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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Blyth Festival 2000, 2000-06-21, Page 46PAGE 22. BLYTH FESTIVAL SALUTE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2000. Tanya Greve moved backstage from on stage By Mark Nonkes Freelance Writer Tanya Greve did not always plan on becoming a stage manager. Greve is an acting graduate from the University of Toronto. “I realized I enjoyed being behind the scenes opposed to on the stage,” she said. In her fourth year she discovered she wanted to do backstage work but finished the acting program anyway. Out of university Greve worked as a stage manager in Toronto and came to Blyth in the 1995 season. “It's been fun ever since. I’ve never looked back.” In her first season Greve worked on The Tomorrow Box and He Won't Come in from the Barn. Greve recalls walking the cows stage to the barn after a show. “It was one of memorable shows could have as your from the nightat the most you first experience at The Blyth Festival.” This year Greve stage manages Anne and The Drawer Boy. "Anne is such a lovely story. They make you laugh and they make you cry. As does The Drawer Boy'.' It is the town, the theatre facility and people who work for the theatre that keeps Greve coming back to the festival. “You get a real community feel. Since the company increases the population of Blyth by 10 per cent you Tanya Greve feel part of the community.” Last year Greve worked on Big Box and When the Reaper Calls at the festival. Returning this season was like time flew by for Greve. “It was like I left for the week end.” Over the winter Greve worked on three shows at the Factory Theatre and a show at Theatre Passe Muraille. Greve said she never regrets not pursuing acting. “There's too many lines to memorize . . . it’s easier to work backstage . . . it’s not as terrifying.” Stage manager Christine Oakey can’t imagine working outside of the theatre Stage manager Christine Oakey cannot ever remember a time when theatre was not in her life. Oakey pondered a moment and realized there was a time because her family is not in the theatre industry. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.” Oakey is the assistant manager for Anne and the manager for the remount of the Reaper Calls. “It will be interesting ... to work on a remount when I was not stage stage When involved in the original production.” Oakey hails from Halifax and this is her fourth season at the Blyth Festival. Oakey has worked as assistant stage manager on seven shows at the festival. When the Reaper Calls will be the first show she stage manages for the festival. Over the winter Oakey worked on two shows in Halifax and a show at George Brown College. Oakey said she plans to return to Blyth in the future. “This is where my family is now.” — MN Gretel Meyer Odell loves working in the country Stage manager Gretel Meyer Odell is no stranger to rural areas. She grew up on a farm in PEI and tried everything from milking cows to growing organic vegetables. “When I was nine I started driving the tractor. When my dad was gone I used to milk the cows.” This is Meyer Odell’s third season at the festival. She loved spending the summer in Blyth la§t year when she stage managed The Great School Crisis of ’99 and Death of the Hired Man. “Last year when I came the com was up to my ankles. And when I left it had been harvested. It was the most wonderful way I could have spent the summer.” _ Meyer Odell stage manages Corker and Stolen Lives - The Albert Walker Story this year. “I love to work on new plays so I'm very excited for Stolen Lives because it’s new . . . And I’m from the East Coast so I'm very excited about working on Corker because Wendy Lili is from Nova Scotia.” During the winter months Meyer Odell stage managed three young people’s shows including Not Quite the Same, a play by Festival Artistic Director Anne Chislett. The show toured Toronto high schools and was nominated for a Dora, the Toronto theatre awards. With her husband, Meyer Odell periodically produces small shows in a 15-seat theatre in an unused stairwell in their third floor apartment. By the end of the summer Meyer Odell hopes to sell her 1987 Chevy- Nova that is “certified but needs a paint job”. “In the city I prefer my bicycle.” Meyer Odell calls the city a necessary evil for her profession. “I was bom in the country and I will one day live in the country again.” International home-cooked meals Fine & casual dining Daily specials Sunday brunch 11:00 to 2:00 • Sunday buffet dinner 5:00 to 8:00 • Special pricing for seniors & groups • Reservations recommended • Licensed lounge with weekend entertainment • Offering special theatre/accommodation packages Accommodations: Bed and Breakfast flavour with the privacy of a motel • 2 suites • 3 rooms • completely restored Birthday Party Specials! SUMMER BOWLING TIMES Tuesdays 1 pm ~ 4 pm 7 pm ~ 11 pm Fridays... 8 p.m. ~ 12:30 am Saturdays 1 pm ~ 4 pm A 7 pm ~ 12:30 am Sundays... 1 pm - 4 pm PLUS... WHEN IT’S RAINING CATS & DOGS 1 pm - 4 pm & 7 pm ~ 10 pm Christine Oakey Sun. 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. 410 Turnberry St., Brussels • 519-887-9035 Hectic backstage work in ‘Corker’ will keep assistant stage manager running Assistant stage manager Martin Kenney’s favorite memory of working in the theatre was when he was touring a show on Vancouver Island. Kenney and some of the people he worked with had a meal in a small logging town hotel and found out the owner came from a few blocks away from where Kenney grew up in Montreal. “We had this incredible gourmet meal in the middle of no where.” This is Kenney’s first season with the festival “I’ve worked with many people who have been in Blyth so I’ve heard a lot about Blyth.” Kenney is the assistant stage manager on Corker and Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story. In Corker there are many scene changes and little time to get things off and on the stage. “I’ll be doing a lot of running backstage.” Kenney graduated from Concordia University in 1993. He has worked as a production manager and a technical director in the past. Since 1997 Martin has tried to work exclusively as a stage manager. “The more I’m with a headset, the happier I am.” Kenney said forming relationships and meeting people he has worked with before excites him. "After you’re done a show you never know when you’re going to meet again.” MN Festival Box Office 523-9300 or 1-877-862-5984 David James: head miracle worker David James One of James biggest challenges as production manager is operating a repertory season. “We'll have a matinee of one show and an evening performance of a different show and have two and a half hours to completely change the set, the Every Sunday In his fifth consecutive season at the festival, production manager, David James said he keeps coming to Blyth because he can “do good work”. “It’s challenging enough to stay interested but it’s not crazy.” James also said the plays here remind him of where he grew up, on a vegetable farm in Leamington. “Often it's small town stories, like where I grew up.” In his third year as production manager James is responsible for scheduling, supervising technicians, —“Making opportunity to do their best work.” matters such as maintenance and including budgets, up to 15 staff, designers, and stage managers it so the artists have an lighting, sound, costumes, props." James said he is looking forward to the “snazzy costumes" in Anne this year. James said Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story, will be more difficult because it is a new script. “Things will be changing through rehearsal . . . and that will be a certain challenge.” During the winter months James is the production manager at George Brown College in Toronto. GLQW-1N-THE-PARK BOWLING__________ The Pins Glow! The BlaHs Glow! You’ll Glow! Unbelievabowll|W Other times available by reservation I 524-BOWL (2695) 204 Huron Rd., Godejich OPEN YEAR ROUND