HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-06-29, Page 2PAGE 2, BLYTH FESTIVAL SALUTE, JUNE 29/30, 2005
Eric Coates takes a moment to relax on the Memorial Hall
Massaging
the messages
Being Artistic Director at one of Canada’s top
producers of new plays means a lot of work for Eric
Coates helping playwrights polish their scripts
grounds. He’s been busy during the winter working with
playwrights on scripts and during the summer will direct The
Ginkgo Tree and I'll Be Back Before Midnight.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
Preparing for the 2005 season at
Blyth Festival has been somewhat
different for artistic director Eric
Coates.
"In terms of sheer volume there’s
been much more script development
than I’ve been used to.”
And nurturing a script along is a
bit like parenting. “It’s a part of the
job that you have to learn as you go.
There’s no rule book.”
The baby of this summer’s playbill
is The Thirteenth One. by Denyse
Gervais Regan. “I have never come
across a play that has been
Figuratively a playwright’s baby as
much as this one. She actually even
calls it her baby.”
The Thirteenth One is the first
script for Gervais Regan.
Parenting a newborn is an
enriching experience, an opportunity
to begin the shaping of a young life.
"Denyse’s play has taken a lot of
time to transfer it from this really
wonderful idea that she had. It’s
been handled by a number of
Huge Selection of
< c# *
Leather Bike Wear
en's & Woijw^KLither
GFoves, Moccasins,
Wool Blankets & Work !
Fl Rl
■1 '.Sjirjry tri 1
I "A/
-.L 1 f ZB 1
theatres before us in development
and had actually had too much
attention. We’ve simplified it,
basically deconstructed it and put it
back together.”
“It’s been an incredibly
challenging experience for Denyse
and the person really responsible for
working on this is Gil (associate
artistic director Garrett). I am
grateful for his incredible sensitivity
in working with her. He’s been a
great middleman, very sharp when
working with these personal issues.”
If The Thirteenth One is the baby,
Lee MacDougall’s The Ginkgo Tree
is the adolescent. Helping a teen
reach their full potential can require
some creative parenting.
While The Ginkgo Tree has been
produced in a different form before.
Coates said MacDougall was
becoming discouraged that it hadn’t
been getting a lot of interest from
other theatres. “I took a look at it and
asked him if he’s really interested in
having this noticed, would he be
willing to go back and really have at
it. He clenched his teeth and said
‘Let’s go’.”
Coates, who has a long-standing
friendship with MacDougall dating
from when both wer-e actors at
Stratford, said they used that
relationship in development. “We
went at the play as actors. It was
extreme role playing. He would call
and say he wanted to ‘audition’ for
one character, then we would meet,
delve into the part and he would do a
re-write. The next day was the same
thing with a different character. It
gave us the opportunity to be quite
savage."
As young adults, parents become a
touchstone; we rely on them less, but
are wise enough to listen to their
advice. Keith Roulston’s Powers and
Gloria came to Coates as close to
complete as possible, he said. “It
was pretty clear that it was very
close to being finished and to his
everlasting credit he didn't badger
me through the winter for help, even
though he deserved more from me as
the play developer.”
“A couple of weeks ago I read
through and noted a couple of
significant moments, basically a
series of fine tuning. He went away
and worked on the suggestions and
I’m very confident it’s going to take
off. There is strong potential for this
Continued on page 5
TOWN/ageritaaeHALLJI||| THEATRE
pio-m awe ff/ieoebee
P.O. Box 580, 274 Josephine Street
WINGHAM, ON NOG 2W0
(519) 357-4082 (Phone/Fax)
Make the most of summer
&
S&
Hanging Baskets
Mixed Planters
Annuals, Perennials & more
Vegetable & Herbs
Many items now on special
Jack & Sylvia Nonkes
83189 Scott Line RR#1 Auburn
Open 6 days Monday - Saturday 9-6; Thurs. & Fri. 'til 8 pm
• 523-9456 •
BALL & MUTCH
FINE FURNITURE 3
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Congratulations Blyth
Festival on the opening
of your 31st Season
fine furniture, fioor Coverings
and Accessories
3
3
3
3
8
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
In business since 1968
Phone: (519) 482-9505
Fax: (519) 482-9590
Hours: Monday ~ Thursday 9:00 - 5:30
Friday 9:00 - 8:00, Saturday 9:00 - 5:00
s
3
3