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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-08-02, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2000. Keeping it simple meets play’s challenges Less is more Designer Brian Perchaluk addresses the challenges of creating a set for the 70 scenes in Peter Colley’s Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story, with a simplistic design that enhances the play’s mysterious, dark overtones. Actor will be dressed for the part thanks to assistance from OPP By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff The backstage crew of Blyth Festival always enjoy a challenge. Brian Perchaluk refers to the one he faced in creating the set for Peter Colley’s Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story, which opens this week, as “tremendous”. “This story is very much a movie rather than a play,” he says. The first scripts had no less than 80 scenes and 45 characters. Though that has been reduced to under 70 scenes, the play still covers a lot of locations and time span. “Whenever I do a play like this with such extreme demands, I always go the other way,” says Perchaluk. Essentially that means less is more. The set design he has created is to say the least minimal. “Basically it’s an empty grey box with three sliding transparent screens. These shift to create new entrances or show scenes from the past,” he explains.' The true story, which begins in a courtroom then follows Walker’s infamous history from Paris, Ontario, to Europe, will be played out in a style Perchaluk hopes is the­ atrical. “The simplicity gives the essence of each place, but it’s really about the play. Sometimes there is just a phone call or a meeting and it’s important to know that this hap­ pened, not where.” That the stark design enhances this tale of scandal and intrigue is impor­ tant, Perchaluk feels. “The set has a mysterious, dark quality which I think is good for the play. It’s about seeing things through layers, about revealing this character. People want to see who this guy is.” Lighting, too, is used to re-enforce the dynamics of each scene, Perchaluk says, while sounds “tell us where we are.” “We’re not trying to do it all with the scenery and I think that’s wise.” Helping the audience make the jump from scene to scene and past to present are projections of titles denoting time and place. “There’s not a lot, but with the major shifts they’re there to tell the audience where we are, to make it clear,” says Perchaluk. “The big challenge is trying to keep it uncluttered, so we’re not con­ fusing anyone with this stuff.” Perchaluk, who previously for Blyth designed Yankee Notions and The Right One, was excited by the prospect of working on Colley’s newest project. “When the director Linda Moore, who is someone I had worked with a number of times called and asked me if I might be interested, I was. I had fond memo­ ries of the place and thought it would be nice to revisit them. Also the sub­ ject matter of the play is intriguing.” Likening the production to a docu- drama, Perchaluk says, “With the titles we’re trying to give that feel as well. It is a story right out of the headlines.” Check out our WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca Authentic look Thanks to assistance from the Huron OPP detachment Julia Hale, the wardrobe department head for Blyth Festival, was 5ble to transform actor, Caleb Marshall into an authentic- looking police officer for Peter Colley’s Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff When Julia Hale called the OPP detachment in Goderich, she needed help. As head of wardrobe for Blyth Festival, Hale has the responsibility of dressing the characters in each production. For this year’s Stolen Lives — The Albert Walker Story Hale needed the uniform of an OPP officer. “I knew we could rent the uniform pieces. Last year for When the Reaper Calls we had something that was pretty close so I wasn’t too wor­ ried.” Designer Brian Perchaluk, howev­ er, mentioned that in a different pro­ duction he had received a lot of help from the police, so Hale contacted Sr. Const. Don Shropshall at Goderich to see what could be done. “Originally, I just thought we could try and match something, but he said they might loan us one if we brought in the pieces of the script that related to the police officer. He also wanted to see a photograph of the actor.” With script and photo in hand, Hale visited the detachment and everything was approved. “The script, he felt was true to the events of the story and Caleb, who is play­ ing the officer, I believe he said was a “nice-looking, young man.” Within two days the full uniform was in the hands of the wardrobe department. “In a show where it’s so realistic, where the officer’s scenes are so short, it sets the scene up quickly and accurately.” The response was no surprise to Hale, however, who has found the community to be tremendously sup­ portive of the work at the theatre. “This is typical of the help we receive. People are extremely co­ operative and supportive here.” CONSTRUCTION LTD. 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