HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-06-17, Page 23Goderich Signal -Star, Wetlries0av, June 17, 2009 - Page A23
Blyth Festival opens with Johns' The Bootblack Orator
B LYTH FESTIVAL SEASON
The Bootblack Orator
June 24 - August 15
Writen by: Ted Johns
Directed by: Eric Coates
On the road between Clinton and Goder-
ich, a Brier lights a fire. under his team of
horses when they refuse to pull a load of hay.
The horses move ahead just enough to po-
sition the wagon directly above the fire and
there they stop while the wagon burns. So go
the stories of John R. Clarke, 'The Bootblack
Orator" who toured Huron County during the
1880s with his illustrated lectures, anecdotes,
and homilies. This play marks the return of
festival favourites, Ted Johns and Janet Amos
who will both star in the show. An ingenious
re-creation of a time when the little hamlets of
Huron thrived with societies devoted to litera-
ture, science, and art, Ted's latest play asks us
to look at the nature of our own (4mmunities.
..
And, as you c1imagine, in the hands
of Ted and J K ' be delightfully funny
from start to fah.
The Mail Order Bride
July 8 - August 14
Writer., Rob+ Clinton
Director: Katherine Kaszas
>Wben Russelll Teeter arrives at the old
*lily homestead to itemize its contents for
he meets Harold, "a city coot" whose
stories conjure the family ghosts. 'the cast
of characters includes a mail-' bride, a
traveling sales;, a hwoing farmer
-' all yearning f <a bettek fe where love is
unrequited -4 _:;y produced in 1989,
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Denny_srrett
signal -star staff
The 2009 Blyth Festival season
promises to be one full of familiar fac-
es and great plays.
The season opens June 24 with Ted
Johns' The Bootblack Orator and fea-
tures a four play bill, including Robert
Clinton's The Mail Order Bride, Mi-
chael Melski's Hockey Mom, Hockey
Dad, and Michael Healey's The Nut-
talls.
Artistic Director Eric Coates said
that Johns' return to the Festival, with
a comedy about an unusual set of lec-
"[Michael Healy being in Blyth] is
a real feather in our cap because
he's probably as much in demand
•
as any playwright in North
America right now."
— Blyth Festival Artistic Director
Eric Coates
tures from turn -of -the -century Huron
County, held some unique qualities
that aren't always seen in his writing:
"Because it's [Johns], it's always go-
ing to be funny, but there are some big
issues discussed," he said. "There is a
lot of ver . thoughtful discussion about
the rlatur of faith." - .
Coates said the exact content of the
play is hard -to explain, stating Johns
r: »:»
`", through
WIter trust
a disastrous `
ve — bloo
of the
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was inspired by some articles he found
in archival newspapers outlining the
travels of the Bootblack Orator, who
visited different towns in. the late
1800s and lectured on topics like Dar-
winism and European art.
"It's hard to imagine these small
towns like Kippen being host to regu-
lar meetings about arts and philoso-
phy," Coates said.
The Festival also welcomes back
playwright Healey, who may be re-
membered for his play The Drawer
Boy. His play, The Nuttalls, focuses
on the life of a mother and son living
on the shores of Lake Huron. The pair
hate each other, but seemed inexplica-
bly held together.
Healey's return is
to the season's ros-
ter, Coates said.
"This is the
first [play] he's
produced that
we'd agreed to
do beforehand,"
He said. "It's a
real feather in
our cap because
he's probably as
much in demand
as any playwright
in North America
right now."
Festival patrons
can also be excit-
ed to see the addi-
tion of Brad Rudy
to Blyth's actor
line-up.
"Rudy spent the
last 23 consecu-
a welcome addition
tive years at the Stratford Festival, so
people should be very excited to see
him join us," Coates said.'
Coates explained that last year's sea-
son was one of the most successful yet,
despite the economic troubles.
"As the economy started to tank,
we actually experienced a huge surge
in popularity," Coates said. "Which I
think speaks to a number of things, the
primary being that, as people focus
on doing things closer and closer to
home, Blyth really represents home in
a profound way for a lot of people."
For more information, vis-
it the Blyth Festival's web site at
www.blythfestival.com, or cail 519-
523-9300, or .1-877-862-5984.
You too
can learn to fly!
Everyone
Welcome!
To register or for more information...
Call Daryl at 519-524-0147
emai ::fly derich@cabletv.on.ca
ing rornai dy also
in store mit $ • the
both on and $ 5 ice.
Coates laces `Ottt tip to play the
this Canadian *Sic., 44#0; Nuttaisesr
August 5 -� September 5
Writer: Michael Healey
From the Governor General's Award
ning playwilifit brought us The Dt'r
Boy A :muter and her grown son live to-
gether
o gether tethe shores of Lake Huron in utter
domestic discord. Despite the fact that they
loathe each other, he and shem destined to
share a life of hysterical.co . Just to make
things more interest; 4oth ire compulsive
liars and will do or si# anything to keep the
upper hand. As things reach a fever pitch,
we learn that he has staged the mother of all
lies to win his freedom. Or is it truth? Con-
sistently brilliant in its originality, and quirky
humor, Michael Healey's work has earned
him a reputation as one of Canada's gra
playwrights.
...now is the
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