HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-08-26, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010.Alligator Tears will be making itsdebut on the Blyth Festival stage
with the talent of the Blyth Festival
Young Company on August 31.
The show, which was penned by
Stratford author and second-year
University of Toronto student Britta
Johnson represents a departure from
the norm for Young Company, as the
play was written for the group,
when, in previous years, the group
would collaboratively shape the pro-
duction.
Some members of the troupe have
experienced both styles - the
‘organic’ composition as Johnson
put it, and this year’s new
approach, and say it was an adjust-
ment.
“It was weird,” Katey Bornath
said. “It’s really different,
we’re not used to fitting into charac-
ters.”
Nathanya Barnett of Goderich
stated that it was a challenge, but
enjoyable, to try and be someone
else.
“In other years we were our-
selves,” she said. “But to have to fit
into a role, fit into a character who
had a name and a life, it was hard,
but fun.”
The script, which is a musical
appearing at the Phillips Studio, was
written by 19-year-old Johnson after
Artistic Director Eric Coates asked
her to work on it.
“[Coates] has known me for a
while and has been very supportive
of my work,” she said, adding that
she thought her success with Big
Box Story, a play she wrote that was
performed at Stratford’s Avon
Theatre, really brought her skills to
the forefront.
Coates said, in a release from the
Blyth Festival, that Young Company
is a great starting
point for young artists like
Johnson.
“[The Young Company’s show is a
great opportunity] to see the next
generation of artists and theatre pro-
fessionals at work in Blyth,” he said.
“Many of our Young Company
alumni have gone on to succesful
stage careers at the Shaw Festival or
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival,
just to name a few.”
Coates added that programs like
Young Company insure that per-
forming arts remain strong in rural
Ontario.
Alligator Tears is about events that
happened in New Hamburg in the
1950s, when a potential alligator in
The Nith River lead to international
recognition for the town on
Highway 8.
“People in the town perpetuated
the lie to gain fame for New
Hamburg,” she said. “And the play is
about that, but its also about young
people and the scandals they faced.”
Johnson stumbled onto the idea
when looking for a story about small
town identity.
“I was trying to write a story about
growing up in a small town,” she
said. “A friend in Stratford that lived
around the corner from me told me
she had a story.
“Her great-grandfather was the
chief of police in New Hamburg
when all this happened,” she said.
“She gave me all sorts of research
information, a whole binder of paper
clippings and a tape recording of a
radio interview that was done at the
time.”
Johnson said that most of the play,
however, is fictional.
Musicals are nothing new for
Johnson either - her breakt
hrough play,Big Box Story was one,
and it’s something she’s very fondof.“I like to write songs,” she said.“This is my fourth musical.”Johnson said that, being 19 years
old, she enjoys the chance to work
with people her own age.
“It’s cool to work [for the Young
Company and] work with young
people,” she said. “They are creative
and energetic, and they’re willing to
take risks.”
She added that everyone has
become friends because of their
common interests.
The members of Young Company
love the script but did admit that not
everything has been easy about
doing the musical play.
Rachel Hearn and Bornath, both
of Clinton said that the play will be
funny.
“The script is great,” Hearn said.
“A lot of the lines are just hilarious.”
“The songs are very funny,”
Bornath agreed.
The entire group agreed that
singing and choreography were
tough though, saying it was hard to
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Young Company debuts‘Alligator Tears’ Aug. 31By Denny ScottThe Citizen
Continued on page 20
Young Company
The youthful members of Young Company will be putting on Alligator Tears, a play about a
1950s scandal in New Hamburg. Back row, from left: Taylor Watson of Clinton, Hellena
Baechler of Seaforth, Katey and Liese Bornath of Clinton, Jillian Bjelan of Hensall, Beth
Beardsley of Wingham, Curtis te Brinke of Clinton, Reuben Elliot-Fisher of Clinton and Britta
Johnson of Stratford. Front row, from left: Nathanya Barnett of Goderich, Amy Thompson of
Clinton, Rachel Hearn of Clinton, Olivia Wornham of Australia (on an exchange in Goderich)
and Haley Hunt of Clinton. (Denny Scott photo)