The Citizen, 2009-07-30, Page 12They take us from time and place,
to worlds away and close to home.
They create a space to inspire
imagination.
And generally, it’s all taken for
granted.
Summer wouldn’t be summer
without the Blyth Festival’s theatre
productions. Audiences fill the seats
night after night to watch the magic
that quality production and
performances combine to create
together.
But when it comes to the design
elements the attention they receive
tends to be more that of appreciation
for the finished result, without any
wonder as to the process involved to
achieve it.
Labouring away in the Festival’s
workshops are the set, wardrobe and
prop crews. Some, like head
carpenter Noel Wright and his
assistant Emily Lutz, arrived as early
as May to begin the work on the first
production for the season, while
others will remain here untilnear the
end.
Lutz said that while there may be
overlap on some of the designs,
usually the crew can focus on the
needs of one production at a time.
On this day, the shops are
relatively quiet. Production manager
Kim Gravel is running errands while
others are busy on hands-on
tasks.With an opening one day away,
focus is now on the season’s fourth
show, The Nuttalls.
For wardrobe head, Melanie
McNeill, in her first year at Blyth,
it’s a “chill day”.
“The one that’s opening (Hockey
Mom, Hockey Dad) is under control.
It was a smaller one for us than the
first two so that was nice.”
Working with McNeill this
summer is Amelia Berzins, who
attended Sheridan College. This is
her second year at Blyth and prior to
that she worked at the Port Stanley
Theatre, beginning when she was
only 14.
McNeill’s project on this morning
is putting curlers into one of the wigs
that will be worn by Katharine Fitch
in the Nuttalls. On another
mannequin is the mullett, one of
“Biblical proportions” according to
designer Kelly Wolf, that will grace
the dome of actor Gil Garrett in the
same producton.
“It’s the favourite of the season,”
smiles McNeill.
The graduate of Ryerson’s theatre
production program said the first
show, The Bootblack Orator was
their most ambitious. “It was
Victorian so we built everything
from scratch. There was a corset and
a wig.”
McNeill said she is a “facilitator of
the designer” who brings in sketches
of her ideas on the character and
wardrobe does what they can to
achieve it, staying of course, within
a tight budget.
While an actor is required to
imbue the personality into a
character, wardrobe helps them
achieve that result. “There is a lot of
character analysis. The designer will
say this is what she thinks they’d
have in their closet, so we work with
what’s here or go looking.”
For the Nuttalls, said Wolf,
“Hopefully, the costume and actor
work together to create the character,
who are essentially stereotypes.” She
added that the actor will also offer
input into what kind of clothes the
character might be wearing.
Having fallen in love with theatre
early, production assistant Sarah
Lahue has found her place in a
different department. “I decided
what I was going to do when I was
eight and saw Ragtime. The minute
the curtain went up I wanted to be
part of that some way.”
She honed and pursued her skills
since. “And part of that was finding
out that I’m a better carpenter than
working in wardrobe.”
Now with pages of sketches
spread out between them, Lahue
discusses the set with Wolf.
Elements of an actual design can
change once the crew begins putting
it together. “You can look at the
reality and know that it has to be
changed and go back and draw it
again,” said Wolf.
Details from the kinds of windows
to walls and what materials will take
paint best are part of this
brainstorming session.
Wolf said she checks in first thing
every morning when her design is
being worked on. “There’s always
stuff that comes up, but once we’ve
had the opening then I’m done.
There’s no time, or will or money togo further.”In rehearsals they mock up the set
so the actors get an idea of what they
will be working with, and around.
The previews then will be a test run,
said Lahue. “Sometimes then we get
wiggly wall notes.”
How much time is required to
build the sets depends on the project.
In the case of the ‘cottage’ for The
Nuttalls, said Lahue, the crew had
one week and two days to complete
it. “And it will be complete.”
Another key factor of the set from
start to finish at Blyth is the fact that
it must be able to be torn down and
rebuilt with each performance.
The challenge with a show like
The Nuttalls, according to Gravel is
that it’s a brand new production.
“There is no reference, so we have to
create and make sure the design
comes to life. It’s an interesting time
in the shop.”
““The writer and director have the
vision,” said Gravel. “They don’t
care how it’s achieved, they just
want to see it happen.”
“This is quite a busy show. There
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009.
Set ready to go?
Designer Kelly Wolf and production assistant Sarah Lahue
meet to discuss details about the set construction. (Bonnie
Gropp photo)
A look behind the scenesat the magic of theatre
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Wigged out
Melanie McNeill, head of wardrobe this year at the Blyth
Festival sets this wig for the production of The Nuttalls.
(Bonnie Gropp photo) Continued on page 13