HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-07-13, Page 10Wednesday, July 13, 2011 • Goderich Signal -Star 9
nn dikes history cocoa
'irst and foremost,
in and attention to
condly, talent. And
not least, a good
w play opening July
oseph, south of Bay -
all that and more.
ce newspaper inter-
umber of years ago
ith Paul Ciufo--the
e n with Nap Cantin
led an amazing tale
e unusual man who
's French Canadian
ler---Narcisse
e encouragement of
seph & Area Histori-
ty, Ciufo eventually
ced researching and
a play about this
entrepreneur, .col-
g with Stage Direc
n McGregor, to cre-.
isse"
Ye Cantin was many
many people—some
some not.
called the Father of
Tence Seaway, Nat--
le
arle is usually known)
a salesman extraor-
visionary, an inven-
ted family man, a
and a thwarted
uilder.
outh of Bayfield in
French Canadian
n a lakeside farce,
of necessity had to
farming. However,
he began his own
buying, shipping
g cattle from I luron
Buffalo, New York.
rig his marriage at
to Josephine
le, he relocated them
I() where, over the
it years, his business
►dude his inventions
t ► urniture polish and
ockery Mender (a
Duncan McGregor is directing a wonderful outdoor production
called Narcisse, A New Play About St. Joseph" that tells the story
of local visionary and entrepreneur Narcisse Cantin.
Duncan and Cast — Director Duncan McGregor leads the large
cast of a wonderful new play called "Narcisse" through a musical .
rehearsal in preparation for opening night on July 19.
fixative that repaired iron,
glass, crockery, stone, lea tec,
�1
wood and billiard balls the
first .Crazy Glue), as well as
representing the Gas Con-
sumers Benefit Company and
introducing Walter Jackson's
automatic pressure regulat-
ing gas burner.
In 1896, the couple and Ask about o�
their children (who would
ultimately number 10) wee and r
returned to the Village of
Lakeview, today's St. Joseph—
the site of Narcisse Cantin
great vision.
Totally bilingual. at a time
before that .was important,
Narcisse parlayed his busi-
ness connections into non-
stop promotion and develop-
ment of St. Joseph, the
boomtown he established.
Time spent on Lake
Huron's shoreline and in Buf-
falo next to the Erie Canal
afforded Narcisse the oppor-
tunity to become well
acquainte 1 with shipping
traffic and the movement of
goods.
Forever the optimist and
charismatic advocate, Nar-
cisse forged friendships with
prominent people, including
American steel magnate
Charles Schwab and recently -
canonized Brother Andre,
founding cleric of St, Joseph's
Oratory in Montreal, as weld
as gaining thesupport of the
Federal government of the
day.
The story of the Cantin
family, the town's develop-
ment and the endless pursuit
of his dream tobuild a canal
from Lake Huron to Lake Brie
unfolds in a well written pro
duction faithfully dedicated
to presenting its beginning,
its middle and its end—all the
highs and lows.
"There have been rniscon-
ceptlons about Narcisse Can-
tin," says the playwright.
"Judgments .were based on
inaccurate information. The
play sorts out history."
"I talked to many people in
St. Joseph who knew the
story," Ciufo goes on. "And I
had access to archives pre-
served by the Cantin family,
as well as many letters written
by Narcisse. I got to know the
man through his own words"
Narrated by Nap, his son in
the play, the successes, the
trials and the tribulations of
Narcisse are distinctly familial
as well as international.
A truly community
production, "Narcisse"
includes a talented cast of 51
drawn from throughout
Huron County.. The play stars
gifted actors Rob Bundy,
Susan Armstrong, Mathieu
Burdan, Cappy Onn and Cam
Laurie in key roles.
Under the able direction of
Arlene Darnbrough, the play's
orchestra includes 14 different
instruments.
And the songs and music of
"Narcisse are absolutely
beautiful—whether
performed by the orchestra,
the women's chorus, the
entire ensemble, or soloist
Roberta Walker of Grand
Bend
Adding to this seemingly
endless compendium of
winning elements, "Narcisse"
will be performed in an
outdoor theatre— in St. Joseph,
on the grounds of historic St.
Peter's Catholic Church.
Don't miss this wonderful,
family -friendly production.
It's bound to be one of the hits
of Huron County's theatrical
season.
Performances July 19-23 &
26-30
Tuesday -Friday at 6:00 pm
/ Saturdays 6:30 pm
Reserve tickets through the.
Blyth Festival Box Office al
1.877.862-5984.
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