HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-12-22, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2011.
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then. North Huron has continued
that practice that the Village of Blyth
started.”
At this point, Cronin said she
became completely involved in the
plays and began taking on a
leadership role in them.
“The move was great, it allowed
us to have all sorts of great perks that
associated with the theatre, but it
also made us change our way of
thinking,” she said. “We had to
simplify. Props and costumes had to
be carried across town, so they had
to be smaller. We would prepare the
concert at the school and use the
stage there as a practice and
rehearsal area and then not get to the
main stage until the dress rehearsal.”
Cronin stated that, at that time,
while there was still usually a theme,
it was only for the junior and senior
classes with the primary students
doing whatever worked for them.
“The senior classes were usually
part of a mass choir,” she said.
“That’s one memory that will always
stick out in my mind. We had to go
over to the Memorial Hall and, with
the help of Peter Cook, set up risers
for the choir that were used by the
Blyth Festival Singers. We had to go
back the day after and take them
down as well, but that kind of
community involvement was what
made the plays great.”
Around the time the plays began
being put on at Memorial Hall, they
also started shrinking considerably.
“When we first started, the school
concerts for go on for two or more
hours,” she said. “When you have
seven to eight scenes with music and
at least three or four minutes to
switch the scenes, you’re looking at
a long play.”
Once they got to Memorial Hall,
the plays began to shrink not only
because of the accessibility of the
stage, but because it was how they
were being produced.
“We tried to keep the concerts to
an hour or a little more,” she said.
“We didn’t have full props, so it was
quicker to change scenes and, at the
school, there was only one way on or
off the stage so it took a very long
time to get all the students off the
stage and get the next group on.
Memorial Hall had several entrances
and exits, making the time between
scenes a lot less.
“The double stage entry saved so
much time.”
The extra room afforded at the hall
was also appreciated, according to
Cronin.
“When we were at the school, we
had to occupy the students when
they weren’t on the stage,” she said.
“You had to get them to a classroom
and close it to keep it quiet and keep
them entertained and, before VCRs
were available at the school, that
could be difficult.”
She continued to say that, at the
Memorial Hall there was more room
and the students were easier to
manage.
Another benefit of using the hall
was some of the experience and
some of the skills of members of the
Blyth Festival.
“We had people like Fran Cook,
who was the sound and light person
there,” Cronin said. “Shevolunteered to help us and it was ahuge benefit.“It really is the perfect venue,” she
said.
Later on light controls were
changed to the responsibility of the
director.Cronin said there were so manypeople in the community to help thatshe couldn’t name them all, but
some names that came to her were:
Janice Henry who helped prepare
Plays began shrinking when moved to Memorial Hall
Following the star
In a very traditional take on the Christmas concert, Blyth Public School students approached
the nativity scene with their Dec. 14 performance at Memorial Hall. Playing the parts were,
from left: Kyle Gottschalk, Quinton Hakkers, Joseph Pizzati, Logan Chalmers, Mark Wiersma,
Samantha Hubbard and Hannah Ortman. (Vicky Bremner photo)
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