The Rural Voice, 1979-09, Page 52The
Young Farmer
Theatre -
Junior Farmer style
BY ALICE GIBB
The classic line Hollywood talent scouts
are supposed to use whenever they discover
a talented newcomer is - "Kid, I can make
you a star!"
Jim Schellenberger of RR 3, Mitchell,
may not have ended up with an Oscar, but
he did tie for the best actor award at this
spring's Junior Farmer Drama Fest in his
first appearance on stage. Not bad for a
newcomer, eh?
Each winter the Perth County Junior
Farmers hold auditions to cast a play to
send to the annual drama fest-held in April
at the University of Waterloo.
Jim Schellenberger said he'd always had
the impression "that I'm not the actor
type" but a fellow club member persuaded
him it couldn't hurt to try out for the role of
the "bubbly" ghost in There Always A
Spring, the English -style comedy selected
by the Perth Junior Farmers.
When Jim auditioned for the play's
directors, Larry Parsons of Stratford and
Sheila Armstrong of RR 2, St. Paul's they ,
decided he was the man to play the role of
the male ghost - a character that can be
seen only by the audience and his fellow
ghost, but not by the rest of the characters
in the comedy.
The result was almost instant fame - Jim
won the acting award at the drama fest and
the Perth County Junior Farmers rewarded
him with the Rose Bowl award in May,
given out each month to someone who has
made an outstanding contribution to the
club.
What did Mr. Schellenberger think of his
sudden career in front of the footlights?
Well, to start with, there was a little bit
of hard work mixed in with the glamour.
The cast, which included actors Marlene
Boland, formerly of Mitchell, Dave Smith
of the Stratford Junior Farmers. Karen
McLagan of Stratford, and Roy Docking
and Agnes Denham of the Mitchell Junior
Farmers, started rehearsals of the play on
a once -weekly basis and as the drama fest
approached. increased rehearsals to three
times a week, going through the play as
many as three times in one night.
Jim Schellenberger said one valuable
piece of advice director Larry Parsons
offered was "have your laughs now,
because by the time you do it (at the
festival), it won't be funny—at least, not to
the cast."
While the Perth County Junior Farmers
started their rehearsals in a private home,
they soon switched to the Avonton hall so
they could practise lighting and staging
techniques as well.
The play's backstage crew included Bill
Denham and Jim McLagan on lighting and
makeup artist Robin McGibbon.
While the Mitchell Junior Farmers had a
chance to see the play before it went to the
drama fest, Perth County Junior Farmers
didn't have the same opportunity, which
Jim Schellenberger regrets. Marlene Bol-
and, Jim's fellow ghost, moved to Kenora
shortly after the festival, so the play wasn't
performed locally again.
Now it's a showbiz rule that once an
actor has heard the sound of applause, he's
hooked for life. Jim Schellenberger doesn't
seem to be any exception and admits if
another comedy comes along, he'll likely
audition again. Even the chore of memoriz-
ing lines and the hours - of rehearsals
couldn't change the fact it was fun
"hamming it up!"
Jim, who v orks in a Stretford plant, as
well as keeping some livestock on his
father's farm, said he had put up with a
good deal of kidding from his co-workers
after he won the acting honors. His boss
PG. 50 THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1979
Jim Schellenberger
teased him that "next we'll find him up at
the (Stratford) Festival."
Sure enough, just a short time after, Jim
Schellenberger did have a chance to work
at the prestigious theatre -but as a barten-
der rather than as an actor. Still, he said it
was enough he could tell his boss that he
had "played" the Festival.
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