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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-07-02, Page 19Janet Amos And for the kids.... drama workshops Adults are not the only ones enjoying the benefits Of theatre in Blyth. This summer, like last, a childiens' drama workshop series will be held for seven weeks. Running the 'program are two recent graduates from the Humber College theatre arts program in Toronto. Janet Anderson, back for her second season with the children's workshop, will be joined this season by Nadre Muzaffar. The workshop will be divided into two workshops, one for children ages :11 to 15 and one for younger children ages 6 to 10. Nadre explained the workshops will consist of "a little bit of .everything involved in theatre." With the younger children, they will teach improvisational drama, to be used in a final performance for parents and friends. For older children, the girls will teach not only improvisational work, but also different aspects of theatre work with a scripted performance at the end of the session. "We want to let , them experience what theatre is about and give them a taste of different areas of theatre so they can understand it better," said Janet. ' "The main objective is to let them overcome inhibitions and to have a good time," she added. Older children will be involved in a seven week session so they will receive a more intensified study of theatre, said Nadre. The two sessions for younger children ages 6 to 10 will be held from June 30 to July 18 and July 21 to August 15. , The workshop for children ages 11 to 15 will be held from June 30 to August 15. Both girls are hired under an Experience ,'80 grant for an eight week term in Blyth. Workshops are free to any interested children.• WELCOME to the' Blyth Summer Festival from the Blyth Inn Hotel Fully Licensed Across the street .from. Blyth Memorial Hall BLYTH, ONT. 523-9381. oft?;41;kA,:..sbft, Aft; 1.1 • 1.1". THE !MYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL ISSUE Artistic director has to be orga nize "It's a challenge," said Janet Amos speaking about her new job as artistic director for the Blyth Summer Festival. ' "There are a lot of things I had to go into cold," she said. "The job takes a lot of 'organization outside of directing. Every person who is hired, is very much relied upon to do their jobs:" Included in Janet's job as artistic director is, hiring actors, production and administrative staff, deciding on scripts for production, budgeting money to be spent how and where, finding housing and furniture for the 32 member company fOr the summer, deciding on poster and ad art, along wit% organizing concessions. She added her job will likely continue into February when she will be working on fund raising projects. Weighing the two extremes of her job, directing and administration, Janet said she does more administrative work. "It's good though, I'm learning how a theatre works, where the money goes," This year because of past financial problems, Janet said ticket prices have been increased to $5 (up from $4.25) and seats in the balcony ',lave been opened • bringing the'house total up to•490- EXTENDED SEASON "The season has also been extended by a week," she said. First introduced ,,to the Blyth theatre in 1973 when she performed in the basement of the condemned Memorial Hall in, a production of the Farm Show written by her husband Ted Johns, Janet describes Blyth theatre as "amazing." * "It is an amazing, theatre because it is a community theatre that has created such a strong professional base," she said. A veteran in theatre, Janet began acting, professionally at the age of 16, taking drama classes outside of her regular Best.known for her role as Clara Sturgess,in the CBC, television series A Gift To Last, Janet has worked as both actress and director for Theatre ,Passe Muraille. In the past she has acted at the Shaw Festival in a production of Major Barbara and in the television series, The Masseys. Prior to her appointment as artistic director, Janet directed productions in, both the 1977 and 1978 seasons at Blyth. This season, she will be directing John and the Missus, and the collective produc- tion of The Life That Jack Built, about the life of artist-author, Jack MacLaren. The improvisational production will con- , centrate on Jack MacLaren's life during the' first world war and his involvements with the Princess Pats and the Dumbells, both troupe entertainment companies. Janet explained that the idea for a collective production was sparked when • Jack MacLaren walked into the theatre with three paintings fora juried show. She said they got talking and everything developed from there. EVERYONE CONTRIBUI'ES "Everyone involved contributes by do- ing research, and giving ideas," she, said explaining how the collective works. She added that the cast got together.. ,.prior to rehearsals for a two week workshop* , were they began working on the colleetive • production. Although they won't be working from a •• script, Janet' said they will have a skeleton story to work from and by the first performance, \miiriprovs will be fairly set.", She described the collectiVe as "really , exciting" and said from what she has researched about the period, "the energy of that time was tremendous." • if Blyth theatre has gained 'a trust from its audience so that they return, said. Janet. "We touch people so that they trust us, ;they like the shows and come to trust the theatre." She said in selecting this year's produc- tion she has to balance what she thought would be successful financially to what she wanted to see done artistically. In an financial sense, Janet said-theatre operation costs are constantly on the rise, so that the production balance becomes extremely important. At the moment, she said directing is what she wants to be doing. When asked how she 'thought the season would go, Janet just threw her arms up in the air, covered her head and said, "I don't ,know." A challenge for Miles Potter Miles Potter, who will be directing for his first time in Blyth this season, de scribes his job as a "great challenge." ' • This season directing St. Sam of the Nuke Pile and I'll Be Back For You Before /vfidnight, Miles has had a wide variety* of both acting and directing experience. As a director he has toured to Blyth in 1978 with Les Canadiens and later in 1979 directed the Words of My. Roaring for. Theatre Calgary. Along with acting in several CBC productions, Miles said he's gained a lot of valuable experience on stage. In Toronto, he' per- formed in Me and Red Emma with the Free Theatre and Beyond Mozambique with Factory Theatre Lab. Along with other productions across Canada, Miles toured through England, Ireland and Scotland with a produc- tion of 1837-The Farmers Revolt. His most recent production has been with the Tarragon Theatre in Jitters. "I really like this summer theatre," said Miles explain- ing why Blyth appealed to him. "There are a lot of really good people working here." • OUT IN TILE COUNTRY "It's nicer to be out in the country working, then to be out in the country unemployed," he added. Miles said in 'directing St. Sam of the Nuke Pile, a play about the lives of people involved in nuclear energy, he read as much as he could about nuclear energy and travelled to the Bruce .Nuclear Power Development for research. "The research is ongoing during rehearsals," he said. In directing I'll Be Back for You Before Midnight, Miles said he spent a great deal of time reading the play over to get a better , under- standing of direction. He said he was with Janet Amos for most of the casting [for parts in both produciions and explained in selecting actors for parts, he looked for certain qualities in the play's characters that he saw in the the actors. In directing Miles said it is important to create the proper environment for actors to work under so that they feel comfortable and relaxed. "Generally directors work on a fear technique," he said. "I like the actors to be happy together in working together." He added developing a social raporteUmong himself and the cast as a whole, is also important to his style of direction. As for the future, Miles said he hopes to continue directing but, his biggest goal is to "keep on working" and get better and better in his field.