The Brussels Post, 1978-07-05, Page 16Best of Luck to the
'Blyth Summer Festival
from
. •
BLYTH MINTING
Blyth,, Ont. 523-9211
Blyth, Ont. 523-4577
The
Pottery
We welcome yOu'to come, browse and enjoy,our
pottery which is made entirely' in the village of
Blyth. It is perfectly suited for the special gift but
more than that it is a delight to use and enjoy
every day. To compliment our pottery we also sell
plants, and to keep you warts Tempwood, Ashley
and Waterford wood stoves: We are located
opposite BaintOn's Old Mill in Blyth. Phorie
519-523-4203.
BEST OF LUCK
to the
BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL
during-the summer season
TASKER'S FURNITURE
Simpsons Sears order office 523-4371
Congratulations
to the
Blyth Summer Festival
cUoddewg tweettg
The friendly place to shop
4 —THE BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL ISSUE Bjarne Christensen is back this
.ear as as production manager
Actor Chris
Kelk is also
a runner
and scholar
Theatre and long distance
running are the two main loves of
Chris Kelk, a young actor who
will be playing the• part of Tiger
Dunlop's older brother in the
Blyth Summer Festival
production of Tiger -Dunlop.
. Chris who is from England
went to. school in Yorkshire and
worked on his first degree at St.
Andrews in Scotland from 1962 to
•1966. He also did a year at
ONford.
Then he taught for a couple of
years - in Sierra Leone, West
Africa. In 1969, he came to.
Canada to do further academic
research and received his Ph. D.
at McMaster University. All of
his degrees arc in classics
basically Latin and Greek liter -
attire.
He became interested in
theatre after having formed a
drama group in , Sierra Leona with.
some friends and putting. on one
production,.
"That's all I needed to.spark. up
my interest," he said.
When he went to McMaster he
was doing about six amateur
theatre producton a year. He
managed to get his degree but he •
was more interested in the
theatre than his classes. He even.
directed a couple of plays at
McMaster. They were .the
Resounding Tinkle by M.F.
Siripson and The- Browning
VersiOn by Terence Rattigan„
One of his litvourle roles at
McMaster was that of Richard the
IU.
Chris was asked to come to
We welcome you to come
and 'browse for unique gifts
quilte' material - original
silk flowers in corages -
bridal bouquets - hair
combs - custom made to
your specifications.
Something
new!
All your" naturalfood needs
can be found on the shelves
of the
The
KITCHEN
CUPBOARD .
CHRIS KELK
Blyth by artistic director .1a Ill QS.
Roy who had seen him in a
theatre production and asked him
to become a member of the .Blyth
company.
Sonic of the theatres he has
worked with include The Theatre
Hour Company which was a
school company. They toured all
the high schools in Ontario for
seven months, the Shaw Festival,
Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton,
the Toronto - Free Theatre,
Carousel Plays in St. Catharines,
Magnus Theatre Northwest in
Thunder Bay, and Cabbagetown
Theatre.
He also took part in a
McMaster Acting class when
Douglas Campbell directed a play
there.
He has been actively involved
in professional theatre for five
years.
Aside from his interest in the
theatre he is also interested in
long distance running and runs in
the Boston Marathon every year.
The theatre and ruaning are
equal loves of his life but as he
says. "Theatre is my career. You
don't make a career out of
running clown the -road.—
Chris. says he's not a
St anislaysky method actor. "i
think more of- a gut actor
rather • than a technical actor. I
don't subscribe to that. I don't.
rely on technique so much. I work
from the inside out," he said.
Of his role as Tiger Dunlop's
older brother he says, "I think
this is the „farthest from my
character I've. played. He's a very
sickly character who is constantly
overshadowed by his younger
brother. 1 find it interesting and
hard work from .that . point. of
view," he said.
to Blyth this year was at the
Tarragon Theatre in Toronto
where he also worked as a
technical director,
Hedid do a bit of acting at high
school and university but says
that his main background is in
electronics because he studied
that in high school and even
before high school.
Originally after high school he
went into engineering but
discovered he didn't like it very
much. Then he did social work for
two years. He decided after that.
that he wanted to go back to
school hut not in engineering so
that's when he went to York.
University and studied theatre
production and design.
Bajrne says he's always been
technically oriented and
engineering oriented plus he's
worked for quite a few years as a
carpenter including some
summers during his high school
years,.
As for what he'll be doing when
the Stammer Festival's season
ends he said he's got about four
different jobs that he's looking at
in Toronto and around. I
September 26 - 30, 1978
HURON COUNTY
BJARNE CHRISTENSEN
Bjarne Christensen, production
manager for the Blyth Summer
Festival has had a part in
technical directing ever since his
high school clays at Central Huron
in Clinton. •
But his job at the Summer
Festival takes in a lot more than
just technical directing. As the
production manager he's respon-
sible for co-ordinating all aspects
of the productions. That includes
sets, lighting, costumes, stage
managing, rehearsal schedules,
and in general looking after all
the theatre facilities.
At the Blyth Summer Festival,
Bjarne must also act as the
technical director, which means
not only co-ordinating the
building of sets but supervising
the building of them and making
suggestions as to what kinds of
materials should be used.
It's also his responsibility to
look after the money for technical
materials, to sec where it's spent
and how it's spent , and he also
works very closely with the
designers.
Since the theatre is getting an
air conditioning system put in this
year, Bjarne must also make sure
rehearsals are scheduled around
this and must also look for the
securing of an electrical
contractor and a carpentry
contractor.
Brjarne got some of his training
at York University where he went
for four years and studied theatre
production and design. Before
that lie lived in Clinton and got
some background in technical
work from doibg it for , the high
school productions there.
This is not .13jarhe's first time
working ,with the. Blyth Summer
Festival. He was technical
director two years ago, andJaSt_
year he worked only as a technical
adviser for the theatre because he
wanted some time off.
His last job before coming back