George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
I am pleased to introduce the GBP Exemplar, a new piece of communication that I will be sharing on a regular basis. The purpose of this series is simple and yet profound: to shine a light on the outstanding work, the exceptional gems, and the talent and passion that reside within the heart of George Brown Polytechnic, and make its programs, research, and student life and experience so remarkable. George Brown has its brilliant, luminescent lights, as well as those quiet beacons of excellence, innovative teaching, thoughtful pedagogy, deep and meaningful partnerships, and everyday acts of care and leadership that often go unseen. GBP Exemplar is my way of recognizing and celebrating those successes, and of reminding all of us of the passion and commitment that defines the GBP community.
No Error: Just Dramatic Excellence and Amazing Fun
What better and more fitting spotlight for my first GBP Exemplar than the dramatic splendour achieved by George Brown’s Theatre Arts – Performance program students. I had the great pleasure of watching the excellent production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts which houses the Soulpepper Theatre Company and George Brown’s Theatre School. The intimate venue of the Weyni Mengesha Theatre within the Young Centre perfectly suited the production, and the very talented students captivated the packed audience with their inspired performances.
I was struck during the intermission by the number of audience members who were commenting on the high quality of the production, and overheard one individual ask her friends a few times how old they thought the cast was, because the excellence of the acting belied the youthful appearance of the student performers (I paraphrase).
The calibre of their performance should not have surprised me, though I admit that even I was struck by the combination of finesse and vigour they displayed. The entire cast receives thorough and intensive training in acting, voice usage and projection, movement, and music and dance from expert faculty who are veterans of the stage and media world.
Perhaps I should give a special shoutout to Kaleb Piper and Jack Mosney for their standout performances as Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus, respectively, who managed to simultaneously convey elegance and a harried nature, and to Philip Diamond and Chrisevina Tsoura for their depictions of Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse, respectively, as they balanced comic and athletic abilities brilliantly. Kimia Kalantari as Adrianna, Eva Soleil as Luciana, Ricky Mckinson as Angelo the Goldsmith, and Dale Rideout as Duke Solinus, and other supporting cast members played their parts with feeling, sensitivity, and great aplomb.
I came away from the play feeling inspired by the incredible talent of our George Brown students, and admiration for the clearly professional level of skills our faculty and staff instill through the Theatre Arts – Performance program.
The results spoke for itself: the performance was not an accident, a fluke, or an error, but rather a consequence of perfected skills and expertise. I can’t wait to witness their next production!
