HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-07-23, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 23,1997 PAGE 17.
Vanstone’s seen ‘Melville Boys’ on stage and off
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
"I am a mom, I don't want to
play one 24 hours a day."
While Trish Vanstone may be
past the age of innocence, it's hard
to imagine the attractive actor
being typecast in matronly roles.
But it is for that very reason that
this year's Blyth Festival season
benefits from her behind the scenes
talent rather than her on-stage pres
ence. "I am an emerging director. I
have been switching my focus
because I don't like the roles that
are out there for women my age."
Vanstone enjoys the challenge of
directing, and feels that as a direc
tor she has something to say. "And
I think I'm good at it," she says,
then laughs, "There, I said it. How
un-Canadian."
Vanstone's last directorial effort
at Blyth was 1993's Cayli House by
Colleen Curran. This time around,
Vanstone has the pleasure of direct
ing Norm Foster's The Melville
Boys. The original production of
this successful comedy was at The
atre New Brunswick in 1984, the
first year of current Blyth Festival's
Artistic Director Janet Amos's term
there as AD.
And starring in the role of Loret
ta was Trish Vanstone.
"It's great to come back to this
play and be able to look at the
whole thing. It's a wonderful roller
coaster comedy and I'm enjoying
helping the actors find the hills and
vales. It's a ball.
As an actor the focus is on devel
oping your particular character,
Vanstone says. For the director the
challenge is to help each actor find
the way they fit into the story.
Making the transition from on
stage to the director's chair is not
difficult, Vanstone says. "I have
done so much work on script devel
opment that I find it quite liberating
to stand back. You get a sense of
the calm before the storm."
Vanstone says that Sharon Bem-
baum's portrayal as Blyth's Loretta
is "great" and in many ways differ
ent than Vanstone's original inter
pretation. "For one thing, she's
brunette," she smiles.
The role of Loretta is a challeng
ing one which Vanstone says
Bermbaum meets well. "I have to
say she’s finding things in the char
acter that I didn't know existed.
There are scenes, when I find
myself saying, 'Oh, that's what that
means.'"
While allowing the actors the
freedom to define their characters,
Vanstone wants to help them devel
op a confidence in their creations.
"I think this play has a tremendous
heart. I want to give the actors that
sense of fullness and richness of
their character so that even when
the audience is quiet they still have
the full range to play."
Vanstone says that with a come
dy actors have expectations about
when there will be strong audience
reaction. If occasionally they don't
get it, it is important the actors see
their character is true. "If they do
this, they can always take away a
good experience about their techni
cal timing and the internal jour
ney."
At the mid-way point in the
rehearsal process, Vanstone says
the technical aspects have been
worked out and the cast is now at
"the wonderful stage where the
heart meets the comedy."
When the curtain rises and the
lights go down on this production
of The Melville Boys, Vanstone's
work will be finished here. She is
next preparing for a show coming
up at Young People's Theatre, Anne
of Green Gables, about which she
is very excited.
In the future, she says she would
love to direct one of Raymond
Storey and John Roby's works.
Several have been produced in
Blyth, including Girls in the Gang
and Dreamland.
Roby is Vanstone's husband. The
couple, who lives in Toronto has
two children, David, 12 and
Rachel, seven.
Whether it's as director or actor,
Vanstone says the challenge is
there. "Acting and directing have
gut-wrenching moments depending
on what part of the rehearsal pro
cess you're in."
Obviously, opening night can be
particularly nerve-wracking, no
matter what side of the stage you
worked on. Vanstone has an inter
esting way of handling pre-show
jitters. "My husband's opening
night gift to me has always been a
pack of cards for solitaire. Il keeps
my hands working and my mind
occupied."
While some might think there
would be relief in being able to sit
back and watch rather than take the
stage, Vanstone's not so sure. "Il's
hard after putting all that energy
and anticipation into a project to sit
in the audience. Being on stage is a
rush, but the director at that point
has to leave it behind. That's the
tough part."
Smoke & Iron at Doon
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2
and 3, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Doon Heritage Crossroads will host
members of the Ontario Artist
Blacksmith Association as they
present the traditional craft of
blacksmithing and artistic
ironwork.
Members of the association not
only represent the nostalgia of the
past, but are also a group of artistic
craftspeople who create beautiful,
decorative and useful items which
will last forever.
Demonstrations and activities
will be highlighted as members
create works of art for visitors
throughout the day.
Regular admission rates to Doon
Heritage Crossroads apply for this
event.
Direct connection
The Melville Boys director, Trish Vanstone, has a close
connection with the play, which opens next week at the
Blyth Festival. She appeared in the 1984 Theatre New
Brunswick original production as Loretta.
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