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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-08-02, Page 19THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2000. PAGE 19. Entertainment Leisure Theatre review 4The Drawer Boy’ delights opening night crowd ' L AT j % win* I twss $ |||| Farming advice From left, on stage at the Blyth Festival, Miles (Gil Garratt) scrubs gravel under the direction of Morgan (Layne Coleman) and Angus (John Blackwood) in The Drawer Boy, by Michael Healey. (Jim Hockings/Off Broadway photo) By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff There was little doubt how the opening night audience felt about Blyth Festival’s production of The Drawer Boy, last Thursday night. Michael Healey’s award-winning play, which workshopped in Blyth as Morgan & Angus in 1996 and has gone on to win the Governor General’s Award and the Chalmers Award, had them leaping to their feet virtually before the houselights went up. The Drawer Boy is a smorgasbord of theatrical fare. It has comedy, drama, poignancy and intelligence served up with some down-home appeal. The characters are endearing, the dialogue entertaining, the prem­ ise interesting. For the Blyth audience there is a sense of coming home as well. Among the opening night crowd were many of the farmers who had been interviewed for the 1972 col­ lective The Farm Show, staged in a Huron County barn by Paul Thompson. It is that piece of Canadiana that is celebrated in The Drawer Boy. Miles, played by Gil Garratt is a zealous young actor preparing for The Farm Show. He moves in with two bachelor farmers, Morgan and Angus to learn the country life. However, while this research offers a reason for his presence it is only one tiny facet of this multi-sided gem. Though Morgan enjoys much fun at the naive Miles expense, there is a poignant story which the young actor unearths and uses as the basis of his theatrical characterization. One evening under the stars, he overhears Morgan telling Angus, who suffers from a loss of memory and headaches, about the war time acci­ dent that caused his problem. The story begins telling of two good friends, one who liked to draw, the other a farm boy. They did every­ thing together, including enlisting. While overseas they met two English girls, one tall, one taller. The taller one liked the Drawer Boy, the other the Farmer Boy, Morgan says. After Angus’s accident, the friends helped him and later there was a double wedding. They would live in a home designed by Angus, two sep­ arate houses joined together. Until tragedy ends the dream. After seeing Miles perform this on stage, Angus's memory becomes clearer, leading to a discovery that seems certain to at first tear the friends apart, but ultimately defines the bond between them . While those familiar with The Farm Show will delight in many ref­ erences, it is not so great a part that it becomes an inside joke. While Morgan’s teasing of Miles and the down-home country humour appeals to some, there is also a humourous take on Hamlet that provides another layer to this piece. Typical of Blyth productions, there are solid performances from the three actors. Under the direction of Eric Coates, John Blackwoodportrays Angus with a sensitivity that allows for the audi­ ence to laugh with him not at him. Layne Coleman shows Morgan as an unsentimental man, who keeps emo­ tions tightly in check, yet makes clear the affection he has for Angus. Garratt does a fine job as the ingenuous foil. His dead-on imper­ sonation of Thompson was terrific. Though the show's pace was per­ haps not as quick as it could have been, the first act was a laugh a minute. Even the second act, which takes a serious turn, offered some good laughs, most often xit the expense of Miles, who, by the way gets his in the end. Watching the sold-out house on opening night, there was little doubt of the appeal of this production. In what has been thus far an impressive playbill. The Drawer Boy promises to be the summer’s biggest draw. 0 0§ I i 11 i i i1 POSTPONED Blyth Festival's Staged Reading of "McGillicuddy" by Keith Roulston is postponed until August 25 at the Garage. Time to be announced. Admission is free. J 1 q1 I!0 000000000001000 0 Jfappy Festival's mid-season stats exceed those of last year Death of The Hired Man, Anne, and Corker have brought success to the first half of the Blyth Festival’s 2000 Season. Ticket sales are up almost ten percent from last year at the mid-season point. Anne has played to near sold-out shows every night, while Corker has been rewarded with standing ova­ tions every performance. The second half of the season is promising to be equally successful, with great local interest in the Drawer Boy, Michael Healey’s Governor General’s award winner. The Blyth Festival has received national attention for Peter Colley’s true-crime drama Stolen Lives: The Albert Walker Story. When the Reaper Calls, Also by Peter Colley, is a light hearted thriller that gives audiences as many laughs as shrieks. The Blyth Festival is a not-for- profit professional theatre dedicated to producing and developing Canadian plays. For more information about this season contact the Blyth Festival Box Office toll free at l-877-862- 5984 or visit the website at www.blythfestival.com. BUCK & DOE Ronnie Abell-Rinn & Kathy Fraser Saturday, August 5,2000 Blyth Community Centre Music by D.J. The Neat Guys Lunch provided Dancing 9-1 Tickets $5.00 Age of majority required For tickets call Joe 523-9687 dll BUCK & DOEHb for Joan Smith and Tom (Tuffy) Warner Saturday, August 12 9 - 1 at Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre Age of Majority required For tickets or more information call 887-9631 Ir BUCK & DOE for Cheryl Franken and Chris Bromley Saturday, August 19 Blyth Community Centre Music by DJ 9:00 to 1:00 Lunch provided Age of Majority Tickets $5.00 Call Tanya 887-6290 Brian 357-1890 SURROUND SOUND STEREO I I LISTOWEL 291-3070 STARTS FRIDAY CINEMA 1 7 & 9:30 PM SUNDAY MATINEE-2 PM PG SPACE COWBOYS CINEMA 2 7 PM pg CHICKEN RUN = SUNDAY MATINEE - 2 PM - CINEMA 2 9 PM aa SCARY MOVIE JTappy 50th Anniversary The family of Ross and Barbara Anderson invite all friends and relatives to share in the celebration of their parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, August 19th. An Open House will be held in the Belgrave Community Centre from 1:30 p.m to 4:00 p.m. Best wishes only, please. Happy Birthday to Emily Shaw and Sidney Rose, twin daughters of Roz and Barry Bremner of Kitchener. Emily and Sidney, granddaughters of Bill and Fran Bremner of Brussels celebrated their first birthday on July 29.