HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-07-02, Page 19He is Blyth Festival’s most prolific
playwright; she is a fan favourite.
Together they've brought a little-
known piece of Huron County
history alive.
Blyth Festival celebrated its 36th
season on Friday night with the gala
opening, featuring an original play
by Ted Johns’ The Bootblack
Orator.
Blyth Festival artistic director Eric
Coates approached Johns about
writing a script that would best
exemplify the role the theatre has
played both in the arts and in local
community. His idea was a personal
reflection on the life and times of the
Festival. Johns and Amos, a former
Blyth artistic director and Johns’s
wife, began some research and
discovered the story of John R.
Clarke, who, in the late 1880s toured
the county lecturing and
entertaining. He called himself The
Bootblack Orator.
Visiting the little hamlets along
the way, Bootblack met with local
‘societies’, such as the Belgrave
Debating Society offering his
thoughts and ideas on everything
from politics and world affairs to
culture. His events were recorded by
local newspapers, from which Johns
gleaned fodder for his script.
Part play, part, well, lecture,
Bootblack, directed by Coates, is
chock full of information and ideas,
satirical and homespun lore. There
is no plot, no storyline just Johns
spinning the words and thoughts of
Bootblack in his imaginings of one
of the title character's lectures. He
introduces the audience to an era
when settlers, finding themselves in
new backwoods communities,
rediscovered their intellect and
world view through informal debate
clubs.
Johns as Bootblack is in his
element, a sharp, busy mind delving
into the controversial and tossing it
out with raised brow and tongue in
cheek. The segments on Temperance
and science versus religion, are
especially fun, as with the latter
Bootblack espouces on God's
apparent love of the beetle.
Born in Seaforth, Johns, whose
many Blyth works includes the
popular He Won't Come in From the
Barn and Garrison's Garage, pokes
fun at familiar places, with the
affection that comes from knowing
the area, and loving it, potholes and
all.
Amos, who most recently was
guest artist at the University of
Ottawa, and this month received a
Dora nomination for her
performance in The Gladstone
Variations, portrays the fictional
characters of Mary Shelley, Susie
Twentycents and the Witch of
Marnoch. No matter who she is at
any given time, she is, as always, a
delight.
Coates may not have gotten the
retrospective he first had in mind
when he approached Johns. But The
Bootblack Orator delivers, what he
admits in his director's notes "both a
lament and a love song to Huron
County."
The Festival has always
appreciated its local audience. The
Bootblack Orator thanks them. What
better way for a theatre that
understands the heart of its
community to kick off a season.
The Bootblack Orator is at Blyth
Festival until Aug.15.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009. PAGE 19.Entertainment Leisure&Theatre reviewA Huron character opens Festival season
On stage
Ted Johns and his wife, former Blyth Festival artistic director Janet Amos, brought a piece of
Huron County history to life, opening the Festival’s season on Friday night with The Bootblack
Orator. (Terry Manzo photo)
Buck ’n Doe
for
Eric Miltenburg and
Jaclyn Stafford
SATURDAY, JULY 11
Saltford Community Hall, Saltford
Age of majority
9 pm - 1 am
Music by DJ and lunch provided
$5.00 in advance $7.00 at the door
Bus stops at:
Les and Joanne Stafford’s (41161
Jamestown Rd.) 8:00 pm
Valumart in Wingham 8:20 pm
Kingsbridge Catholic Church
(Hwy. 21) - 9:10 pm
For tickets or more
information call:
Laura Armstrong 519-887-6820
Sebastian Kraft 519-529-3174
50th Anniversary
for
Hebo & Margaret
Siertsema
You’re welcome to an
Open House
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
2~5 pm Westfield Hall
R.R. #3 Blyth
In lieu of gifts, donations to the
Huron County Food Bank
would be appreciated.
Open House
50th Wedding
Anniversary
Marion & Lavern Godkin
Saturday, July 4, 2009
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Duff’s United Church, Walton
In lieu of gifts, best wishes or donations to
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
or Duff’s United Church
would be appreciated.
Happy 80th
Birthday
Roy Young
July 3rd
Love your family
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Have you ever wondered what
goes into that hand-made mug you
use every morning for your coffee?
It’s not quite as simple as you
might imagine. Besides the physical
skill of “throwing” a form on a
wheel, a good craftsman also needs
an eye for design, a sense of visual
and functional balance, and the
ability to create something that
works well. A good teapot needs to
look beautiful, it needs to be
comfortable to use and it needs to
hold hot liquid and pour well.
Until July 15, The Blyth Festival
Art Gallery is presenting, The Art of
Function which opened Friday.
Eight of the best “functional”
potters (those specializing in
cookware and serving pieces) will
be featured in this special show.
Each will display two sets of items
from their standard stock-in-trade
and two one-of-a-kind pieces to
demonstrate their artistic talents.
The relationship between art and
function should be a revelation to the
viewer.
This is the first of three seasonal
exhibitions presented each year by
the Gallery. It is curated by Robert
Tetu and sponsored by Bruce
Stainton and Ann Procter Stainton.
Coming up in the Blyth Festival
Art Gallery season – Perceptions –
Abstracts on Aluminum by Darlean
Morris. The natural surface of
aluminum, combined with paint,
results in an exciting enhancement
of light (July 17 - Aug. 5) and Rural
Roots, featuring fascinating
paintings, metal, sculpture, fibre,
and other media by members of
Stratford’s Gallery 96 (Aug. 7 to end
of the season).
For more information, contact
Robert Tetu at 519-345-2184 or e-
mail gallery@blythfestival.com
...... Park Theatre goes here.....
Please size to fit into 2 col wide x 3” high space
Pottery on display at Gallery