David Fancy holds a PhD from the Samuel Beckett
Centre at Trinity College, Dublin. He has worked as an actor / singer in Ireland and France and has won awards for playwrighting and translation. He teaches acting and critical theory at Brock University.
Centre at Trinity College, Dublin. He has worked as an actor / singer in Ireland and France and has won awards for playwrighting and translation. He teaches acting and critical theory at Brock University.
While at Brock University, David Fancy has directed two mainstage productions. Our Country's Good written by Timberlake Wertenbaker in November of 2005 and The Skriker by Caryl Churchill in February 2008. Below are a couple photos from those productions.
Our Country's Good; Design and Photo by David Vivian
The Skriker; Design by Kelly Wolf, Photo by David Vivian
If you would like to connect with and explore the Dramatic Arts department at Brock University, here is the link to their official Brock University website: http://www.brocku.ca/dramatic_arts/
Bryan: Congratulations on being nominated Artist of the Month. For those who might know you, who are you and what do you do?
David: I teach in the Dept of Dramatic Arts at Brock: performance analysis/critical theory and acting.
Bryan: I hear there are some exciting changes coming for the Brock Dramatic Arts Department, maybe you could speak on some of those developments that are coming down the pipe.
David: Well, we're moving towards an exciting new facility downtown; we've got 5 areas of concentration for study now (Applied Theatre, Drama in Education, Performance, Production and Design, Praxis); we're bringing in a competitive entry process involving a workshop and interview day for all incoming prospective students. We're generally amping it up all across the board.
Bryan: Tell us about one of your favourite productions you've ever seen.
David: Favourite production, hmm. You know, I just saw a fantastic show last night at Summer works, Nicolas Billon's Greenland directed by Ravi Jain. I think we'll have Jain down for a workshop in the Department this year, he's trained extensively in France. Together they created a show that was simple, elegant, and yet with extensive poetic resonance on a variety of registers.
Bryan: Reveal a nerdy "ism" about yourself.
David: I love reptiles. That's entirely and unrepentantly nerdy.
Bryan: If you could direct a production of any show, with any actors from around the world, what do you think you'd put on and with who?
David: Hm. Funnily enough, I think I'd want to work with some excellent 'undiscovered' actors, in the sense that they are excellent but just haven't 'hit it big' yet. I'd spend a few months doing nothing but watching theatre in as many cities as I could, 'collecting' actors. I'd then commission a play from Naomi Wallace, a favourite writer of mine, from Kansas. Either that or have a séance, channel the spirit of Samuel Beckett, and somehow force him to write a grotesque musical for me.
Bryan: Who would win in a Marvel Face-off: Wolverine or Captain America and why?
David: Wolverine, totally. Captain America is funded by Dick Cheney, I just know it.
Bryan: Final question, if you could walk on the surface of the moon or the bottom of the undiscovered ocean, which would you choose?
David: The moon, it's bouncier and you wouldn't need earplugs to keep the water out.
Bryan: Thanks for being a great sport!
David: I teach in the Dept of Dramatic Arts at Brock: performance analysis/critical theory and acting.
Bryan: I hear there are some exciting changes coming for the Brock Dramatic Arts Department, maybe you could speak on some of those developments that are coming down the pipe.
David: Well, we're moving towards an exciting new facility downtown; we've got 5 areas of concentration for study now (Applied Theatre, Drama in Education, Performance, Production and Design, Praxis); we're bringing in a competitive entry process involving a workshop and interview day for all incoming prospective students. We're generally amping it up all across the board.
Bryan: Tell us about one of your favourite productions you've ever seen.
David: Favourite production, hmm. You know, I just saw a fantastic show last night at Summer works, Nicolas Billon's Greenland directed by Ravi Jain. I think we'll have Jain down for a workshop in the Department this year, he's trained extensively in France. Together they created a show that was simple, elegant, and yet with extensive poetic resonance on a variety of registers.
Bryan: Reveal a nerdy "ism" about yourself.
David: I love reptiles. That's entirely and unrepentantly nerdy.
Bryan: If you could direct a production of any show, with any actors from around the world, what do you think you'd put on and with who?
David: Hm. Funnily enough, I think I'd want to work with some excellent 'undiscovered' actors, in the sense that they are excellent but just haven't 'hit it big' yet. I'd spend a few months doing nothing but watching theatre in as many cities as I could, 'collecting' actors. I'd then commission a play from Naomi Wallace, a favourite writer of mine, from Kansas. Either that or have a séance, channel the spirit of Samuel Beckett, and somehow force him to write a grotesque musical for me.
Bryan: Who would win in a Marvel Face-off: Wolverine or Captain America and why?
David: Wolverine, totally. Captain America is funded by Dick Cheney, I just know it.
Bryan: Final question, if you could walk on the surface of the moon or the bottom of the undiscovered ocean, which would you choose?
David: The moon, it's bouncier and you wouldn't need earplugs to keep the water out.
Bryan: Thanks for being a great sport!
If you would like to view previous winners of Artist of the Month, click here