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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2019-07-04, Page 2PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019. Rutling Holdings presents Luxurious 2 bedroom townhouses in Blyth for rent Contact: 519-955-2323 agrutledge@hurontel.on.ca Festival alumni honoured at annual Dora awards The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards last week and a number of artists associated with the Blyth Festival were honoured with hardware. School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play was honoured with the night’s top award as the Outstanding Production in the General Theatre division. The play was produced by Obsidian Theatre, of which Philip Akin is the Artistic Director. Akin was also nominated for co- directing Next to Normal for The Musical Stage Company alongside Tracey Flye. Akin was in Blyth just a few years ago, directing The Wilberforce Hotel. School Girls was also honoured for the Outstanding Direction of Nina Lee Aquino. Ken MacKenzie, a scenic designer who has worked extensively at the Festival, won Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design for his work on The Royale, produced by Soulpepper Theatre Company. Gillian Gallow, another Festival regular, won in the Outstanding Costumer Design category for her work on Orlando, also for Soulpepper. Joanna Yu, who has also worked for several seasons at the Festival, was nominated in that same category for Obsidian’s School Girls. Gallow would be nominated again later in the night, for her scenic and projection design for The Runner, losing out to Anahita Dehbonehie and the Coal Mine Theatre’s Hand to God and again in the Opera division for her costume design for Hadrian, but lost out to Michael Levine and his work on the Canadian Opera Company’s Eugene Onegin. Michelle Ramsay won for Outstanding Lighting Design for her work on The Royale for Soulpepper. Ramsay was last in Blyth working on Ipperwash just two seasons ago. The Runner, written by Christopher Morris and produced by Human Cargo with the support of Theatre Passe Muraille, won the Outstanding Production award in the Independent Theatre division, as well as Outstanding Direction for Daniel Brooks. Morris was also honoured for Outstanding New Play for The Runner. Morris is also the Artistic Director of Human Cargo. Morris was in Blyth just a few years ago, writing Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning. Festival alumnus Melanie McNeil won a Dora for Outstanding Costume Design in the Independent Theatre division for Space Opera Zero!for the Eldritch Theatre. Another Festival contributor, Thomas Ryder Payne, won a Dora for Outstanding Sound Design and Composition for The Royale for Soulpepper in the General Theatre division. He triumphed over himself in that category, as he was also nominated for his work on Oraltorio: A Theatrical Mixtape, alongside DJ L’Oqenz, produced by Obsidian Theatre. Payne was also nominated for Outstanding Sound Design and Composition in the Dance division for his work on No Woman’s Land for DanceWorks, though he lost to Eliot Britton and his work on Trace for Red Sky Performance. Meegwun Fairbrother was nominated in both the Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Individual Performance categories in the Independent Theatre division for his work on Isitwendam for Native Earth. Fairbrother was part of the cast of Vern Thiessen’s Vimy when it was in Blyth years ago. Festival favourite Catherine Fitch was also nominated in the Outstanding Individual Performance category for Her Inside Life at the Leroy Street Theatre, though both Fitch and Fairbrother would lose to Augusto Bitter in Theatre Passe Muraille’s CHICHO. Aviva Armour-Ostroff, part of the team behind The Drawer Boy film, which was created in Huron County a few years ago, was part of the ensemble cast of Human Animals. The cast was nominated in the Outstanding Ensemble Performance category, but came up short to the cast of The Wonder Pageant at the Coal Mine Theatre. Another member of the Human Animals cast is Deborah Drakeford, who was a cast member at the Festival over 10 years ago. Long-time Festival lighting designer Rebecca Picherack was nominated for her work on NOOR for Generous Friend, but lost out to Patrick Lavender’s work on The Nether for the Coal Mine Theatre. Britta Johnson and her sister Anika were nominated in the Musical Theatre Division for Outstanding New Musical for their Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life, though they would lose to Soulpepper’s Rose. Britta wrote and directed the Young Company production of Alligator Tears several years ago when she was just a teenager. Stephanie Sy, who was in Blyth for the Festival’s production of Yorkville the Musical, was nominated in the Musical Theatre division for Outstanding Lead Performance in Next to Normal for The Musical Stage Company. Long-time Festival designer Steve Lucas was nominated in the Musical Theatre division, both for his lighting design and scenic/projection design for Next to Normal. Teresa Przybylski, who has worked at the Festival before, was nominated for her scenic/projection design for Under the Stairs for the Young People’s Theatre in the Musical Theatre division. Another familiar face, Eric Peterson, was nominated in the Independent Theatre division for Outstanding Individual Performance for his work in The Father by the Coal Mine Theatre. For a full list of winners, visit TAPA’s website at tapa.ca. For over 20 years, the Wingham Firefighters’ Association has been operating a quality local fireworks Canada Day celebration funded entirely through donations and fundraising programs. Fire Department of North Huron Deputy-Chief Chad Kregar explained that the 22-member association works hard to make the fireworks show a success, both through volunteering at the event and running fundraisers throughout the year to pay for it. “There are four of us working with the fireworks that night, and the rest of the cavalry working the gate,” he said. “I’m the licensed fireworks operator.” The fireworks are an expensive endeavour, Kregar said, costing $13,000 this year. The association brings in $3,000 to $5,000 through donations at the gate, and the rest is generated through events like the firefighters’ two fish fry diners, four to five barbecues and the sale of Nevada rip-off tickets. “There’s a lot of work that goes into making it happen,” Kregar said. “Sometimes, we’re out fighting a fire and then, hours later, flipping burgers to raise money for it. Everyone puts in a huge effort.” The association keeps putting on the event, Kregar said, because it’s one of the most inclusive events in the community bringing out visitors. “It has universal appeal in the town,” he said. “We keep doing it, year after year, because we all believe in community betterment.” While the association has been the driving force behind the fireworks for years, this year the Wingham Business Improvement Area (BIA) provided insurance for the event. Kregar explained that the association was happy to work with the BIA, who helped to make the event a reality. By Denny Scott The Citizen Counting down Members of the Wingham Firefighters’ Association struck a pose with dozens of mortars for the town’s annual Canada Day fireworks show on Monday. The association has been behind the show for more than 20 years and this year welcomed the Wingham Business Improvement Area (BIA) which will help make the event a favourite for years to come. (Denny Scott photo) Association puts on annual show A tradition Firefighters from the Seaforth hall of the Huron East Fire Department put on their annual Canada Day breakfast on Monday. (Mark Nonkes photo) STEVEN NIXON Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. L IMITED Bus: 519-357-2222 Cell: 519-531-0252 Fax: 519-357-4482 Email: nixon@execulink.com Web: www.stevennixon.com 249 Josephine St., WINGHAM, ON N0G 2W0 Serving the area since 1999 Custom built 3+1 bedroom brick home on a ½ acre corner lot with mature trees. Open kitchen and dinette, 4 pc. cheater master ensuite, master bedroom walk-in closet, finished basement with wood stove and family room, oil furnace, central air and attached garage. Call Steve Nixon 519.357.2222 #21 1020 Main St., Wroxeter $305,000.00 MLS# 30748195 NEW L I S T I N G