Shaping theatre artists for generations at USask

When people move to the province, Saskatchewanians are always curious about the reason why.

“When we see people who’ve moved here from elsewhere, we’re like, ‘We are curious. Why would you come to Saskatchewan? Most people think it’s in the middle of ’” said Carla Orosz (BFA’04).

Orosz is an associate professor of design in the School for the Arts (SFTA) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

For students, choosing the USask drama program also means choosing the oldest-known degree granting theatre program in the British Commonwealth.

Orosz is part of the planning committee organizing the USask Drama Program’s 80th Anniversary Celebration taking place in March. The committee took inspiration from this common conversation to create a tagline for this year’s celebration: “In the middle of every _______.”

“And actually, (the drama program) is in the middle of everywhere. We’re in the middle of Canada. We’re this central hub in our own Saskatchewan theatre community,” Orosz said.

The USask Drama Program has big plans to celebrate 80 years of being at the heart of Canadian theatre. An anniversary social and dinner will be held at Marquis Hall on Saturday, March 21 starting at 4 pm. Tickets are available for purchase via the Greystone Theatre website.

Using the “In the middle of every_______” tagline as a prompt, the 80th anniversary planning committee put out a call to all alumni of the program to submit applications to create one-act plays.

“The committee had to read through everything and then pick the ones that they thought spoke the best to the celebration of 80 years,” Orosz said.

Five one-act plays were selected to be produced for the celebration. These original works were created by five alumni of the program: Clare Middleton (BFA’02), Lauren Griffin (BFA’23), Hope McIntyre (BFA’95), Leanne Griffin (BA’89, BED’90, MA’94), and award-winning screenwriter, director and actor Sugith Varughese.

The plays explore a range of topics: from experiencing indecision at a crossroads, to the legendary Greystone Theatre ghost, Hank.

Directed by USask Drama alumni Skye Brandon (BFA’00, MFA’19) and faculty member Ken MacKenzie, these plays will debut and be performed in the Emrys Jones Theatre on a rotating schedule from March 19-28. The schedule is available on the Greystone Theatre website with Pay What You Choose priced tickets.

USask Drama Program alumni worked with current drama students to workshop the new plays.

“We really wanted to show our current students the value of their degree – what it means after (graduating) and how these people have succeeded,” Orosz said.

Alumni from the drama program exist far and wide across the world. From television and film to theatre and public speaking, the USask Drama Program has influenced local and global performances and shaped generations of artists.

A number of theatre companies in Saskatoon were created by USask Drama alumni, including SUM Theatre, 25th Street Theatre, and Live Five.

“We’re small. Because we’re small, that’s what makes (the program) so good,” Orosz said. “The training happens at a high level because you have a small group of people that you get to work with. It almost feels like a master class after a master class. And that shows in the work that’s produced.”

Andrea Menard is a Métis singer, songwriter, actor and speaker. She is a five-time Gemini-nominated actress, a 15-time music award winner and named ACTRA National’s Woman of the Year for 2021. One of her most recent roles includes appearing as Auntie Edna in the CTV series, Sullivan’s Crossing.

“The University of Saskatchewan drama department was a lifesaver for me. I came from a creative family but none of us knew the arts were an option for us,” Menard said. “Professors like Henry Woolf and Pamela Haig cracked my heart, confidence and voice open and taught me to trust my body’s wisdom. I don’t know how badly I needed that trust. Those first years opened me up as a person and a performer.

“I was also one of the lucky students that got to experience both the seedy charm of the Hanger building and the new remodel of the John Mitchell Building,” she added. “It taught me to be flexible and adaptable in different spaces.”

Cheyenna Sapp (BA’23, Cert’23) is a Nehiyaw actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker from Little Pine First Nation in Treaty 6 Territory. She is a graduate of the wîcêhtowin Theatre Program (WTP) within the USask School for the Arts. Sapp is best known for her recurring role as Rose in the CTV comedy, Acting Good.  

"The wîcêhtowin Indigenous Theatre Program at the USask drama department gave me guidance and perspective to continue striving for Indigenous representation on stage, and in TV and film,” Sapp said.

Skye Brandon (BFA’00, MA’19) is an award-winning theatre actor, whose career has taken him to theatres throughout Canada and beyond. He’s currently a sessional lecturer for STFA and the new artistic director at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.

“My time spent at USask as an undergrad drama student changed my life,” Brandon said. “Not only did it chart my path professionally, but it’s also where I met my wife, Kristi Friday (BFA '00). Two young artists from small Saskatchewan towns, and now we're working for organizations that were a part of starting our careers—Kristi at Persephone Theatre, and myself at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.”

“We gained a lot from our time doing theatre in the John Mitchell Building, but at the top of the list was the drive that was instilled in us to create our own work,” he added. “The ability to put on our own student productions was what led us to creating work for ourselves as graduates.”

Megan Zong (BFA’17) is a Chinese-Canadian actor, dancer, singer and playwright based in Vancouver. Originally from Saskatoon, Zong performed in plays and musicals across Saskatchewan. She is currently becoming a teacher to inspire students about the way she was inspired by the USask Drama Program.

“I probably spent more time at the drama department than at home most days,” Zong said. “It was a period in my life that was non-stop work, play, and fun. I was always having fun and being challenged to do my best work, whether it be dialect work, animal movement project, or playing a 96-year-old woman with dementia in a wheelchair.

“The drama department at USask had a large part in shaping me into the artist I am today. The program challenged me to think creatively, pushed me to work hard, and allowed space for me to grow as an actor in a positive learning environment,” she added.

At the 80th Anniversary Celebration, Orosz is anticipating plenty of additional memories from alumni, honouring faculty, staff and students, and looking forward to the future.

“We want to look back a little and honour those who have come before us and look to the future to celebrate that we’re now a part of School for the Arts.”