HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-07-11, Page 22Entertainment
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1990. PAGE 23.
Children present plays
Friday at Festival
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Road show
ClassiccarsfromasfarawayasAlbertaandGeorgiawereonthestreetsof Blyth Thursday as the 15th
annual tour of the Contemporary Historical Vehicle Association paid a call to the village. While here
the car buffs took in a performance of “Local Talent’’ at Blyth Festival.
■4’ estival has presented many of Quebec’s
top playwrights on its stage
Since 1982 the voices of French
Canadian playwrights have shared
the stage at the Blyth Festival with
writers from across the country and
this year is no exception.
Michel Tremblay, the author of
“Albertine, In Five Times” which
opens at Blyth Memorial Hall on
July 18th, is one of Quebec’s
foremost playwrights. Director
Janet Amos describes Albertine, In
Five Times as a portrait of both a
life and a society. “By using the
technique of putting the same
character on stage at five different
stages of her life and allowing
these five Albertines to talk with
each other, the story of her whole
life emerges” says Amos, former
Artistic Director of the Blyth Festi
val. “Albertine is both a product of
the old Quebec and a harbinger of
the new, reflecting the profound
changes that have transformed
Quebec society in the last thirty
years.”
Albertine, In Five Times features
a talented cast of performers:
Cheryl Swarts, Lynn Woodman,
Anne Anglin, Meg Hogarth, Nor
ma Edwards and Sharon Dyer, with
costume and set designs by Char-
_ lotte Dean and lighting design by
__I Harry Frehner. The play which is
translated by John Van Burek and
Bill Glassco, won the 1985 Chal
mers Best Canadian Play Award.
Writer, Michel Tremblay was
born in Montreal in 1942 and his
first play, “The Train”, written
when he was only seventeen, won
first prize in a CBC competition.
“Les Belles Soeurs”, first produc
ed in 1968, was a spectacular
success and marked the beginning
of a remarkable career. Many of his
plays including “Forever Yours,
Marie-Lou” (playing this season at
the Stratford Festival): “Bonjour
La, Bonjour”; “St. Carmen of the
Main”; “Damnee Manon, Sacree
Sandra”; and “Hosanna” (produc
ed last season at the Grand Theatre
in London) have been produced
widely in Canada and the United
States. Besides writing over 20
plays, he has written many short
stories, six novels and four screen
plays. His many awards include the
Prix Victor-Morin, the Medal of the
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and
Le Prix France - Quebec. Albertine
In Five Times is published in
French by Editions Lemeac of
Montreal and in English by Talon
books of Vancouver.
“The Blyth Festival celebrates
the best work of theatrical artists
and playwrights from across the
land’’ says Artistic Director Kath
erine Kaszas. “The events of the
past few months in Canada over the
constitution confirm the need for
the continued exploration of what
makes this country unique”. Many
of the plays that have appeared on
the Blyth Festival stage such as ‘La
Sagouine’ by Antonine Maillet
(1982 season), Gratien Gelinas’s
‘The Innocent and the Just’ (1983
season), ‘Beaux Gests and Beauti
ful Deeds’ by Marie-Lynn Ham
mond (1985 season) and ‘Lucien’
by Marshall Button (1988 season)
focus on characters that appeal to
our audience, regardless of their
origins. These plays reflect French
Canada’s distinct agricultural and
rural roots, effectively bridging the
french/english gap with stories
that speak about Canada in a way
that reaches us all.”
Albertine, In Five Times by
T CLASSIFIED ADS
r PAYOFF!
KAREN AND DAVE
FROM FAMILY &
FRIENDS
Open reception July 14
B. M.&G. Community
Centre, Brussels
8:30-?
Michel Tremblay opens at Blyth
Memorial Hall on July 18th and
continues until August 25th for a
total of 16 performances. For ticket
information and season brochures,
call the Blyth Festival Box Office at
(519) 523-9300/9225.
Specials
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OR TAKE OUT
ORDERS
“Join us in the world of once
upon a time at the Blyth Festival
when children between the ages of
5 and 12 years present their
dramatic tales on Friday, July 13th
beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the
basement of Blyth Memorial Hall’’
says Heather Morton, Youth Work
shop Co-ordinator.
The 1990 youth workshops focus
on fairy tales, legends and tradi
tional folk stories. Forty-four child
ren from Blyth, Auburn, Brussels,
Belgrave, Clinton, Formosa,
Goderich, Gorrie, Hensall, Luck
now, Pickering, Walton and Wing
ham are taking part in the educa
tional drama program under the
leadership of Rachel Thompson,
Joanne Olson and Heather Morton.
Everyone is invited to attend the
free performance on Friday the
13th to see the children’s creations.
Refreshments provided.
Since July 3, children aged 5-8
years have gathered each morning
to tell jokes, make up fables,
discover story lines in music and
discuss their favourite cartoons as
contemporary fairy tales. In the
afternoons, the old group (ages 9 -
12) studied the morals and mess
ages of fairy tales, creating modern
versions of these popular stories or
making up new myths to suit the
problems and ethics of everyday
life. What really happened to
Icabod Crane at Sleepy Hollow?
Where have the giants from Broth
ers Grimm disappeared to? Hansel
and Gretel, Rapunzel, Little Red
Riding Hood and a cast of wolves,
witches and talking trees are likely
to pop up on Friday the 13th at
Blyth Memorial Hall.
The Blyth Festival is pleased to
continue to provide professional
drama workshops and to promote
theatrical experiences among the
young people in this area. These
programmes are made possible
through the very generous assis
tance of CKNX Broadcasting Limi
ted, Bill Farnell, Imperial Oil
Limited, Art, Janie & Tanis Steed,
Youth Theatre Training Program of
Theatre Ontario, funded by the
Ontario Arts Council and Mrs.
Mabel Wheeler.
Biytb lw
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DOUG McNALL