HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-09-01, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011. PAGE 19. First studio series play about mysteries in history
Country Gospel
Concert
with
Thursday, Sept. 1
7 pm
at
Heartland Community Church
Clinton
Admission ~ Freewill offering
George Hamilton IV
(Grand Ole Opry)
Stranger Theatre, a Toronto-based
artist-run company recently showed
Blyth theatre-goers a little-known
Canadian story from the annals of
history.
Their play, The Hanging of
Françoise Laurent,focused on what
one member of the troupe called a
“footnote in the Dictionary of
Canadian Biographies.”
It was shown at the Phillips Studio
in Blyth from Aug. 26 to 28.
“It’s based on a true story, but the
details are scarce,” Kierston Tough,
who played the title character
said. “Françoise was sentenced to
die by hanging, and Canadian law
stated that someone sentenced to
death could be pardoned if they
became an executioner (a man) or
married their executioner (a
woman).”
Françoise meets Jean, a soldier in
the cell beside her, and, throughout
the play, attempted to talk to him
through the wall to try and convince
him to be her hangman, and marry
her, thus getting them both out of the
prison.
She found herself in prison as a
result of being caught stealing
clothing from her Madame.”
“The play is really a look at the
relationships in the story,” writer
Kate Cayley said. “It’s odd for a
madame to follow through on
hanging one of her servants.”
The play features the relationship
of Jean and Françoise, but also
examines the mysterious Madame,
played by Sarah Cormier.
The troupe originally started
working on the play as the first
theatre company to be in residence
at the Blyth Festival during the
winter in early 2010.
“It was good to have a clean slate,”
she said. “We had the studio and
apartment and it was quiet. it was a
good environment to work in.”The play will also be the first thathas come back to Blyth after being
created or worked on through a
residency program.
The play was showed at
SummerWorks in Toronto last year
and will continue to evolve
according to Cayley.
“We’re proud of the show, but we
wanted to explore what else we
could do,” she said. “There were
things we wanted to do that we
couldn’t get around to in Toronto.”
One of the major differences,
according to the entire group, is
knowing the space.
With SummerWorks, the company
was shown their space less than a
day before they were to show.
Working in Blyth has given them the
opportunity to know the Phillips
Studio, where the play was shown,
and use that to their advantage.
“The script evolved organically,”
Tough said. “This is a continuation
of that process.”
Zach Fraser, who played Jean in
the show, said that the process really
allowed the script to breathe and
change.
Stranger Theatre uses mostly
found text and objects as well as
stories and folk tales to inspire their
works.
With a final goal of “making
theatre more magical than it is”,
according to Cayley, they produced
this play after she found out about it
through a poem.
The group agrees that they are a
highly collaborative group, and said
that they all share roles.
They all assist in making props
and building sets, as well as
influencing the final drafts of plays.
The members of the troupe come
from all over eastern Canada.
Cormier hails from the maritimes,
Tough and Fraser come from
Halifax, Cayley comes from Toronto
and Lea Ambros, the Lighting
designer who was absent for some ofthe week hails from Toronto.Fraser stated that the Phillips
Studio Series, of which this play is a
part, is a fantastic idea for
participants and spectators alike.
“This gives opportunities for indy
companies to produce and get their
plays shown while bringing a totally
different style of theatre to Blyth.”Cayley said that, while what isshown on stage is a finished product,
it isn’t the final version of the play.
“What we [showed] is an ongoing
work,” she said. “Like a painting, a
play is never finished, only
abandoned. There is a point at which
you have to stop, you don’t have an
option.”Cayley said that if anyone has any comments on the play, they
should get in contact with the
group via their website at
www.strangertheatre.ca
“We love to talk about the play
afterwards and welcome any kind of
feedback,” she said.
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
A new Queen
Samantha Klaver of RR5 Seaforth, shown here during the plowing section of the competition
for the Queen of the Furrow, was the top competitor for the title. She was crowned at a
banquet held at the Belgrave Community Centre on Aug. 26. (Denny Scott photo)
Gagné impressed by students
Continued from page 3
necessary,” he said. “I’m looking
forward to the experience.”
While he understands it will
be a difficult year for parents,
as well as a challenging, emotional
and draining year for students,
he is ready to face them and
he understands there will be
concerns from both students and
parents.
“I don’t pretend to know
everything, but I’m open to hearing
concerns, questions and thoughts
parents may have,” he said. “I will
communicate with them.”
He said he is looking forward to
experiencing the traditions and
histories of Blyth Public School,
even if it is the last time.
The future of most educators in
the area is in question for the next
year and Gagné is no different.
“I’m not sure where I’ll be next
year at this time,” he said. “I’m
happy to be back, and I’m just
taking it one year at a time.”
Gagné has taught in several
different locations in Southern
Ontario, teaching in the Upper-
Grand District School Board for 11
years and the Waterloo French
Catholic School board for three
years.
He said that he enjoys rural living,
but that he enjoyed the contrast
living in two of the highest
populated cities in the world, the
city of Dubai and Hong Kong,
provided.
“I like the contrast, and the
experience of being in a city like
that,” he said. “But I’m used to rural
living, it’s a more comfortable area
and I enjoy coming back to it.”
Gagné was born outside of
Montreal and speaks French as a
first language. His family is still
there.
He attended the University of
Ottawa to become a teacher where
he met his wife, who originally lived
close to Fergus.
He has been a resident of Ontario
for 25 years.
September 1
Love, Mary and Frank, Edgar and Angie,
Les and Brenda, grandchildren and great-grandchildren
Happy 60th
Anniversary
Grant and Jean Williams
High steppin’
Brooklyn Johnston tried to avoid getting wet while making
a splash during an outdoor game at the Vacation Bible
School held at Belgrave’s Knox United Church last week.
(Denny Scott photo)