When the new school year began in September 2015, classes were not the only new activity on campus. It was also the start of the Victoria College Drama Society’s new theatre season. Established in 1918, the Victoria College Drama Society (VCDS) is Victoria College’s oldest student-run theatre group. Each VCDS season features five different shows performed in a variety of spaces, including the Cat’s Eye, Hart House, and the Isabel Bader Theatre. The VCDS also represents Victoria College on the broader UofT theatre scene, competing in the annual Hart House Theatre Festival against other colleges’ drama societies.
The Strand caught up with two members of the VCDS Executive Committee, Roxanne Griffiths and Maya Wong, to hear all about VCDS, its upcoming season, and its place in the UofT theatre community.
The Strand: Tell me a little bit about the Victoria College Drama Society. What does it do, and what kinds of opportunities does it offer?
VCDS: VCDS is Victoria College’s official student theatre company. Vic has a lot of talent, so we pride ourselves on producing high quality theatre that provokes thought, laughter, tears, and all those feeling things! However, we also appreciate theatre as an invaluable tool for creating community—a team of committed people taking on creative challenges together and working towards a concrete goal. So, our purpose is twofold: make great theatre, and foster an environment of supportive, creatively-engaged students. In addition to acting, students can apply to be technical designers, stage managers, choreographers, music directors, or even volunteer on one-off bases to build [the] set for one of our Bader shows.
TS: Who joins VCDS? Is it only for drama majors or people with a performance background?
VCDS: To join the executive committee, you have to be a Victoria College student. However, to get involved with our shows in acting or crew, your college or major background do not matter!
TS: Tell me about the upcoming VCDS season.
VCDS: We’ve finished our first show of the season, The Physicists, and are gearing up to present Trojan Barbie in the Bader Theatre at the end of October. Trojan Barbie is a powerful play that looks at the timeless struggles women endure during times of war and conflict. Specifically dealing with the consequences the Trojan War held for its female survivors, such as Hecuba, Helen, and Cassandra, we feel this play is especially relevant given the horrific events occurring in our 2015 world. In January, we’ll put on God of Carnage in the Cat’s Eye, a black comedy about two couples slowly descending into animalistic behaviour as they negotiate the consequences of their sons’ seemingly-trivial playground scuffle. In March, we’ll stage our entry for the UofT Drama Festival, which will be student written and directed (budding playwrights: applications are still open!). Last but not least, we’ll close our season off with the rock musical, Rent. Hope to see everyone in the audience!
TS: What’s the wackiest pre-performance ritual you’ve ever witnessed for a VCDS show?
VCDS: One of our actors taught us a vocal warm up primarily using the words “sh*t,” “damn,” and “f*cker” to tell a short, sad tale of adultery (feel free to stop random VCDS people on the street for the whole thing, which is probably unprintable here). The actors repeat it with increasing speed and volume until it’s just an energetic frenzy of cussing. Understandably, we only do this exercise in the farthest corner of the back room of the Cat’s Eye.
More information about VCDS can be found at vcds.ca.
Article by: Amy Kalbun
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