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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-07-02, Page 28MAIN STREET SEAFORTH PHONE 527.1110 • Bring A Carload To See Our Large Selection Of Shoes For The Entire Family • to the Blyth Summer Festival in its sixth season sa 12 THE .BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL ISSUE ith Rotilstorl,B1 th's administrator is also a writer lE iY It all began the first week after Keith Roulston bought the Blyth Standard and attended a Lion't Club meeting in the old Memorial Hall. "It • was dirty and dusty, but I couldn't believe the theatre inside," he said, "I kept thinking, what a terrific little theatre it would make." Keith, one of the founders of the Blyth - Summer Festival and This year's adminis trator; said it wasn't until his second year in Blyth when he became active with the Board of Trade and had.. to find a place for the annual fair queen competition that the' thought, of cleaning up the' theatre came about. He said it was Helen Gowing, then, president of the Board of Trade, who organized a group of volunteers to begin restoring the old hall. With clean up crews working hard, the olcl hall was far from restored, In 1974 restoration was halted when it was found that faults in .the roof structure added pressure to the walls making the building unsafe. An approximate $60,000 had to be spent on repairs that year.. Keith said it wasn't until he met Paul Thompson, founder of Theatre Passe Muraille; working in Clinton with the Farm Show, that the possibility of turning the nld hall into a theatre came into focus. It was Paul who later introduced James Roy (artistic director for five seasons) to the idea of summer theatre in Blyth, to the " old hall and in March ,1975 to Keith to talk about theatre. "We got things off the ground the first year with only $70,000 in grants," said Keith, explaining they only hired non- equity actors. When Mostly in Clover, a collective production based on Harry Boyle's book of the same name, out-did Mouse Trap, a play based on Agatha Christie's famous • book, in ticket sales by two to one, Keith said they knew there was a market for Canadian plays. Born north of Lueknow, just 10 minutes from Blyth, Keith attended journalism school Toronto at Ryerson. In the summer of 1967, Keith gained reporting experience working, for the. Huron Expos- itor in Seaforth and after graduating in 1969, he, began working in public relations with, a Toronto company: "I wasn't a city, person," said Keith explaining why he soon left the city to work as editor at the Clinton News-Record, It was while he worked in Clintodthat Keith and his wife bought, the Blyth. Standard and later because of his interest in magazines, started Village Squire and a few years later the Rural VOice. Reflecting on McGillicuddy's Lost Weekend, Keith said comedy is not only difficult to write, but difficult to perform. "What happens in 'comedy is that you go, over and over it so often in, rehearsals, that it is not funny after, awhile." Citing last year's performance, he said `the cast was convinced that McGillicuddy's Lost Weekend was not going to be funny, Keith added they were amazed, when they actually did' the play and the audience . laughed', As for;the future of Blyth theatre, Keith said he'd like to see the audiences continue to grow. "I'd like to see the company 'do more touring to become wider known," he added. For' himself, Keith said he wants to continue writing and hopes to begin work on a book. • "I'd justlike to get to the point where I can earn 'a livina." he said. "I'm a starter-a creator type of persOn, 'not a manager," he said explaining why he late sold both the, magazines and *he" newspaper be published. As creator, Keith has concentrated a great deal of his efforts on writing. T° date' he has bad three plays produced,in Blyth.. The Shortest Distance 'Between Two Points was the 'first of Keith's plays performed in Blyth, during the end of the 1977 season. _ In 1978, His Own Boss, a story about the frustrations of being self-employed was the second to be produced at the festival. His third play, Remember When, was written for the Wingham Centennial and his last play, McGillicuddy's Lost Weekend, adapted from hieVillage Squire colUmn McGillicuddy's Diary about the adventures of a small town - police chief, was prOduced last season in Blyth. Keith decribei himself as a "prolific writer," he 'added his biggest problem is thmkmg things through. , • ' McGillicuddy's Lost Weekend, he said was one of the easiest and most difficult plays to write. "It was easy to write because I knew the characters, but it was difficult at times because I -couldn't change the characters, people knew Ahem from the column, they were set.' ' "The other shows," said Keith, "I was trying to say, something, but McGilli- cuddy's Lost Weekend, was just a satire.'.' a funny process sort of like lightening striking. In most cases it's something you want to say and you saiit on stage in your play.", • For,a playwright, Keith said one of the most upsetting experiences is to see your play in rehearsal. ' "Suddenly you've got all of these critics," he said. "Everyone. in the arts , runs on ego. Acters,are layingit on the line the most,' so they are very 'eerie , about what they have to say on stage." "As long as you have a good give and take situation with the director and catt, things are usually ok." Keith Rouiston London Free Press Photo