HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-08-12, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010.‘Pearl Gidley’ continues strong Festival seasonLocal inspiration created a richtapestry of characters for playwrightGary Kirkham to draw upon for
Pearl Gidley, the third of four plays
to be shown as part of the BlythFestival’s season.Based on events from the life ofPearl Gidley of Blyth, the play fea-tures twists and turns that keep theaudience guessing until the final rev-
elations.
Pearl Gidley (Catherine Fitch)runs a boarding house with her sisterEdith (Patricia Hamilton). The duoprovide glimpses of their aging char-acters’ pasts through their interac-tions with each other, and show both
have their scars to bear.
With a story line centred around
memories of past lives, the play,
which takes part entirely in the liv-
ing-and-dining room of the Gidley
house, seems to revolve around a
piano that is tuned yearly by handy-
man George, who is portrayed by
Sam Malkin, but never played.
George, after his yearly tuning of
Pearl’s piano, introduces Andrew to
the Gidley sisters, a boarder from the
United States and a Vietnam veteran,
played by Festival veteran Gil
Garratt.
Fitch does a wonderful job bring-
ing the strong, yet once-bitten-twice-shy Pearl to life, and the way thatFitch and Hamilton play off eachother’s cues and character quirksmakes it seem as if they are sisters inreal life.
Garratt and Malkin’s characters
provide a stark contrast to the
Gidleys, while, at the same time,
supplying a launching point for
many of the comical exchanges
amongst the four.
Malkin, like the majority of the
cast, offers a character depth that can
be missed early on, but becomes
imperative and appreciated later in
the story.
The local connections are a treat -
with Hamilton’s character making
regular, harrowing trips to the big
town of Goderich, and landmarks of
Huron County being just apparent
enough to tie the story to the locale.The story has the earmarks of aclassic - allowing the audience toknow certain things and believe theyknow others, only to have thosebeliefs shattered and have the facts
presented in a whole new light.
While the play does take place
closer to the middle of the twentieth
century than to the beginning of the
twenty-first, age has nothing to do
with the appreciation of the work.
This is accomplished through having
characters, settings, and events that
are mirrored in today's political and
economic climates, as well as
through inter-personal situations that
are timeless.
Pearl Gidley is a unique view of
Huron County, a unique view of the
Vietnam War-era world, and an
excellent play that is very enjoyable.
Pearl Gidley
Catherine Fitch (front) and Patricia Hamilton (back) play sis-
ters who run a boarding house in Gary Kirkham’s Pearl
Gidley, which opened at the Blyth Festiva in late July.The
story is based on the real-life experiences of Pearl Gidley of
Blyth. (Terry Manzo photo)
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
‘Book of Esther’ artistically
and technically wonderful
Big city alternatives clash with
small-town religious beliefs in
humorous and thought-provoking
ways in Leanna Brodie’s The Book
of Esther.
Being shown at the Blyth Festival
Theatre until September 4, the
show features the acting talent of
Maggie Blake as a 15-year-old run-
away; Artistic Director Eric Coates
as her father Seth; Marion Day as
mother Athea; Brad Rudy as Todd,
who opens his house to Esther
when she runs and Nathan Carroll
as A.D., a fast-talking late-teens
urbanite.
Esther, against the backdrop of
1980s rural Ontario, decides she
doesn’t fit in at home and runs to
the big city, where she meets Todd,
a vocal member of the gay commu-
nity in a urban centre reminiscent
of Toronto. Todd, who comes from
the same rural, conservative town
as Esther, welcomes her to his
house, and the immersion of small-
town Esther into the big-city
begins.
Esther soon meets A.D., and finds
that opposites do attract. Esther is
quiet and contemplating, where
A.D. is loud and brash, and the con-
trast provides Blake and Carroll
with plenty of fun materialwitch
which to work.
The play follows Esther as she
returns home, shedding light on the
conflicts that exist between big city
and small town, between Christian
values and individuality, and, ulti-
mately, between Esther’s view of
her own future compared to the
futures everyone sees for her.
Soon after Esther’s arrival in the
big city, an outing with A.D. pro-
vides an opportunity for Athea and
Seth to arrive at Todd’s house, hunt-
ing down their erstwhile dutiful
daughter, which gives the audience
a glimpse of the obvious past that
exists between the three characters.
Coates and Rudy both run the
gamut of emotions as their charac-
ters swing from extremes through-
out the play and show themselves to
have incredible ranges.
Athea struggles to keep her fami-
ly together and their heads above
water and Day’s performance pro-
vides the perfect amount of strain in
the character’s voice, movements
and emotions to keep the audience
wondering how she will rally her
family through their next curveball.
The use of translucent barricades,
light-projection and videos made
this performance interesting and
unique, and drew upon imagery and
experiences that anyone in a similar
situation - visiting a big city, small
town, or simply living in the 1980s
- could relate to.
The story arc provides extremely
fertile land for character growth,
allowing the audience to watch as
each character evolves, tackling
their issues and becoming a differ-
ent person for it.
Excellent acting, unique visual
effects and an excellent story have
been seamlessly blended to provide
an amazing, thoughtful story that
encourages the audience to see the
world through the eyes of each of
its characters, and leaves them rich-
er for taking that chance.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Book of Esther
Maggie Blake, Nathan Carroll and Brad Rudy are three of the five-member cast in The Book
of Esther, a play by Leanna Brodie that follows Esther (Blake) through her choice to run away
from her conservative small town for the independence of the big city. (Terry Manzo photo)
1st Wedding
Anniversary
Beuerman - Beacom
Melissa and John
Charles were married
August 15, 2009 at
Egmondville United
Church surrounded by
family and friends.
Melissa’s parents are
Warren and Judy
Beuerman of Walton
and John Charles’ par-
ents are Bob and
Angela Beacom of
Blyth. Wishing you a
long and happy life
together.
Love from your family
and friends.
Golden support
Playwright Leanna Brodie, who penned The Book of Esther
- the fourth and final play for the Blyth Festival’s 2010 sea-
son, presents Artistic Director Eric Coates with the “Bra
d’or,” or Golden Bra award on behalf of the Women’s
Caucus of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Brodie
explained that the award was given to Coates for his sup-
port of female artists throughout his time at the Festival.
(Denny Scott photo)