The Rural Voice, 2004-08, Page 38Johns (with his actress wife Janet
Amos in Banrboozled) mixes
serious issues with Targe doses of
comedy.
safe waste disposal has come a
growth in bureaucracy that polices
the sites (Claudette is an intelligent,
beautiful environmental official who
comes to inspect the village dump)
and the careers that are built trying to
locate safe landfill sites.
As the Festival's most -produced
playwright (he's been involved in 20
of the Festival's 30 seasons), Johns
says the biggest change he's noticed
over the years is the increased
expectations of the Blyth audience.
"They've had wonderful experiences
in the theatre: more than most
audiences have." As a result they've
become confident enough in their
judgement to create their own stars
instead of being impressed only with
those established elsewhere.
Johns says when he's elsewhere in
the country (he currently calls
Regina home where his wife
actress Janet Amos teaches at the
University) he likes to tell people
about the "theatre for farmers" in
Blyth. People are fascinated with the
idea that farmers go to a theatre, he
says.
As with many of the Festival's
performers over the years, Johns says
he is "absolutely startled by the
richness and quickness of the
response" of the audiences in Blyth.
He took part in the recentlaunch
party for Festival's 30th anniversary
seaso, a tribute to The Farm Show,
and on that magical night, marvelled
at the "big, big response" the
audience showed for original cast
members, most of whom have
become closely connected with the
Festival over the years.
The audience makes the hard work
worthwhile for the artists and crew,
he says. "All the efforts to put on a
show wouldn't matter without the
audience."0
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