HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-06-07, Page 19THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2000. PAGE 19.
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Toils of farm life
David Petersen as Bull, left, and Eric Coates as Norman, work hard at moving sheaves during
the Blyth Festival production of Death of a Hired Man. Warren Sulatycky (Jacob) climbs atop
his thresher to speak with hired man Christopher Morris (Glenn). (Off Broadway photo)
Theatre revi&iv
‘■Death’ revisits an era
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
With the thumping of the thresher
and the rhythmic motion of the farm
ers as they pitched the sheaves, it
was easy to become mesmerized by
the atmosphere.
Having grown up on a farm,
though years after the old threshers
went out of style, I was reminded of
the constant pounding of machinery
and the whir of the engines as I
watched this year’s production of
Death of a Hired Man at the Blyth
Festival.
Anyone with harvest experience is
sure to identify with the choking
dust, sweat, toil and sore muscles
which accompany the work.
Though the actors were imitating
the hard labour, the strain of the con
stant motion was visible on their
faces.
Two new actors filled the roles of
the lead characters in this remount
ing of last year’s hit. Blyth favourite
Eric Coates portrayed the younger
son, Norman, while Christine
Brubaker stepped in as his wife,
Alma.
The pair was nicely matched, easi
ly projecting the image of a recently
wed couple who had dreams of the
future.
However, it was those dreams that
brought conflict to the family as sim
ilar hopes had years before.
David Peterson, who wonderfully
played Norman’s older brother Bull,
had once had visions of progress for
the family farm, but he too became
stuck in his time period as his father
had before him.
Bull’s strength, confidence and
bullheadedness leap from the stage.
As the father of Bull and Norman,
Robert Nasmith captured the image
of the elderly farmer with his speech,
stance, walk and ideas. He was just
like my grandfather.
The camaraderie and combative
ness of the threshing is something
which is sure to bring back memo
ries for those who once travelled
from farm to farm working on a
crew.
Hired Man offers a glimpse into
just one day on a family farm as they
struggle with the increasing mecha
nization of the mid-20th century.
While the threshing and conversa
tions were wonderful, the dream
sequences of the second half,
seemed somewhat out of place,
though I suppose the monotony of
the repeated motion did give thresh
ers time to think of other things.
However, I preferred the banter.
The transformation of the theatre
into a bam was expertly done, and
'when the thresher was pulled onto
the stage, impromptu applause erupt
ed.
In the words of an 8-year-oId, “it
was amazing”.
Hired Man is a great season open
er for the Festival and a good show
for the entire family. Not only may it
bring back memories for grandfa
ther, but will give youngsters an
opportunity to understand his life
and hopefully provide a topic for
conversation.
For urbanites, it is a peek into
another world, long since past.
Hired Man runs until June 17.
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Love, your goddesses!
You are invited to a
’’Come & Go Tea’’
in honour of
Gene Snell's
80th Birthday
Saturday, June 10
1:30 ~ 3 p.m.
at the home of
Alvin & Gene Snell
167 Westmoreland St., Blyth
Come and help
Bev Brown celebrate
her 70th birthday
Sunday, June 11, 2000
2-4 Open House (come and go)
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Turnberry Street N., Brussels
Your presence will be your
card & gift or if you wish,
donations will be accepted for the
Mennonite Central Committee
(MCC)
£8 Citi SfoMday Qad
June 7
‘£v,anci&
(Zaleman
Love, Barb,
Jim, Gerald,
Sandra &
families
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