Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Blyth Festival 2001, 2001-06-13, Page 39Eric Coates: Directs musical. By Mark Nonkes Citizen staff 272 Huron Street Clinton, Ontario NOM 'I LO 519-482-1119 Fax: 519-482-5196 Your hosts: Roy, Barb & Jeff Oesch "Fresh Food Made To Order" Opened May 1998, the Dinner Bell offers a wide variety of food including pasta, steak, burgers, sandwiches & more. Our in-house chef serves up different weekly & weekend specials, including Prime Rib every Saturday night and Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Our casual, licenced dining room is perfect for a nice evening out, or an afternoon of fresh made dessert & coffee. Lunch specials Mon. - Friday $4.95. Run & operated by the Oesch family, we invite you to join us on Hwy. 8 west in Clinton. We also offer a private dining room for large parties, meetings or conferences. iit itfee9 Restaurant Mic BA& roAge CS. www.microagebasics.on.ca 0/6 BLUEWATER OFFICE EQUIPMENT LTD. 223 Huron Rd., Goderich 524-9863 E mail info@microagebasics on ca Prica „ Small 7-img Sarvice to the Blyth Festival on the opening of their 2001 Season! Your complete commercial, home office and service centre for: stationery, office furniture, computers, photocopiers, facsimile machines and telephone systems r Clip & Save MicroAge' BAS CS and Zebra Pens Receive a FREE Zazzle highlighter and a FREE Jimnie Antiques gel pen $5.00 value Coupon expires June 30, 2001 L While shopping in Goderich or Wingham, visit our store with this coupon and receive a free gift, compliments of Zebra Pens. 223 Huron Rd., Goderich, Tel. (519) 524-9863 Fax Store hours: ON NIA 2Z8 524-48',2 214 Josephine St., Tel. (519) 357-1554 Wingham, ON NOG 2W0 Fax 357-1793 Store hours: Monday - Wednesday 8 am - 6 pm Monday - Friday 8.30 am - 5:30 pm Thursday - Friday 8 am - 8 pm Saturday 9 am - 1 pm Saturday 9 am - 4 pm Sunday Closed Sunday 12 noon,- 4 pm I. G ot h s s ao H d I s au oH a l • O ed 1 Se U0 8 3U 1 S S0 3 1 . 1d l s eu o H ei •o ad 1 sa u o BLYTH FESTIVAL SALUTE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2001. PAGE 15. Eric Coates, Festival's Mr. Everything, directs 'Tears' For Cruel Tears to be a success director Eric Coates has his work cut out for him. The shoW marks Coates's first time directing a musical. Full of country and western songs, Cruel Tears is not the typical musical. It is set in rural Saskatchewan with truckers and their love interests singing. It is a show that will have to flow through several different settings in rural Saskatchewan and it must move quickly in scene changes. In the show, the characters' songs tell the story. When the actors sing, things happen like marriage being proposed, fights breaking out and people expressing their anger, Coates said. "You have to make sure the actors absolutely believe what they are doing." Coates said. If the actors don't believe in what they are saying the show may appear corny, Coates said. Coates will have to work closely with the musical director who will guide the actors in singing and some of the movement. The three musicians will be in every scene on stage. Cruel Tears "1 don't want them pushed off in a corner," Coates said. In Cruel Tears Coates has a large cast that he is excited to work with. Many of the people in the show he knows, but has not worked with in a director-actor relationship. "We're all going to be looking at each other just a little bit differently than usual," Coates said. As a director he tries to work co- operatively with the actors. But in the end he will make the final decisions, Coates said. "There are going to be times when you are going to have to put on the director's hat and convince somebody that it's my way," Coates said. During the time Coates is directing Cruel Tears in rehearsals he will be acting in The Outdoor Donnellys. "It's a bit of a balancing act," Coates said. In The Outdoor Donnellvs Coates portrays William Donnelly. William Donnelly was the leader of the pack, Coates said. William could easily adapt to a lot of things despite being very stubborn. "He's one of the most dynamic people I've ever come across," Coates said. It was a role that Coates did much research for. He read several books, a 700-page university thesis and many original documents that filled three large binders. This is Coates's seventh season in a row with the Festival and his third working as an actor and director. Tim Koetting back in action Tim Koetting is returning from a leave of absence when he performs' in two productions this summer at the Festival. The 54-year-old Koetting lived in Stratford for nine years before moving to Calgary in 1998. He hasn't been back in Ontario since that time. Though he's never worked in Blyth he is honoured to be in Cruel Tears and Sometime, Never this summer. "I was very flattered when they called me and asked me to do this," Koetting said in a phone interview from his home in Calgary. In the musical Cruel Tears Koetting plays Earl, a father who is frustrated that his daughter wants to marry a truck driver. Over the years Koetting has been in several musicals and plays across Ontario in places like Toronto, Drayton and Stratford. Koetting is excited to be in Norah Harding's sequel to This Year Next Year. Koetting portrays Uncle Harry in Sometime, Never. From reading This Year Next Year, Koetting said Uncle Harry is a hen-pecked husband who puts up with a domineering wife. Koetting has been acting since grade one when he performed in his first school production. He said that theatre is a calling: if someone is meant to do it they will love it. It's a calling that seems to run in the family. Koetting's only daughter followed in her father's footsteps and has been performing all over Ontario. After Koetting graduated from university with a degree in performing arts, he taught high school for about 10 years. During that time he would dabble in community theatre and work at professional summer theatres. As he did more and more acting he decided to quit teaching and act professionally full time. lie's been acting for nearly 20 years now. Koetting recently finished work on a mini-series filmed in Alberta. The mini-series titled Johnson County War stars Thin Berenger, Luke Perry and Burt Reynolds. It is due out next year. Koetting said.