The Citizen, 1999-05-26, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1999. PAGE 23.
Ted Johns was among many of the actors who did readings from some of this season’s
offerings at the Blyth Fesitval 1999 season kickoff on Thursday night. In addition to snippets
of what to expect on the Blyth Fesitval stage this summer, the evening also featured
dancing by Jayne and Mark Marquis.
Popular playwright returns
Local business gives
to Endowment Fund
Peter Colley came to Blyth in
1978 and set up camp in a rundown
farmhouse. Inspired by the
atmosphere, he set to work on a
new script.
One year later the Blyth Festival
premiered I’ll Be Back Before
Midnight and Colley was on the
road to astonishing success. Since
then the play has grossed over $8
million worldwide and shows little
signs of slowing down.
The Blyth Festival, now in its
25th season, is not slowing down
either. To celebrate the theatre’s
silver anniversary, Artistic Director
Anne Chislett, has scheduled a
season of plays that celebrate many
of the successful Canadian artists
whose careers first gained
momentum here.
And none of them have enjoyed
more momentum than the
prodigious Peter Colley. His latest
play, When the Reaper Calls opens
in the Blyth Festival’s studio space,
The Garage Theatre, this summer.
Colley, who is also a graphic artist,
approaches his plays with the same
attitude he uses in the visual arts.
Referring to his hit wartime
musical, You’ll Get Used To It -
The War Show, Colley said, “I hate
plays that get published and then
they’re finished ... I hate the
process to end.”
When the Reaper Calls is no
exception. Originally produced at
the Gryphon Theatre in Barrie, the
play has been reworked several
times. Staged last summer at Upper
Canada Playhouse, the latest
incarnation of this script is the
Atwood Lions
Bingo
every Thursday
Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Jackpot $500.
on 54 calls
Pot of Gold $500.
on 54 calls
Loonie Bin
result of nine months work, going
through the text line by line until
the work was honed to its bare
essentials. These revisions were
done despite the fact that the play
was already enjoying productions
from Alberta to Saudi Arabia.
In this latest and final draft
Colley has married elements of the
traditional thriller with those of
pure comedy and the result is,
according to Colley, “ ... life
affirming, very funny and the
audience walks out feeling good
about life and love.”
Sounds surprising for a show that
is billed as a thriller, but with
Colley’s work surprises are always
to be expected.
Colley now divides his time
between Toronto and Los Angeles
where he enjoys a lucrative career
both as a screenwriter and a
playwright. His plays have been
produced in 21 countries, 46 of the
50 states in the U.S. and every
province of Canada. Two of his
plays have been made into feature
films, both screenplays penned by
Colley, and he has written
extensively for CBS television as
well as creating pilot scripts for
WNET TV in New York and
Nelvana Communications in
Toronto.
He is currently writing the TV
series Mythic Warriors for CBS -
JI surround sound stereo ||
L1STOWEL 291-3070
z STARTS FRIDAY
CINEMA 1 7 & 9:15 P.M. pg --THE z
-MUMMYpjBRENDAN ERASER
CINEMA 2 7 P.M. & 9:15 pg n-ENTRAPMENT E
SEAN CONNERY
WATCH FOR STAR
WARS COMING
an animated series that dramatizes
the Greek myths - and for the TV
series Watership Down for British
and Canadian television, based on
the classic novel.
When the Reaper Calls runs in
the Blyth Festival’s Garage Theatre
July 28 - Aug. 29.
Call the Blyth Festival box office
for tickets and full season
information. Toll free 1-877-TO
BLYTH (1-877-862-5984) or 519-
523-4345.
Belgrave Kinsmen
DANCE
Saturday, June 12
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Belgrave Arena
Music by Leask
Brothers
Tickets $5.00
Age of majority
Tickets available
from any Kinsmen
Member or at
Belgrave Co-op
4----------------■»Buck &, Doe
for
Jody Sippel &
Trevor Goetz
SAT., MAY 29
8:00 - 1:00
at the
Blyth Community
Centre
Age of majority
For more information
call 887-6467
The Government of Ontario has
announced a new $25 million Arts
Endowment Fund to match money
raised by participating arts
organizations for the purposes of
long-term investment.
The Blyth Centre for the Arts is
eligible to participate in this
endowment program and recently
the board of directors adopted a
“$200,000 in 2000” campaign.
With the Government of Ontario
matching dollar for dollar, the
Centre will benefit in perpetuity
from an endowment fund of
$400,000. Funds will be managed
in a separate endowment
established and maintained by the
Ontario Arts Council Foundation
and each year the Centre will
receive income from the invested
funds for operating purposes.
This is particularly significant
because in 1999 the Blyth Centre
for the Arts celebrates its 25th
glorious season! Through the years,
with the help of the community, the
theatre has held fast to its vision of
truly “made in Canada” theatre,
producing theatre that enriches the
lives of its audience and cultivates
Canadian talent.
More than 75 scripts have
premiered at Blyth - many have
received second or multiple
productions in Canada, the United
States, Europe and Asia. Plays bom
in Blyth have won Governor
General’s Awards, a Chalmers
Award, and a number of Dora
Mavor Moore Awards.
The Blyth Festival’s 1999
summer season launch held on May
20 in The Garage Theatre set the
stage for the announcement of the
Buck & Doe
Pork BBQ
for
Marcia Heath
& Jim Campbell
Saturday,
May 29, 1999
at Williamson's Shed
from 8:00 p.m.to 1:00 a.m
$6.00 per person
I__________I
E3 school
IaAlkaT 'VjiEAWTH
Endowment Fund with nearly
$12,000 received to date.
Howson and Howson of Blyth is
the leading donor to the
Endowment Fund. Howson and
Howson is a long-established flour
milling and agri-service company
located in the community since
1947 and sells flour throughout
Canada and the United States.
“It is with gratitude that the
management and staff of Howson’s
support the Blyth , Festival’s
endowment fund and wish them
continued success in the future,”
said Doug Howson.
ftappg 35tli
‘Ul&ddiny (InniMiMLiy
Henry and Margaret
Exel
May 30, 1999
Love from: your children
and grandchildren
60 th Wedding
Clnniue^Aa^g,
You are invited to attend a
’’Come & Go Tea”
in honour of
Harold & Adeline Campbell's
60th Wedding
Anniversary
Hosted by their family on
Sunday, June 6
2-4 p.m.
Blyth United Church
■ ■ .....