Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) spring 2022 Arts & Humanities Colloquium Series kicked off on January 14 with A Brief “Visit” into the Theatre of Grotesque presented by Leon Potter, a VIU Theatre Department Professor.
Potter embarked on an exploration of Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s extraordinary 1956 play The Visit. Potter, director and designer, takes you deep into the creative world behind the scenes of Malaspina Theatre’s upcoming spring production of this grotesque, provocative satire.
Potter has been working in theatre and film since 1989. Originally training at the University of Victoria as a set and lighting designer, his career spans a myriad of positions including director, actor, designer and technician. He began working as a director since 1994 and quickly became the artistic director of the Looking Glass Theatre in Vancouver and Blue Peanut Productions. He completed his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Kings College in London with a Master of Arts, with distinction, in Directing. On top of his university and professional work, Potter has been doing workshops and adjudications around the province.
Watch Potter’s presentation:
Since its beginning in 2009, the Arts and Humanities Colloquium presentations have facilitated conversations about ideas among members of the Arts and Humanities Faculty and their communities both at VIU and in the mid-Island region. Presenters have shown how important the arts and humanities are to understanding today’s world.