HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-08-30, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012.Smith has respect for Festival, Memorial HallContinued from page 23to community members andresidents to generate interest in thetheatre.
Smith says the decision to bring in
an interim artistic director is perfect
for all involved. He says that Coates
doesn’t leave the Blyth Festival in a
lurch, as Smith will be there to pick
up the slack and as the search for a
permanent artistic director
continues, the new hire will have
plenty of time to finish whatever
work they are currently doing,
leaving everyone in good shape.
“It was really smart the way the
board decided to do this,” Smith
says.
Smith says there is typically atwo-year commissioning processwith a theatre that commissions newwork, so the 2013 season will be set
up by Coates, who will have been
working on the projects for several
years. Smith says he will continue
that process by picking up where
Coates left off, both taking over
projects he started and beginning
new projects for future seasons.
“Right now there will be a number
of things in various states of
undress,” Smith says. “I’ve got to get
up to speed on them quite quickly.”
Smith, who originally hired
Coates as an actor with the Festival,
says that as an interim artistic
director, he’ll know his role in thecommunity.“I have a pretty good sense ofstory and a pretty good sense of
community,” Smith says. “I have
been around it before.”
Smith says while it might sound
tough to nurture a play and not be
the artistic director when it hits the
stage, he says it’s something that he
has gotten used to and he’s looking
forward to bringing new projects to
life.
“Of course you want to be there to
pick it off the tree,” Smith says.
He says he feels a sense of
commitment to the Festival because
of its strong community identity
and Memorial Hall itself and its role in the history of HuronCounty.Smith was the featured speaker at
this Festival season’s opening night
gala dinner and he spoke about the
history of Memorial Hall. He
mentioned a town hall meeting that
was held there decades ago and he
quoted a former Blyth reeve as
telling the community that it’s easy
to get along with those you agree
with, the hard part is getting along
with those you don’t.
Smith said that is the way he
hopes to approach his time with the
Festival.
“We might not always agree, but
that doesn’t mean that we can’talways get along,” Smith says.Smith says he’s looking forwardto seeing a lot of the familiar
faces he has come to recognize in
Blyth.
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sengers are rare, they most often happen outside the bus as students are boarding and leaving the bus or crossing the street. Remember these tips:
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Whether on a city street, highway or country road, and regardless of the
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