HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-07-02, Page 27THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2,1997 PAGE 27.
Blyth Festival actor wins award
Pretty please
A tipsy hubby played by Scott A. Hurst, tries to cajole his less than happy spouse, portrayed
by Beverley Elliott in this scene form Booze Days in a Dry County, a collective now playing
in repertory at the Blyth Festival until Aug. 23. (Photo by James Hockings/Off Broadway Photography)
Theatre review
Talented cast the spirit in ‘Booze’
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Anyone attending the Blyth Fes
tival production of Booze Days in A
Dry County which opened Thurs
day, who expected to see a straight
forward account of a colourful part
of history would be disappointed.
However, anyone who wants enter
tainment, will have the time of their
life.
A collective piece, such as Booze
Days and Barndance Live, which
premiered in Blyth last year, is
unscripted and researched by the
actors. Due to the fact that it's
improvisational, its appeal relys not
on a solid, well-written story, but
on the colourful characters created
by a talented acting company. In
this case, Blyth's Booze Days, has
as much spirit as a quart of grand
pa's moonshine.
While some of its humour is a lit
tle comy and its dialogue trite, it is
delivered by as versatile an ensem
ble as any director could want.
Raoul Bhaneja, Beverley Elliott,
Scott A. Hurst, Eric Coates, Car
olyn Hay and Brian Paul, have had
a good time getting to know their
characters, from temperance lead
ers to bootleggers.
And it shows. Their portrayals,
inspired by real life people and
their memories, are serendipitous.
Without benefit of script, the
actors guided by the inspired vision
of director Paul Thompson, have
put together a vignette-style pro
duction to tell of the days of boot
legging in the years after World
War II. It is a fanciful era that per
haps deserves a more solid telling.
While there is a storyline, in Booze
Days that's carried through from
beginning to end, it is a little more
ambiguous than had the play had a
more straightforward approach.
However, what the play lacks in
literary finesse, it more than makes
up for in entertainment value.
There was little restless fidgeting to
be heard in the audience and even
some rather inane humour was
delivered with enough comic flair
to draw out a chuckle or two.
Thompson keeps things flowly as
freely as beer at a bush party.
Actors carry props and move sets
while tying each scene together
with delightful music.
Booze Days may not be enough
to satisfy those unfond of broad
humour. It may be less than satisfy
ing to anyone wanting the whole
story.
But to the open-minded, who
appreciate the talent, and risk, it
takes to work in a collective, Booze
Days offers an evening of light
entertainment. It offers a glimpse
into a tumultuous era without tak
ing anything too seriously.
Sharon Bakker, who is acting in
two Blyth Festival plays this
season, recently received an
Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
for Outstanding Performance by an
Actress in a Leading Role for her
portrayal of Hagar Shipley in The
Slone Angel at Theatre Network/
Workshop West, Edmonton.
The annual Elizabeth Sterling
Haynes Awards were established
10 years ago and named in honour
of Sterling Haynes who was a
pioneer of professional theatre in
Alberta and co-founder of the
Banff Centre for the Arts. As an
actor, director and educator, she
was responsible for Alberta being
the first province to introduce
drama into its secondary school
curriculum.
Awards are given in 23
categories.
"I'm grateful to be recognized by
my peers in the (acting) category,"
said Bakker. She says the role of
Hagar Shipley is one she will
always remember. "I feel I'm in
privileged company with the other
women who have played this role
across the country."
Jiakker is playing Hannah
Bauman in Quiet in the Land and
Nellie in There's Nothing in the
Paper at the Blyth Festival this
season. Hailing from Saskatoon,
the only other time she had been to
Blyth was during the national tour
of the collective Paper Wheat,
originally produced by 25th Street
Theatre of which she is a founding
member.
She has performed with many
Canadian theatres including the
Vancouver Playhouse, Tamanhous,
The New Play Centre, Sunshine
Theatre, The Citadel, Theatre
Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects,
Prairie Theatre Exchange,
Manitoba Theatre Centre, Magnus
Theatre, Toronto Free Theatre and
Centaur Theatre.
Over the past few years, as well
as appearing in The Stone Angel,
Bakkert has been in productions of
The Catalan Plays, Babas, and
Come Back to the Five and Dime,
Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean at
Persephone Theatre; Spirit
Wrestler, Magpie, aqd Colonial
Tongues at 25th Street Theatre;
King Lear, Twelfth Night, MacBeth
and Hamlet at the Shakespeare on
the Saskatchewan Festival; and The
Great Electrical Revolution,
Pygmalion and Road al the Globe
Theatre.
Much of Bakkert's work has been
with new plays and for many years
she has desired to work at the Blyth
Festival which premieres new
Canadian work.
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Happy 25th
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DAD AND MOM
(Auke and Chris Bylsma)
Hot glass exhibition at Gallery
Eight of Ontario's best hot glass
artists will be represented in an
exciting exhibition opening July 15
at the Bainton Gallery at the Blyth
Festival.
Entitled "Incandescence", the
show concept is described by guest
curator, Seaforth's Robert Tetu as
follows, "As a 'gather' of molten
glass is blown and spun on the
artist's blowpipe, it glows with
colour and with yellow heat. The
finished piece is shown to best
advantage when bathed in light,
once again glowing, reflecting,
refracting and, this time, seeming
to 'gather' the light itself'.
It is the first time a glass
exhibition has been presented
anywhere in the region.
The show will include such work
as delicate "Dragon Goblets" by Ed
Roman, opalescent bowls by Clark
Guettel, sandblasted vases by John
Kepkiewicz and Heather Wood,
and bowls by Cheryl Takacs. Many
of the artists are renowned teachers
and all have been honoured with
dozens of awards.
Of special note is the official
opening where some of the artists
will be in attendance. The gallery
has announced that exhibitor Laura
Donefer will be the guest speaker
and will present a slide show on her
work and that of other contempor
ary Canadian glass artists.
Donefer is internationally
famous, having taught, lectured and
exhibited all over the world, while
HAPPY 18™ BIRTHDAY
SHANE
making her home near Harrow
smith. Just last year, her itinerary
included Maryland, Alberta,
Arizona, Australia, Quebec, New
York, Washington and Hawaii. She
is a highly interesting, humorous
speaker, and those attending the
slide show and opening can expect
a very entertaining evening.
"Incandescence" opens at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 15, with the slide
show at 6:30 p.m. (public is
welcome to attend). Visitors may
take in the Blyth Festival Stage
presentation of "Quiet in the Land"
at 8, but are advised to call ahead
for reservations.
The exhibition continues until
Aug. 9. This "hot glass" show is
certain to be a hot item in this
summer's Huron County itinerary.
KEB
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JULY 7
Adam, Vicki, Jeffrey
An open house will be held
In their honour on July 12 at
the Clinton and District
JULY 5TH, 1997
Luv Mom, Dad,
Tina and Theresa
Christian School from 2:00
p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring your
lawn chairs.
Best Wishes only please