Sad News

[Erin Hurley, Prof.]

Dear Marlis and Laura, Dear Candramers

What terrible news. I first met Lisa properly at PSi in Toronto two years ago, where she made a strong impression for her warmth, her pride in her adopted country and community of colleagues, and the passion with which she approached intellectual discussion. I am very sorry for this loss.

Sincerely,
Erin


On 12/10/11 9:48 PM, "Kathleen Gallagher" <kathleen.gallagher at UTORONTO.CA> wrote:

Very sorry to hear this news.
Kathleen
--
Kathleen Gallagher, PhD
Professor
Canada Research Chair
Academic Director, Centre for Urban Schooling
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto
252 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6
Canada
tel: 416 978-0160
fax: 416 926-4744

From: Moira Day <mjd707 at MAIL.USASK.CA>
Reply-To: Moira Day <mjd707 at MAIL.USASK.CA>
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:44:42 -0400
To: "CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA" <CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA>
Subject: Re: Sad News

Hi Marlis,

I didn't know Lisa personally, but the loss of a passionate, productive scholar diminishes all of us. Warm thoughts and prayers as well to her family, colleagues and students at a difficult time.

Moira
On 2011-10-12, at 9:59 AM, Marlis Schweitzer wrote:




It is with great sadness that we announce the passing our dear colleague, Professor Lisa Wolford Wylam. Lisa died suddenly on Oct. 9 while visiting family in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Lisa was a passionate and widely respected scholar, best known for her extensive involvement with the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards as well as her ethnographic work with Guillermo Gómez-Peña and his company, La Pocha Nostra. Her publications include Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research (University Press of Mississippi 1996) and The Grotowski Sourcebook (Routledge 1997), co-edited with Richard Schechner. In 2008, she co-edited with Mario Biagini and Antonio Attisani Doorways: Performing as a Vehicle at the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards (Seagull Press) and coedited with Kris Salata a special issue of TDR that examines Grotowski’s lingering influence on artists and scholars around the world. This scholarship was informed by her extensive experience as a dramaturg—including work with La Pocha Nostra and Cleveland’s Theatre Labyrinth—and longstanding commitments to devised theatre. Lisa was a founding Vice President of Performance Studies international (PSi) and served as Program Chair for the 2010 PSi conference held in Toronto.

In the Department of Theatre at York University where she began as Associate Professor in 2006, and in her previous position at Bowling Green State University, Lisa was a beloved teacher and a strong advocate for students and junior faculty. She brought to her classes tremendous critical insight, warmth, and humour, and instilled in her students a passion for merging theory with practice. She worked closely with graduate students as Director of the MA/PhD Program in Theatre Studies, and helped to create a challenging and forward thinking environment for advanced study. This past summer, she was instrumental in bringing Mario Biagini from the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards to York for an intensive Summer Institute. For all that she brought to the Department of Theatre and the Faculty of Fine Arts, she will be sorely missed.

Lisa is survived by her loving husband, John Wylam. A memorial for Lisa will be held at York University later this fall.

_____________________________

Marlis Schweitzer & Laura Levin
 Department of Theatre,
 York University