HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-11, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012. PAGE 19.
Munsch coming to Blyth stage
ArtsTraction prepares for Epic Youth Festival
McGregor & Friends, the
Foundation for Education and Blyth
Festival will be presenting ‘A Bunch
of Munsch’ adapted for the
stage from the stories of Robert
Munsch by Duncan McGregor this
fall.
From Oct. 15-26 this new stage
adaptation of five of Robert
Munsch’s stories will be presented
at the James C. Reaney Auditorium,
Stratford (now sold out) and
Blyth Memorial Hall (Oct.
15-19) for school matinee
audiences.
The producer/director is Blyth’s
Duncan McGregor who has
presented young audience
productions at Blyth before
including Peter and the Wolf, Let’s
Do Munsch!, New Friends, Old
Friends and Charlotte’s Web. Those
performances were attended by over
25,000 school children and their
teachers. This year it’s A Bunch of
Munsch.
Eleven actors (including young
people from local schools plus adult
performers all supported by
professional designers and director)
will present these well-loved stories.
This production is being done in
support of student enrichment
through the Foundation for
Education Huron Perth and The
Blyth Festival. The show consists
of Angela’s Airplane, Stephanie’s
Ponytail, Love You
Forever, Something Good and
Mortimer.
“The stage adaptations remain
true to Robert’s stories and to them
we’ve added the lively music and
sound effects of musician Arlene
Darnbrough, the costumes and sets
of Sherri Milburn and the lighting of
Ross Barnett, all experienced theatre
professionals”, states director
Duncan McGregor. “We want to
tickle your funny bone, share
these adventures and touch
your heart as only a Munsch story
can.”
Reservations can be made by
calling the Blyth Festival Box Office
at 519-523-9300.
Permission to adapt and perform
A Bunch of Munsch has been
granted by Robert Munsch
through Annick Press and Firefly
Books.
Blyth’s Memorial Hall, through
the Blyth Festival, is hosting a
special educational program for
participants in the 2013 Epic Youth
Festival.
The Epic Youth Festival is a Huron
County event which exhibits the
work of Huron youth in a display at
the Memorial Hall.
To further expand the impact,
which is held through the Huron
Arts and Heritage Network,
ArtsTraction, a program to help
match students from local high
schools with mentors who can help
hone their skills, has been
implemented.
According to organizer Duncan
McGregor, the idea was the brain
child of Blyth’s Karen Stewart and,
aside from matching up students
with mentors, it also allows students
to meet with each other.
“The kids bring their stuff to the
theatre and get together for the
Festival, but there isn’t enough
interaction between the schools,”
McGregor said.
The theatre at Memorial Hall, and
the surrounding rooms, has provided
an excellent opportunity for the
students to tackle improving both
their artistic method of choice as
well as expanding their horizons
McGregor explained.
“The theatre is just a perfect place
for work like this: it has all sorts of
areas for simultaneous work
meaning we can run different
programs side-by-side,” he said.
“Students are able to study their art
style and some have even decided
that they’ve taken plenty of classes
to focus on their own work and want
to expand, so they go to other classes
instead.”
The theme of the art show and of
the program leading up to it is
isolation and the final product could
be something that no one saw
coming according to McGregor.
“We don’t know what the end
project will look like, just the theme,
which is isolation,” he said. “We’ll
choose different themes and show
the pieces based on them. Themes
can be anything from similar subject
matter to opposite subject matter to
similar messages or anything
really.
“The pieces that don’t fit a theme
will be given the same play as the
rest,” he explained. “For the Epic
Youth Festival we’ll have different
stations set up and people can
experience all the different artistic
creations be they live theatre, music,
fine art or anything else.”
The program, which consists of
two class-like days, is run primarily
online due to Huron County’s
breadth and the unpredictability of
weather.
“In a rural county like Huron, it
can be tough getting people
together,” McGregor explained.
“The kids and mentors are using
online forums to connect with each
other. The mentors are able to see
their work and get a real feel for
what they’re doing and the students
get the opportunity to see who their
mentors are and get to know them as
well.”
The program is free and all
contributors have to do to be a part
of it is register. The first day of
sessions was held on Sept. 22 and
the second, and final, will be held on
Oct. 20, but using the online forums,
students are able to get feedback on
their work throughout the
process until the festival starts on
Nov. 2.
The entire program is a learning
process according to McGregor who
said that smaller versions of the
program, or similar versions, have
been held at the high schools
throughout Huron County, but there
was never a connection between
them.
After a final rehearsal on Nov. 4,
the showcase will be held starting at
1 p.m. at the Blyth Memorial Hall.
The program features the
following mentors; Peggy Coffey –
director/producer/actor/educator;
Jacob Crosby – technician; Kathy
Douglas - Huron-Perth Youth
Minister; Monica Eckert – visual
artist; Lisa Justine Hood –
director/actor; Wes MacVicar –
Foundation for Education;
McGregor – theatre director/actor/
educator; Monica Joy –
Musician/song-writer/educator;
Greg Sherwood – visual artist/
educator; Jennifer Zoethout –
Librarian.
The program is being managed by
Katy Johnston and supported by the
Ontario Trillium Foundation, Blyth
Festival, the Township of North
Huron and the County of Huron as
well as the Avon Maitland and
Huron Perth Catholic district
secondary schools.
For more information, visit the
website at www.artsTraction.ca or
call Johnston at 519-524-8394
extension 3294.
Old Tyme
Country Breakfast
Sunday, October 14
8:00 - 11:00 a.m.
at Londesborough Hall
• Eggs • Bacon • Sausage
• Pancakes and Homefries
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00
Children Under 12 . . . . . . . . . $3.00
Sponsored by Londesboro Lions Club
Please Note: Time Change
Entertainment Leisure&
Epic youth
ArtsTraction is a special educational program aimed at participants of the 2013 Epic Youth
Festival that will take place in Blyth next year. The program kicked off late last month with
Blyth-area playwright and director Duncan McGregor, who is seen here speaking to a group
of young people at Blyth Memorial Hall. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
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