci 5. Aims u' ’ ‘ Single and Sexy’ ' Annual UW student orientation play still going strong after 20 years i Bi Bolt VRIHNM F , . j: 7 if" ,1.“ tlfllt’ltVNItll?” 77‘ a .1; .. j are rape. ltoiiiopliobia. racism, drug k-g 7 L' g : Dubtise and sexually transmitted mice» ”‘7 f V i ..:: " 't l [ions are just some oi the subjects . x ' "f ,3; :3 tackled by the 20th editionol Single and Sexy ‘ 1 I ' , ' J g. ‘ . ‘2 l , i at the Universityot\\'aterloo. . ‘ ‘ i ‘ . é g E" We play has become the signature event ‘ ' ‘ v 3 ‘ - . s ’ ‘ ' l of annual frosh week activities at the school, i . a ”3‘ ' _ ' , J ' x l ‘ and tackles a lot of controversial issues in an . i ‘ a it _'~ . g! “'3“ i? l unflinching manner But how do you do that 1’,â€" . i \ 7 g . I ‘ ii 1 ‘, ’ I in awaythat doesn‘t come oftas preachy? ’ . ‘ . t ‘ - . J "l ‘_ 'lhat's been the secretofthe success ofthe 3 . ' I l' ' i. . stage play produced by UW's health services ,. ' (I; ' ' a and staged at the Humanities 'l‘heatre. it all ,_ . ,. .. tackles tough subjects with humour where » 7‘ appropriate. and makes the audience pause .j to think with some of its gritty realism. . L at And it's still relevant 20 years later because 7‘ E? a talented director, Dan Payne. has joined igf #2“ ’ forces with actual students s like leff Ulrich, W; Va, . ' ‘ . 7 , , Sarah Sosnoski. Brenda Pilatzke, 'l'erry Reid. is ”if”. ' ’ I i w ,:,. 9 . . Reid Vernier. Jeremy 'l'sang, lessalyn Broadfoot ‘ g Q, and Dave Metcalfe ~ who have worked to . » g . i' . v . . ‘I: ‘ make it culturally relevant. They threw In a raster ' 4 _‘ -’ . number of references for the Facebook crowd vs-fi ; that wouldn't register with students 20 years -. . 9 ago. , . “it's a collaborative process." said Payne. " 3‘ in his first year directing the show. “ l'he little ' pop culture references that get a great . , response are what they helped out with, . . i. while i finintuned things and cleaned things 21“, Up. ‘; .. “That gets the audience relating to the 57,313 4 % characters and then boom something hap~ A I k ‘ 1 ' .-. % pens to make them stop and think. The Show ‘ v ' - - 4‘“ absolutely doesn't pull any punches and The cast of Single and Sexy strikes a pose as they get ready to perform the 20th edition of the student orientation play, produced by the Uni- that's why it's been so effective over the versrty of Waterloo's health serwces, which tackles difficult topics like drug use, racism, homophobia and date rape. \searsf‘ Inc W More The 20th season of Single and Sexy we needed infonnation. to be an audience favourite with some of his their time here as students will have people miered last Thursday. but will be shown nine “The challenge of the piece has always antics. but his character's homophobic remember them and approach them. more times during the first month of school been how you keep it accessible.” said Dan nature also made them squirm. “And we've had people give cast members including a special performance for alumni lene Spencer. one of the original collabora- “it's great to make people aware of that." disclosures because they've experienced Sept. 28 during Homecoming weekend to stir tors on Single and Sexy and one. of its original said thcv 20-year~old. “They are attitudes l something similar to what they've seen on up someofthose old memories cast members, "We had a lot of topics that don‘t share but obviously have to express. stage? While the reference points have changed. weren't as well dealt with, and it was so heavy "When i first read the script it was tough. While some things have changed during the underlying themes ofthe play are still the on infonnation," It took a long process to say some of those the production. including focusing on newer same. Communication and asking for help Over the years it‘s become more refined. lines." â€" drugs like ecstasy and crystal meth. others are all things that people can still do to work and the writing. directing and acting have But shaking up stereotypes and some of have remained the same including the Geni~ their problems out and ease the transition of kept up with the generations that have seen it the concrete thinking of people is what the tal jeopardy portion of the show that features being on yourowm for the first time. all before they get to the university level. show is all about, And he was pleased With Nintendo‘s favourite plumber â€" Mario from "It’s very honest,” said Payne. "And I think "The goal was to make it written by stur thehuzz it created after the performance. Super Mario Brothers fame. that it really leaves a lasting impression. dents for students, totally updating it every “You have to accept that there are these “Clearly this show has legs." said Spencer. “You want the firstryt-ar kids watching this year." said Spencer, who also was a longtime facts out there and you can‘t be ignorant who is now the head of drama at the Han- show to walk away and remember those director of the production. "We tried to find about it." said Tsang. “(let the message â€" dolph Academy for the Performing Arts in moments " out what the needs were on campus and try that's what I want {tom people.” Toronto. “1 think it's funny, then it hits you in it all started when the health servrt‘es to get students from different faculties to get The show itself has had quite a legacy. it the gut. department at the university wanted to do the math kid's perspective and the engineer‘s actually toured for a time and has produced “You listen and you watch. and then something to jail up the usual boring safe perspective some big names of the Canadian stage. you're caught by surprise by the information sex lecture that is part of firstAyear orienta- “it really comes to life because of their including ”W alumni Jonathan Goad star and you really care about the characters. tion It had become one of the least attended input " ring in the Music Man at the Stratford Shaker “it's completely representative of the kids events when the health nurses at the school input from students like Tsang. a psychol» speare Festival this summer. that are here today. and it has been for the 20 ‘ tippitlitl bed some drama students to come ogy major from Hong Kong who plays the "It has a legacy," said Spencer "it's fasci» years that it's been around. I just hope it's j ' up With a novel approach to delivering that character llo ii in the production. He proved muting how many of the actors throughout around for another 20 years.” j j ’ ‘ * HOWEVER YOU MOVE W~â€"-â€"â€"~'°'"‘°"°“ 9"“ l E \ I I ”f” wka ‘ ' f THERE SA MAZDA FOR YOU. v- i, if a H . ' \ " The All New, Completely Redesigned .-~ ‘2" ‘ 3 l ’ Bigger. Stronger. Smarter. 11:15:“ mtgs .. F . ,v 2009 Mazda 6 ‘ «a ”,L' {L} Waterloolii 'v'. l o a ‘ W .3 . i at, . was... $22,495 $31.1, 519.746.2777 plus llretgbl. POE. taxes) 3 '3‘ ‘3» ‘ ‘1? »' ' W Orin It the [tram , " ‘2'”- wwaorbuaInoxom . gel r hrsl look and come in . . zoom -zoom (32 test drive lodoyl mi toms martian pour in! 100mm my l

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