Silver’s term ends June 30, 2008 – the day he turns 65.  Silver came to York in 1986 after working for eight years as a freelance designer based in Stratford, Ont., and more than a decade as the resident designer in his hometown of Edmonton. In Edmonton, he worked for the Citadel Theatre, where he was also a consultant on the award-winning architecture of the Citadel Building. He became Chair of the Department of Theatre in 1992 and was appointed dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1998.

Silver has worked on close to 300 productions across the country, including Aspects of Love – the North American touring production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Festival, Ont.; Democracy for Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre and the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg; the Canadian Opera Company production of Albert Herring; Six Degrees of Separation and Proof for CanStage, Toronto; The Marriage of Figaro for BC's Pacific Opera Victoria; and the CanStage/Dancap production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ in Toronto.

The Globe and Mail has described Silver’s work as "lusciously crafted" and his sets, "arresting."

His latest endeavor is to design the set, costumes and lighting for the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company’s inaugural production of Rose, which explores the life journey of an 80-something Jewish woman from Russia to the Warsaw ghetto, the doomed refugee ship Exodus and postwar Atlantic City.

As with every new project, Silver says he takes the script and reads it in a quiet spot and tries to experience it as an audience member would. "I first read a play for the context and emotions. I try to turn off my analytical side as I want to get the subjective experience of the audience. Then I’ll bring in the analytical."

He’ll search the script for clues to what the playwright is trying to get across to the audience. Silver says it’s a bit like being a detective trying to piece everything together to come up with the right set, costumes and lighting that will enhance the story and the experience.

"You provide an atmosphere, an ambience. Everything that is on stage has a meaning."

He strives to tap into the poignancy of life with his designs. It’s all a part of telling stories and connecting with the audience, he says.

"I have not lost, in the 40 years I’ve been doing this, the desire to assist the audience to laugh and to cry and to help [audiences] understand life. I love to watch as part of the audience and I love to contribute to their experience when I’m working on a production."

Media contact:

Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University: 416 736 2100 x22097 / mehughes@yorku.ca

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 24 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

-30-