The Brussels Post, 1980-07-02, Page 25,•••••''
THE BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL, ISSUE .,0
in film .or' television; you
really have to know what
you're doing.
"You have to really con-
centrate, you have to know
what you're doing and when
they give the cue you have to
perform."
• There, is a sense of
reaching a larger group of
people with film," she added
explaining .its advantage.
In the last five years, Anne
'said she hasn't travelled
around the. country for work
as often as she did when she
first started acting.
"I'm too old for all the
moving around," she said.
"You establish yourself
in a city like Toronto. or
Vancouver with enough work •
to keep you going," she
added.
Toronto.
W . ilson s
Health and Gift Centre
Blyth 523-4440
Congratulates
the
Myth Summer Festival
WELCOME ALL VISITORS
. Best Wishes to
The Blyth Summer Festival
Come out. and playa :round.
anytime
SEAFORTH GOLF '&
,:COUNTRY CLUB'
Phone 527 ,0985.
•
David Fox :describes him-
,
self. as "lucky',jooking back .
on .,• his theatre career. This '
year playing the part of John
in John and the Missus and
Working on the Collective'
production of The .Life That
Jack Built, David will'.spend
his first season in. Blyth,
'"I'd much 'rather be doing
theatre like this," he said. "I
feel closer to the material
and closer to the audience."
Along with, stage work
across Canada, David has
performed in television.
Most recently involved in
four episodes of A Gift to
Last, David has also acted in
Ada =and Maria, (part, of the
CBC For • the, Record series),
The Masseys, 1837 for thle-
vision, and Going Down •
Slow.
Born in Swastika, David
said it was while he attended
high. school in Kirkland Lake
and became involved in the
drama club that he first
thought of acting as a career.
After:going to the Univer-
sity of Western Ontario and
later finishing a degree at the
University of Guelph,, David
went on 'to the Ontario Col-
lege of Education.
He said losing an appren;
tice actorsauditiodin 1961 in
Stratford,. made him decide
to stay out of...theatre and in
1962 he started teaching
English and theatre arts at a
Brantford high,school.
Anne Anglin, says it's the
honest; ingenuous reactions
from Blyth • audiences that
appeals to her.
"I love theatre like this,"
she said. "I 'think it's •won-
derful that there is a theatre
like this 'so close to Strat-
ford."
This season, playing the
part of the Missus in John
and the Missus, Anne is back
for her second year in Blyth.
A Montreal Theatre School,
graduate, Anne said she has
been acting for close to 12
years.
"I try to do as many
different things as I can," , •
She explains that if you're
talented and versatile, your
chances of working increase.
Anne has performed in
theatre and .on television,
most recently for 'a TV
Ontario drama series on
moral issues, Anne has.done
stage drama and musicals.
"Musicals are fun," she'
said. "I really like singing."
This summer Anne will be
living in .a caboose with her
two daughters and husband
Paul Thompson, founder of
Theatre Passe Muraille in
Anne Anglin likes
Blyth
"I don't like the city in the
summer," she said, adding
that living in Brussels for the
summer is a peaceful break.
Anne, who was born and
raised in Toronto, said she
would like to do more film
work'
"Film is a wonderful •Med-
ium," she said. "It is more
intimate. ' •
She explained, in working
After teaching for 10 years,
David explained, he went
back to. theatre for several
reasons. •
"It was a build up „of
several things he said , "I
S onest. audiences
was more involved in high
school theatre and, com-
munitY theatre than I was in
preparing lessons,"
"Finally I was seeing no
benefits in teaching."
Like 'the theatre's dramatic present, the Blyth.
Memorial Halfhas had a vibrant and interesting ;past.
Erected in 1920 as a memorial to veterans who fought
lin the First W•orld War, the hall has been serving the
icommtinity for 60 years.
According to •an article in, the Blyth Standard
' Centennial issue, when first built. the hall was used
mostly for, vaudeville shows and touring plays. During •
those early years, dances and meetings were held in the
basement of the. hall. At that time, the Firemen's
Dance, held once a year, was one of the biggest events.
One of the more famous shows to travel to Blyth was
called the Jimmy4Fax troupe. Held in connection with
the annual fall fair, Jimmy Fax performed a one man
show playing all the, parts in his production. The troupe'
continued to perform , Blyth from 1920 to ap-
proximately 1950.
• In the. 1920's when the theatre was built upstifts at
the hall, the stage, measuring 40 feet wide and 20 feet
deep was the most modern and largest in 'the area,
known for its comfortable seats, modern design and
excellent acoustics.
TV TOOK OVER
With the growing.popularity of television in the early
1950's, the interest in live theatre in Memorial Hall fell:
As a result, the building fell into a state' of disrepair.
The biseinent floors ' no longer shook with the
excitement and' fervour!efannualdances and the halls,
and theatre nolonger echoed the voices of minstrels on
stage.
However, in the -1970's one woman • who saw- the
potential in old Memorial Hall came to its rescue. .
)Ielen Gowing, at that time owner of a local women's
wear shop and president of the Blyth Board of Trade,,
initiated a meeting with the local recreation committee
to start renovations. .
Donations were made to buy supplies, while •
volunteeri climbed Jadders, scrubbed' woodwork and
rePainted. By early September the hall, they thought,
was ready for use. . . .
The first event to be held in the newly renovated hall
was to bet variety night and fashion show ,sponsored
by the Board of Trade. Although they thought the hall
wsa ready for use, the local fire chief, who inspected
the building declared'the fire escapes unsafe and closed'
the hall until they were.replaced. . •
At" this time it was. Blyth council who came to the
rescue, agreeing to pay for the new fire escapes. Before
the fire' escapes were installed 'however, one councillor
noticed a sag in the roof he thought should be checked
before any money was spent
BELOW STANDARD
A Weal engineer was hired to examine the structure.
He found the roof below standard and unable to support
snow loads. .
He added the theatre should not be used until 'repairs
were made, but that the lower portion of the hall would
be safe. •
As the question of renovations continued, some
councillors were having doubts about the' project and
the costs involved.
. .
One councillor suggested the building be torn down,
but instead, a .small" questionnaire was placed, in. the
Standard asking readers' opinions on whether the
Memorial Hall should be torn down 'or left standing.
• Only one reply suggested the hall be demolished.
At a following September council meeting, council-
lors re-examined the engineer's report. The report
recommended a minor strengthening of the floor, the
;stage and auditorium and a, total replacement Of, the
roof. The roof cost. $50,000, $10,000. of which would
come from the village and the rest from grants from the
evernment
• During the winter of 1975-76,' further renovations
wee made•by the Blyth Centre for the Arts under a
Local Initiatives Project grant and with the support of
' continued local interest.
It was during the, spring of 1975. that James Roy
came to Blyth and alked with Keith Roulston about
summer theatre. James, then a recent• graduate of
theatre at York University who grew up near the
village, worked to create the first season's productions
as artistic director.
For the first season's productions, James selected
The Mousetrap, an Agatha Christie mystery that had
• been playing in London, England, for 27 years and
Mostly inClover, a play based on the writings of Huron
County native Harry J. Boyle.
It was in that first year' ;that policies were set.
Because Mostly in Clover outdrew the British play The
Mousetrap, by two to one, Blyth Festival Theatre policy
was set for Canadian plays and Canadian actors.
•
In RreParine for his role, as .
John in John and the Missus,
David said ,he travelled to.
Newfoundland fora,few days
before rehearsals to try and
pick_ up • the accent of the
area, necessary in the, plaY.
"You haVe‘to'get the idea',
of the accent without going
• overiboard," he said.
, "You have to' coMbine
' what is a regular Newfound-
, land accent with what' will ,
be believed by the aud • -
ience."
° Researching material'', for
•
the collective, The Life 'That
Jack Built, David said he
read as much as, he , could.
about the first-world war and •
he talked to Jack MacLaren,
whom the play is.about.
In describing Jack Mac-
Laren' s character, David said
The other, day he asked. Jack
for a script called Estame he
wrote in 1917. When he
,couldn't find the old script,
.they wanted to use,' in the
• show, David said Jack re-
wrote it from memory.
"The guy is 85 years old,
he's incredible," said David.
"The energy and determin-.
ation is great." •
David deicribes theatre as
a -"more ' satisfying -
"Television is .a director
and editor's medium, where
as stage is much more of an
actor's medium," he said. .
•,,