HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-07-19, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1989. PAGE 23.
Entertainment
Hoofin it
11 will be I ikeapieceof old times when the Caravan Stage Company rolls into Blyth to perform Sunday
at Blyth Lions Park. The renowned theatre troupe performs across North America with their unique,
horse-drawn stage. The topic of their play “Harvest” however, is anything but old fashioned. It’s a
high-tech musical about medical technology.
Touring troupe coming to town
I11 a
Phone 357-1630 for 24 hour movie information
g PARENTAL
■ GUIDANCE
BY BONNIE GROPP
For some, the word caravan
conjurs up romantic images of
roving gypsies in colourful cos
tume, dancing and performing, and
travelling in horse drawn wagons.
Caravan Stage Company, which is
coming to Blyth this weekend, is
not unlike that image.
Begun in 1970 by Paul and Nans
Kirby, the Caravan Stage Company
is a performing troupe whose
colourful entourage includes four
hand-crafted wagons pulled by 10
magnificent Clydesdale horses, es
corted by five mounted outriders.
Their unique Cosmodrome tent
has tall aluminum masts, wall
murals, and a huge white canopy
covering the entire circle of wagons
and stages.
Since its beginning, the Com
pany has toured throughout North
America from California to Ontario.
Harvest, a high-tech musical by
Chalmers Award winning play
wright Carol Bolt, is the Com
pany’s newest production, and it
premieres in Blyth on Sunday, July
23 at 9 p.m. and Monday, July 24 at
9 p.m. These performances will
mark the beginning of a seven
week tour that includes Hamilton,
Kingston, Barrie and Penetangui-
shine among others.
The play, which takes place at
the fictional New Harvest Institute
in 1995, explores questions of
medical ethics, the rights of
women, children and handicapped.
It addresses issues that inevitably
arise when medical technology
enables people to interfere with
and attempt to control various
circumstances of human reproduc
tion, biological and psychological
manipulation. With a blend of
song, intrigue and technical wizar
dry, Harvest provides us with a
satirical look at the New Age and
futuristic medicine.
One of the featured performers
in the production is the son of Paul
and Nans Kirby, Tallis, who has
travelled with the company since
his birth 11 years ago. Tallis made
his acting debut with them in 1985
when he played a pig. Since that
time, he has had the opportunity to
play several other characters. In
1987 he was Akers, who Tallis
describes as “a lost child”, in the
production of “The good Baby”.
Last season he played a variety of
small characters.
Tallis says that being part of
Caravan Stage Company is “fun
and exciting” and he has really
enjoyed seeing all the places and
meeting all the people. He ex
plains, “In the winter we find a
spot to stop, as the horses can’t
travel. Also, if we’re too far from
one town to the other, we’ll truck.”
It is during the winter months when
the Company is stationery that
Tallis attends school.
When the Kirbys formed Cara
van it was their aim to turn dreams
into living reality. “We were trying
to get as close to an unmediated
form of art as we could while
inherently creating as enticing,
imaginative, and intimate a rela
tionship between performer and
spectator, company and audi
ence.” This vision has helped the
company operate on a level of
co-operation and sharing, during
good and bad.
Caravan Stage Company brings
to audiences a stage that is alive no
matter where they are.
Playing Friday to Thursday, July 21 - 27
Showtimes: Friday & Saturday at 7 and9;15 p. m.
Sunday to Thursday - One Show at 8 p. m. Only
and '
BLYTH FESTIVAL
FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY
present
The Colorful Musical
HARVEST
Atlas sales strategy approved
With nearly 3,000 copies of the
Huron County Historical Atlas left
unsold, county council has approv
ed a marketing strategy which will
see a marketing student hired to
spearhead the selling.
The strategy, adopted at the July
5 meeting of Huron County Council
will see the county take advantage
of a grant to pay 75 per cent of the
salary of a marketing intern
through the Lotteries programme
of the Ministry of Culture and
Communications. The student
would be on staff for a year at a cost
of about $5,600 to the county. All
told the marketing program will
cost the county $16,500 to be
recovered from the sales of the
massive Historical Atlas.
The strategy proposes direct
mail campaign of 5,000 brochures,
80 per cent of which will be
targeted at people who contributed
to the Atlas but have not yet bought
a copy. Some 8,000 brochures will
be sent out with mailings of
newsletters or history-minded or
ganizations such as the Association
of Canadian Archivists and the
Heritage Canada Foundation. Ad
vertising will be bought in some
newspapers.
Originally, when the book was
planned for 1984, projections
showed sales of the Atlas at more
than 4,000 copies, prompting the
4,500 copies printed. Sales, how
ever, have never reached those
optimist numbers.
Harron, Peterson join
by Carol Bolt
Enjoy theatre under the stars in the “Cosmodrome” giant tent.
Caravan Stage Company stops first in Blyth on its 7 week tour
Exclusive performance in southwestern Ontario
Brina a blanket or lawn chairartist at Playhouse
Renowned Canadian artist Jack
Reid will be the guest of honour at
a special reception being hosted by
The Huron Country Playhouse in
Grand Bend (located one and a
quarter mile east of town) on
Sunday, July 23 from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m. Joining Reid will be Shelly
Peterson, the cast of “Run For
Your Wife,” Don Harron along
with the Playhouse’s Board of
Directors.
Guests will have an opportunity
to view Reid’s latest success,
“Huron Country”, the magnificent
painting commissioned by The
Huron Country Playhouse in cele
bration of their 18th season.
In their most exciting and novel
fundraising project ever, the Play
house has made available for
purchase, 190 limited edition re
productions and 10 remarques. In
addition, a silent bid is being held
for Reid’s original painting.
PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA
THURS., FRI., SAT.
5P.M.-12A.M.
BLYTH INN
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
523-9381
Sunday, July 23 — 9pm
Monday, July 24 — 9pm
BLYTH LIONS PARK
Tickets on Sale Now
Adults $10 - Youth $5
Call Blyth Festival Box Office: (519] 523-9300/9225