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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1990-08-01, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1990. PAGE 23. Entertainment Search for props involves community Theatre review Cast makes Firefly glow Sharon Dyer, left, Fran Gebhard, Erin Roulston and Maridale Bromley spend some time with this sheepish member of the “Firefly” cast. The play opened in Blyth on July 25. BY BONNIE GROPP Colourful characters are nourish ed by wonderful performances from the cast in the Blyth Festival production of “Firefly” a play written by Carol Sinclair, which opened at the theatre on July 25. Billed as a romantic musical, the show features an original score by composer John Alcorn and a cast of 20 actors, including three local youngsters, Maridale Bromley, Ben Thomson and Erin Roulston. The central figures are the charm ing heroine and hero, Emmy McFadden and Jack McKay; Emmy’s likeable father Paddy; her stern,, but benevolent mother, Euphemia; off-the-wall aunt Frill; and best friend, the irrespressible Valentine Leigh. The fun begins as the fair comes to the appropriately named town of Levity, a tiny fictional community in 1920 rural Ontario. The opening song, a rousing uptune, “Do You Hear”, foreshadows the arrival of something new. Then the story unfolds as the people of Levity welcome the telephone to the community and adjust to this new technology that is, they say, destin ed to change the world. Emmy takes on the duties of switchboard operator and tries to strike a balance and compromise between her love for Jack and her desire for independence. For several years, she puts off Jack’s proposal, to his consterna tion and to her mother’s disappro val. Euphemia says a career is not essential for a woman but marriage is. Then a series of events, most notably Jack’s enlisting, results in a change of perspective for all three. Carol Sinclair’s tale of women’s emergence travels from beginning to end, like an easy to read book. Occurring at a time, when women were just beginning to see that there might be more to their lives than finding a “man who doesn’t snore, sweat, or spit” it is a straightforward story of simplistic charm. While there are moments that lag, the production kicks off at an entertaining pace and culmin ates in an enchanting conclusion. Artistic Director of the Festival Katherine Kaszas, has put a talen ted troupe of performers together and gets an excellent performance from each. Paulina Gillis is Emmy, as she blossoms from sweet inno cence into a woman, who 10 years later has resolved her inner con flicts. Paul Haddad as the good looking, affable Jack also puts in a believable performance that takes him from a cocky, self-assured Craft program coming to Brussels Library Kids can join in the fun this summer when their local public library branch hosts a “Make it and Take it Craft Workshop for Kids.” This creative two hour program is a craft workshop for children ages 6-11. Debbie Tucker and Lori Beaton are the instructors for this program and they will provide everything necessary to complete approximately six quality crafts. Supplied are workshirts, take home boxes and all necessary craft supplies. Pre-registration is necessary as the class is limited to 20 partici pants. Please contact your local public library for registration de tails. Not ba-a-a-d youth to an embittered soldier. The talented Katia de Pena portrays Euphemia with steely determina tion and character, a tigress who defends her family. Jerry Franken as Paddy is endearing as is Sharon Dyer in the role of the befuddled, bewildered Frill. Pert Debbie Rey nolds look-a-like Marion Adler is superb as Valentine. Musically the production was adequate, with the company, parti cularly Adler Gillis and Haddad, breathing life even into the simple melodies and sometimes simplier lyrics. There were flaws that marred the production especially some histori cal inaccuracies. It was mentioned that Emmy was three years old when her father returned from the Boer War and that she had been in the womb when he left. Yet, as that particular event was over in 1902, it • Sponsored by the Huron County Library, with the assistance of the Outreach Ontario program of the Ministry of Culture and Communi cations and the Southern Ontario Library Service, The Make it and Take it Craft Workshop will be held at the Brussels Branch Library on Monday, August 13, 1990 at 2 p.m. Admission is $1.00 per person. Hotel California Live at B. M. & G. Centre SAT., AUG. 18 8-1 Advance Tickets $10. Call 887-6572 or 887-6072 would have been impossible for Emmy to have been 17 years old in 1910 as she was in the play. While the audience seemed to enjoy a lively satirical gospel rendition at the beginning of the second act, I personally had felt like I missed the joke. The entire church pagent scene seemed a little out of sync with the rest of the performance to me. Also, this being the fourth play of the festival season and the fourth play that deals with women, women’s rights, women’s feelings, women’s emergence or women’s understanding of themselves, the concept is getting just a little tired, even for me. But, with this classy, enigmatic and talented group of actors, a fun script and good music it really doesn’t make sense to dwell on what’s wrong and not enjoy what’s right. “Over 100 people helped in locating props and costumes for “Firefly” and were most generous when it came to our search for special antiques” says Basia Lod- zinski, Head of Props. “The musical, is our biggest show of the season, featuring a cast of twenty performers who play well over 50 characters.” Set designer Shawn Kerwin and costume designer Charlotte Dean transform the stage of Blyth Memorial Hall into Levity, Ontario, a village somewhat like Blyth in 1910 when inventors and funambu lists, entertainers and suffragettes cross paths with gypsies, farmers and Edwardian matrons. There’s an interesting story behind many of the props and costumes that appear onstage at Blyth. Many of them are loaned from people in the commun ity, are borrowed or rented from other theatres like the Shaw Festi val, or modified from existing stock in the Festival’s production storage room. “Well over 100 props and over 200 costumes have been assembled for this show” says Basia Lodzin- ski, Head of Props. “We began in late June, our search for some of our antiques, such as an operation al switchboard, wall phones, and a daffodil phone complete with mouthpiece. After many telephone calls to various collectors who specialize in telephones, we stum bled across a private collection in the basement of Harry Hoffman of Dashwood who allowed us to view and borrow some of his antique telephones for Firefly. With over 19 performances and countless re hearsal hours with the telephones, Mr. Hoffman was extremely gener ous to loan us these items. The switchboard you see on stage throughout the show was donated by Mel Graham of the Tuckersmith Municipal Telephone System - the hours required to build such an antique would have kept us busy for weeks. Our switchboard head piece was copied from a loaner from the Huron County Museum in Goderich, and an antler horn was used to create the prop.” And of course, there’s the famous fall fair scene in Firefly where dozens of props are requir ed, ranging from a giant pumpkin, rutabagas and zucchinis to a steam model, and a sheep to name a few. The giant pumpkin took 18 hours to carve from styrofoam and with the help of volunteers Glenda Samuel son, Don McCaffrey and Marian Doucette, these vegetables quickly took shape. The sheep and the rooster are another story complete ly. Allison Dunn, props assistant who grew up in Bayfield, called a number of people, gathering in formation about sheep farmers in the area and 4-H Clubs. After a few calls to several local farmers, Florence and Don Pullen from Clinton agreed to loan (for 20 performances), one of their sheep (Rachel) for a Firely walk-on. The sociable nature of Rachel-the- sheep is credited to Lana Jones of Clinton who trained her at 4-H Club last year. Only a year-old, Rachel is a Suffolk sheep from Shillalah Farms operated by the Pullens and on stage she’s handled by actress Sharon Dyer who plays Frill in Firefly. Two additional performances of Firefly have been added to the Blyth Festival schedule, both bene fits: Wednesday, August 1 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, August 15 at 2 p.m. 20& DON&YVONNE MARTIN OF ETHEL Do you remember the honeymoon in Midland? the Blyth Iw 523-9381 WEEKEND SPECIALS PIZZA THURS..FRI.&SAT. 5:00P.M.-MIDNIGHT BUY ONE & GET ONE FOR 1/2 PRICE FISH & CHIPS DINNER FRIDAYS SATURDAY 5:00P.M.-8:00P.M. BUY ONE & GET ONE FOR 1/2 PRICE 1/2 PRICE SPECIALS APPLY TO EAT-IN OR TAKE OUT ORDERS ENTERTAINMENT THIS WEEKEND Join us Friday and Saturday night 9-li00a.m. HUGHIE ELDER