The Citizen, 2017-07-27, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017. PAGE 19.
Entertainment & Leisure
Garratt, Carmichael discuss `Ipperwash' at museum
A process
Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt, left, and Ipperwash director and co -playwright
Jessica Carmichael were in Goderich on Monday night for a special discussion at the Huron
County Museum. The pair discussed the importance of the project and telling First Nations
stories, while also highlighting the writing and research process undertaken by Carmichael
and co -playwright Falen Johnson, which has involved extensive consultation with the
communities of Kettle and Stony Point First Nations. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
The Blyth Festival production of
Ipperwash was the topic of
discussion Monday night at a special
event hosted by the Huron County
Museum in Goderich.
Artistic Director Gil Garratt and
Jessica Carmichael, co -playwright
and director of the show, were at the
head of an event that attracted
dozens to the museum to hear more
about the research that has gone into
the project.
Carmichael told those in
attendance that she felt Ipperwash
was a "very compelling project" as
soon as Garratt proposed it to her.
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She, like Garratt, was surprised that
the Festival had never before
produced a play about the
Indigenous community or that an
Indigenous author had ever written a
play for the Festival before Garratt
took on the job of artistic director.
She also said that she was
instantly intrigued by the Blyth
Festival, as a theatre company that's
very connected to "the land" and its
own community, which was a way of
producing theatre with which she
felt she could relate.
GODERICH 519 524 7811
FOR MOVIE INFORMATION...
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www.movielinks.ca long distance?1 -800-265-3438
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lEIATMW'
ALL
Friday, July 28
Blyth Lions Park, 308 Gypsy Lane*
*Rain location: Blyth Arena and Community Centre
Family Activities
Start 6:45 p.m.
Bring your own water bottle! Healthy
snacks will be available for purchase.
Hosted by Huron County Health Unit, in partnership
with Healthy Kids Community Challenge Huron,
Township of North Huron and Blyth 140 Celebration.
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The event, moderated by Elizabeth
French -Gibson of the museum,
consisted of a number of questions
asked by French -Gibson and then an
open question -and -answer period
from those in the audience.
Garratt said he wanted to put a
First Nations story on the Blyth
Festival stage and he knew that
rather early on in his tenure. With
the Kettle and Stony Point First
Nations communities being the
closest to Blyth, he said that trying
to connect with that community
made the most sense.
Telling the complete story of that
community, however, he said, would
prove to be an impossible task. He
also said that a re -telling of the
Dudley George shooting and the
occupation that led to the stand-off
isn't something that's needed either.
Carmichael agreed, saying that the
George story has been told, in many
cases badly, and that while George
will be "present" in the production,
he certainly won't be its focal point.
Rather, the communities of Kettle
and Stony Point and the people of
those communities will be the focus
of Ipperwash.
The play, she said, will take place
in 2015, but historical points of the
production will reach back to the
1940s and 1950s at times in order to
Come and
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Tuesday August 8
7 pm - 9 pm
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tell a well-rounded story of the
community.
When the Department of National
Defence appropriated the land on the
reserve, Carmichael said, residents'
homes were literally moved to
another part of the community while
many were overseas fighting for
Canada. Not only did this cause
animosity between the department
and the community, but it resulted in
tension between the two
communities, which were forced to
settle together — some having their
farms split to accommodate those
who were displaced — as a result of
the appropriation of land.
Very early in the writing process,
Carmichael and co -playwright Falen
Continued on page 20
Graduation
Matthew McNichol graduated
from University of Guelph
Ridgetown Campus on June 2,
with an Associate Diploma in
Agriculture. Matt is working for
Don Sholdice Livestock and
Foster Transport. He is the son
of Ron and Michelle McNichol,
Cranbrook Rd., Brussels and
grandson of Grace McNichol
and Tom and Cheryl Cronin of
Blyth. Congratulations Matt.
0116
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