HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-04-26, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2007. PAGE 23.Entertainment Leisure&
Blyth and Brussels students were
treated to traveling dramatics
courtesy of a handful of F.E. Madill
students last week, to learn a little bit
about the elements and co-operation.
Madill English teacher Duncan
McGregor headed up the effort that
brought his students to perform Not
Like Us to four schools with
Brussels being the last on April 17.
Among the actors McGregor
chose was local girl Montina
Hussey, who not only starred in the
play, but also designed the
backdrops and all the costumes. In
addition to Hussey, another local
student Aislinn Bremner volunteered
her time working behind the scenes
with the play for all four shows.
The students performed as well for
junior students in Wingham, Howick
and Lucknow. Students from Blyth
Public School were brought over by
bus to Brussels to enjoy the
performance.
The play is highly interactive,
featuring five groups separated by an
element and given the title of their
element followed by the word
people (example: fire people, water
people). Over the course of the play,
students are asked to repeat chants
specific to their groups and make
sounds when prompted.
The play opens with all of the
elements living their separate lives
and meeting for the first time over
the Sands of Time, which they
eventually realize have gone
missing.
The elements then embark on a
journey that requires all of the
elements to step up at one time or
another to risk their safety to protect
the other elements. This journey
brings them closer and they begin to
realize that they must co-exist and
help each other to reach maximum
potential.
There are several instances, as the
play and elements’ journey
continues, where a level of strength
from the elements is called upon and
they find they can’t do it alone,
prompting the actor leading a group
of children to activate the audience,
making the play interactive.
Young students are called upon
over the course of the play to form a
dam, help the other elements
through a fog, save the other
elements from freezing
temperatures, etc.
McGregor called Not Like Us one
of his favourite plays from this type
of theatre. He said the play was
originally developed in 1976 by the
Carousel Players in St. Catherines,
an organization McGregor was
involved with as an actor and
playwright from 1975-1990 and as
an artistic director from 1980-1990.
McGregor says he favours this
type of interactive play when
speaking to such young children,
because it is more engaging than a
traditional on-stage play.
“We can’t lose the audience in this
play. If we lose the audience, we all
die,” he said. “The actors and the
audience are put into extreme
circumstances, which is what makes
this play exciting.”
Play brings the elements into local public schools
The sands of time
In the early minutes of the play Not Like Us presented by F.E. Madill students at Brussels
Public School, the elements don’t get along and quarrel over the sands of time. Here, staking
their claims are Fire, left - played by Brigette Cornell and Air, right - played by Montina Hussey.
(Shawn Loughlin photo)
Help from my friends
In the throws of disaster in the play Not Like Us presented to the students of Blyth and Brussels
by F.E. Madill students, Air, not pictured, calls on the help of her Air people to assist Water, left
- played by Marina Van Heesch and Fire, right - played by Brigette Cornell, across the stepping
stones, through a thick fog. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
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April 28
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Saturday, April 28
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April 27th
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The Citizen
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