HomeMy WebLinkAboutSetting The Stage, 1998-06-24, Page 33Jerry Franken: both acting and directing in 1998 Blyth season.
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SETTING THE STAGE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1998. PAGE 9.
THE aps SHOP
CLOTHING FROM TOTS TO TEENS
Jerry Franken has helped shape
theatre all across Canada
Having spent •I I summers in
Blyth, Jerry Franken feels a
part of the community.
Audiences will remember him
from such shows as, Jake's Place,
He Won't Come In From the Barn
and last season's Quiet in the Land
and There's Nothing in the Paper.
He likes to tell the story of the
time a man stopped him on the
street and said, "You know what I
like about this place? Last year we
saw you and you were a nice guy,
this year you have a pickle up your
arse."
Primarily an actor, Jerry is also a
director. This season he has been
named honorary artist at the
festival. He'll be acting in
Yesteryear by Joanna McClelland
Glass, and directing Jobs! Jobs!
Jobs! by Keith Roulston.
"I have always believed that it is
better to have a director that has
been an actor."
Born in Edmonton, Jerry studied
Continued from pg. 8
Glenn. The contemporary play
takes place on the front porch of a
cottage by the Atlantic Ocean, the
clothing is what you'd expect to
wear at the cottage.
"If I'm doing my job right,
people won't notice the clothes."
The set Glenn is designing is on a
sloped stage to make it easier for
audiences to see. In order to save
money and keep the set light, he
will make the shingles on the roof
of the cottage out of cardboard and
theatre in San Francisco. He
worked for three years in
what they need."
Born in Montreal, Glenn grew up
in Ottawa and later studied acting at
Ottawa University. He moved to
Toronto when he was 22 and has
lived there ever since.
In 1982, he started teaching
theatre production at the University
of Toronto. From there he fell into
set design and gave up acting.
Since then he has designed. for
both big and small theatres across
the country. This winter Glenn
toured with Crows Theatre and
Winnipeg at the Manitoba Theatre
Centre before moving to Nova
Scotia.
In Nova Scotia, Jerry lived in an
old house just outside of Halifax
for five years. The house had no
running water and was heated by a
wood stove. Despite the hard
winters Jerry loved the East Coast.
From Halifax Jerry moved to
Toronto. In Toronto he and a group
of friends from Halifax started a
theatre company called NDWT
(the initials don't stand for
anything in particular). For four
years, Jerry and the company
toured Northern Ontario in the
winter performing with natives on
their reserves.
NDWT attracted some actors
who have gone on to successful
careers like Graeme Green and
Thompson
Highway.
When the theatre company fell a
part after the Ontario Arts Council
cut its funding, Jerry went back to
Toronto.
Aside from stage acting Jerry has
made a few appearances on
television series. He recently
played a minister on Traders.
This past winter he appreared in
Young People's Theatre's
production of Anne in Toronto and
Sago in Picasso at the Lapin Agile
for Centaur Theatre in Montreal.
Jerry and his wife have lived in
Stratford for the past 12 years.
They have three children.
Festival- Fact:
While Memorial
J-Q' Hall was almost
unused, Festival events
throughout the year now
draw about 50,000 people.
Acting career gave way to
designing for Davidson HAMM'S CAR SALES
would like to extend a warm welcome to
everyone visiting Blyth this summer
Congratulations & Best Wishes to
the Blyth Festival
as they open for another season
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Pianist, Alan Moon will also be Theatre Company with his wife,
;haring the stage. He'll be sitting Bonnie Beecher, the lighting
)ehind a screen door at a six-foot designer for this year's production
;rand piano. of Yesteryear at Blyth.
Glenn started his career as an "Working with Bonnie is great,"
actor. "Being an actor has helped he said. "It helps that I think she is
me. I understand the needs of the a tremendous designer."
ctor, how I can give the actor Glenn and Bonnie live with their
strength or weakness, depending on teenage son in Toronto.
The
first opened
--- 10.1 i ;l
Blyth Festival
July 9,
1975
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