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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-09-19, Page 17 (2)• James Murphy moving on but says 'we've put down roots here • • • James Murphy says his future is very uncertain, but there is one thing he knows he would like to do. "I'm hoping they'll invite me back here to guest direct,"' Murphy says. Murphy is leaving the end of October, but for the present he is still artistic director, manager, and founder of Huron Country Playhouse. Things have changed a great deal since he opened Grand Bend's live theatre in 1972. Murphy says his leaving was inevitable. "I'm leaving cause I had very little time or directing, I was burdened with administration," Murphy says. Murphy hopes ,to find a position where he will be able to do some. directing, and is already considering a few offers. Along with his wife, Barbara, and son Nevin, he plans to make Toronto his headquarters. "It's really hard to leave, we've put down roots here," he added. Barbara has been a partner in the operation of the'playhouse, and they say that Nevin, 3, feels quite at home in the barn theatre. "The playhouse will be a very integral part of his memories," his father says. Nevin attended rehearsals and even some per- formances. His parents says he was very attentive, and usually made more noise by saying " Shhh !" to everyone else. "He knows all the shop talk and terms," Murphy added. Murphy says that it "really feels funny" not to be .planning next year's productions. He says that usually the fall was spent hoping for even better things next year --"Hope springs eternal," he describes it. But he is leaving with a sense of accomplishment. This year he was able to make his dream of having two week runs of each play a reality, and the result was successful. He says he has also accomplished some "financial gymnastics" which have enabled him to,. carry on with building plans. And he is leaving at the end of what seems to be shaping up as the best season ever. The fiscal year ends October 31, and by that time they should see the results. But it appears right now that they are headed out of the red and into the black. Statistics show that 26,209 people attended the five productions as compared to last year's figure of 21,503. They averaged a 77 percent capacity rate when all productions were measured together. Murphy points out that this includes matinees where audiences are usually small. Some theatres, he says; do not average matinees in with their capacity rates. Even with the two week runs, many evening performances were sold out. Rush seats were sold for The Sound of Music. The children's production, Sleeping Beauty" was very popular, as was the Workshop for children which dperated early in the sum- mer. As well, a special Sunday night series of Canadian films caught on towards the end of the summer. This summer saw the biggest number of sub- scription buyers and the largest number of ticket sales. The Sound of Music was, quite naturally, the most popular play, with Harvey and The Owl and the Pussycat close behind. Angel Street, the only play this season which was not a comedy, was the least popular. I'm sure the board wonders why you can't just line up five enormous hits," Murphy says. "But I would like to see an appreciation developed for something other than comedy." Last year, Picnic was produced,•and this year they did Angel Street. Although both plays have some comic moments, they are more dramatic than most per- formed at the playhouse. Barbara Murphy says that she thinks audiences are accepting these types of plays, and overcoming the problem of "nervous laughter". Murphy says that most actors at - Huron Country Playhouse have enjoyed Mary's musings BY MARY ALDERSON I had a very interesting visit this week with a man who certainly has his work cut out for him. Al Epp, who operates a group home in Exeter, has six boys in his care and some fascinating stories to tell. It reminded me of my high school days in Forest, when we had a group home in that town. Incidentally, the home has since closed down; and the fellow that operated it • has opened up a clothing store. Clothes, he says, don't talk back. This group home was for girls, and many of them came and went throughout high school. Some of them fit in well. and others didn't. One girl in particular stands out in my mind. Her name was Virginia, or something equall as pretty and, .term!*'? sistett we - her Bugs , npthing else. She was big and tall and very strong, and had the misfortune of looking est like one of the grade 13 ys from the back. Even though she was only in grade nine, she seemed to follow around those of us who were in grade 12 because she was closer to our ages. She even announced that she liked one of the guys, and when she noticed he was avoiding her, she heaved all the text books out of her locker at him as he was walking down the hall. I was editor of the year- book and spent arot of my time taking pictures for the book. At one event, she walked up to me and mut- tered in my ear, "Take my picture, or i'll bust your camera." Since the camera belonged to my sister who would bust my face if an ng happened to it, i rr to cooperate. - Btfi when I took her. pletule she prete ided that she didn't know what-jtwas doing, and yelled at me, saying she didn't want her picture ip any dumb old yearbook. And that's the way she was. She would hang around' the gym criticizing us for the . way we practised 'volleyball, and she'd yell taunts at us during the games. She never, ever got involved in any after school activities, but she was always there. She'd come to dances, but stand at the back and make fun of anyone who danced by. She'd attend classes, but make it as miserable as possible for the teachers. Bugs would come into the yearbook office, and I sure didn't have the nerve to throw her out. She'd com- plain about everything I did when I was staying after school working on lay -outs - the pictures were crappy, the write-ups were lousy. This was her attitude all winter. She would tell anyone that would listen and even those who didn't want to, what a crummy school it was. • But one day in spring, some members of the track and field team were outside practising g i B hum j P Bugs nQunced lou y, "He at' ttothingr When ohe girl went over the bar. With tattered blue jeans on, and carrying a pile, of notebooks under her arm, she effortlesslycleared one of the highest notches on the jump stand. The girls con- vinced her to try out for the team, and even to buy a gym suit. (All winter, she had refused to take part in Phys. Ed. class.) With no training at all, Bugs had become our high jump star. She took an the ribbons at the track and field meet, and seemed to be a happier person. But some of the old Bugs was always there. When the yearbooks went on sale, she said there was no way she'd waste money on those. She mocked the rest of the students who were eagerly having friends autograph their books. But she would still sit beside me at the table whil.1 0 yea rbediiO4-rY: noon hours. • After putting up with her for a whole afternoon when she was telling people not to buy the dumb books that i was selling, i sat back to glance through my copy of theyearbook which had been laying on the floor near her chair. She had gone outside to make fun of the can- didates for school queen. inside' the front cover of my book, I read "Best of - good rapport with the audience. He stresses that it is a "give and take" situation, and the audience has to respond to the acting to bring out the best in the actor. He says that is has been their policy to produce popular plays and they haven't fluctuated from this. Response from the audience indicates that this is what they want, and they are no longer sitting back and demanding to be en- tertained. The financial problems of Page 1 A the theatre is one aspect which Murphy is glad to leave behind. Tickets sales_ only cover about 60 per cent production costs. Fund raising is an important part of theatre managment, even though there is a board of directors and a guild to help in that area. Murphy says that one problem his theatre has had is the lack of a municipality to back it up. He says that theatres in London or Sud- bury receive substantial help from their cities. But he says that he cannot expect local township or village govern- ments to have money to help out, although they do give donations. Sometimes business such as Corkdin Lumber helps with the hiring of an ex- pensive actor. Government grants, both federal and provincial, help pay the enormous staff needed at the playhouse. But other ex- penses are always coming up. "We just received the jolly news that the entire septic system has to be Z'0 Ames replaced," Murphy says. Many people don't realize that the playhouse Is a non- profit organization operated by a board of directors. Barbara and James simply received salaries from the board, it was not "their" theatre, they stress. People think that they have sold the theatre to the board and have made money in the transaction, Barbara says, but that isn't the case. The board of directors was formed soon after Murphy made his plans for the Serving South Huron, North Middlesex theatre. Although Murphy says he did originally put down the downpayment on the old farm and barn, he never really owned it. Attitudes and plans have changed since that first summer in '72 when Murphy directed plays in a big circus tent. He says that when he first came to the area in the spring with the plans, he wasn't welcomed.- At that time there was some talk about promoters setting up a rock festival m Parkhill like the one which was so popular in Woodstock, New York. This idea was squelched by the residents of the area, and Murphy says that the Grand Bend people may have feared he was going to do the same thing. At any rate, they thought he was going to have strange people around, he says. But the farm community eventually warmed .up, and Murphy says he knew he was welcome in those early days, when neighbour Jim Love came to their door one day with five dozen fresh eggs. JAMES MURPHY & North Lambton Since 1873 September 19. 1,979 Al has all the answers for 'his' - "Guess how far I ran after school?" "Where's the atlas?" ' "Can I go out?" "Who fed the cat?" Al Epp has the answers for everybody at Epp Homes. It's four o'clock and boys of all ages, shapes and sizes tumble in the door. The questions begin. Al Epp operates the Epp home at the corner of Albert and John Streets in Exeter. The big red brick house is a group home where boys are placed by various children's aid societies or family and children's services. At present there are six boys in the group home who fit in well with Al's two sons. Al's wife Margaret- is a partner in the operation of the home. She says her husband should know how to deal with siblings and get- ting along in a family. He was the third youngest in a family of 13, she explains. Eleven years ago, the Epps left their home in Western Canada -and came tb London. l took courses at Fanshawe College to equip himself for the position, and then found a job in a boy's home in London. The Epps also took in some foster children. , Then a friend bought a farm north of Exeter. He named it Erwood I and operated it as a group home. Al became interested in rural living and later bought the farm. Three years ago, he sold the farm, and they moved to their present location in Exeter. "The farm was okay, as long as the kids wanted to help with the farm work," Al says. Unfor- tunately not all the boys that come and go at a group home are keen farmers, and sometimes a lot of the work in keeping up the acreage was left to Marg and Al. At one point when Al was ill, none of the boys were willing to do farm work. The farm was sold and the move to town was made. Al says that the present house is ideal for operating a group home jigie.O t house in November of 1976, about 25 different boys have been in his care. "i am amazed how i came across this house, " Al says. On one of his regular trips to town, he decided to take the back streets instead of the main routes. He happened to drive by the house the very day that Mrs. Hopper's real estate agent had erected the "for sale" sign . This was just as Al was overcoming his bout with hepatitis, and the house was the answer to his worries about the farm care. Al says that he only Luck, Mare! Take care, eh! Your Pal, Bugs." She never came back in September. We heard that she had run away during summer holidays. Our track • About a -year later,'i heard a name on the television newts ti a r sounded vaguely familiar. it was about a girl in Sarnia who was either pushed from, or fell froth a moving truck and was killed. I looked the name up in the yearbook. it was Bugs. It was one of those eases where the newscaster says an investigation is con- tinuing, but you never do hear the final results. operates a boys home, because in his experience, ,boys have been easier to deal with and discipline than girls. His two sons are ages 12 and 14, and the boys sharing the house with them are 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. All the boys are attending local schools except the oldest who is working fulltime. Al says that because the boys are new in the schools problems sometimes r%ult, and he has to work closely with teachers and principals. He says that co-operation in the schools that his boys attend has been excellent. He has boys in Exeter Public School, Usborne Central School, and in high school in Exeter and Clinton. He keeps a close liaison with prin- cipals and says that Exeter Public School has- been especially helpful. The boys are placed in the home by various children's agencies. At present, many of the boys are from Toronto, placed there by groups such as the Metro Toronto Family and Children's Services, Jewish Family and Children's services, and Catholic Family and Children's services. The boys come for a three day visit before they decide to move in. When they do stay they keep in touch with a social worker in their home area. When possible. they can keep in touch with parents. Parents are even encouraged to visit the group home. The boys generally come from homes where the marriage has broken down. Al says there are even some cases where the boy has been adopted, and the adoption has fallen apart. ' Every effort is made to make each boy feel like part of one big family_ The boys are encouraged to take part in sports, or attend the United Church with the Epps. They go on trips together - like last March when they all enjoyed a holiday in Florida, complete with visits to Disneyworld and other family places. But the boys also have the responsibilities of chores that come with every family. The dining room and upstairs hall have to be # 4 0114°.- .1.3°.`" e,,.- '�'ti11r. EPP HOME — Al Epp stands on the front porch of the spacious red brick house at the cor- ner of Albert and John Streets which is home to eight boys. List crop winners any. prizes.ata.bI,.,e.�m This year visitors to the Exeter Fall Fair will have the opportunity to win prizes in two lucky draws. The Fair Board is spon- soring the annual draw and the ladies division is con- ducting a draw with quilts and a cushion for prizes. Both draws will be made at the Saturday night dance at the South Huron Rec Centre. In the regular fair draw first prize is a quarter of beef donated by Exeter Coop. Second prize is a side of pork donated by Tom Triebner and a side of Iamb is the third prize through the courtesy of Evergreen Farms. Bob Chaffe of Sterling Fuels is providing a case of oil as fourth prize, the fifth ticket drawn will get a t r Av �5 wood •and•sixth prize Is A bushel of apples donated by Frank Sawyer. The quilt which is first prize in the ladies division' 'draw was 'made by lees of the Exeter Agricultural Society with materials donated by Mrs. Roy Pepper and Mrs. dim Wilson: Mrs. Gladys Miller is providing a crib quilt as second prize and the third prize winner will receive a cushion donated by Mrs. Charles Allison. The following are the winners in the bean field crop competition of the Exeter Agricultural Society. Wayne Tuckey, Elmer Powe. Winston Shapton, Passmore Farms, Tom Triebner, Gordon Jones, Hugh Rundle, Ray Cann, Bruce Shapton, Allan Rundle. Murray Keys. Peter Sereda, John Oke. Ken Oke, Keith Strang. The judge was R.P. Traut. Principal named at Precious Blood Laurie Kraftcheck is the Blood Separate School in new principal at Precious Exeter. Mr. Kraftcheck who spent the past seven years with the same Huron -Perth Separate School Board at St. Michael's in Stratford replaces Mrs. Esther Rau who retired in June. The new principal, his wife' Susan and three .yea d -., .-•for a:hotute in Exeter. The only other staff change at Precious Blood this year is Francis . Westelaken replacing Mary Ellen Kot who has taken'a teething position in t Mr. Kraftcheck is teaching grades seven and eight at Precious Blood this year: The enrolment:^! Precious Blood remains the same as for the 1978-79 term at 80 LAURIE KRAFTCHECK students. vacuumed daily, and dishes must be done. Each fellow makes his own bed, and the lawn is mowed. One boy has a free week - on an .alter- nating basis they each have a week off from chores. The Epps have to remind themselves, themselves, sometimes, that - they are not parents, and that this is also their oc- cupation. Recently they purchased a trailer in the resort park at Pine Lake. They decided that they needed a place to go to get away from their work. How many other people are willing to stay at their job 24 hours a day, Al asks. The Epps found that they enjoyed the trailer very much on their days off, but they also learned that it was an excellent place to take the boys for a change of pace. "All our 'boys are swim- mers," Al says. They plan to make good year round use of the trailer, and hope to get involved in winter sports. Last winter they found that many of the boys enjoyed cross country skiing. Rules laid down by the the Ministry of Community and Social Services are in- creasingly making the operation of a group home more difficult, Al says. Ways and means of disciplining for wrong doing is always a difficult problem. Financial problems are - the other worries that plague Al. At present they received $34 per day for each boy they have. The money comes from the agency which sends the boy. While this may seem like a lot of money to someone operating an average family, Al is quick to point out that his family is far from average. He says that it is difficult to make ends meet at this rate. All the costs of operating the home must come out of that amount. He has to come up with wages for four adults - himself, his wife, a child care worker and a house keeper. All four of them are kept busy on a full time basis. There are also the high mortgage rates and costs of _grumpfig sucj a jarge_twuse. they've foune tr They have been very for- tunate, he says, adding that there has been almost no breakage. - Dental work and the need for eyeglasses are other expenses that Al runs into. Fortunatelythe boys all have their own OHIP numbers which look after medical problems. Many of the boys do have medical problems, as a result of their unstable backgrounds, Al says. And the Ministry dictates that any problem, no matter how small, should be taken to a doctor. With a houseful of growing boys, the trips to the doctor's office for illness and accidents are numerous. Sometimes the boys are necessary to own two vehicles. Groceries come to $800 a month, and each boy receives an allowance. All the extras that a boy might want has to come out of these funds, too. Usually, though Al can make a deal with a boy if he wants something like a bicycle or hockey equipment. If the boy can come up with half the amount, Al will find the other half in the home funds. Clothing and shoes are another big expense in a boy's home. Often, Al says, these boys have not been taught how tocarefor things properly, and the wear and tear shows up sooner than in other families. Similiarly. the furnishings suffer in a group home, because of the number of Peopple. using j►tem . And, aeme41,-Ihe boys • - have lekrff how fo handle and respect other people's property, Al says. The Epp home is well- equipped with gqod fur- niture, nice ornaments and attractive pawtiIt gss„ n the walls. Soine group fes. will not buy nice furniture because they fear fib the . children will' wreck it, Al says.1-owever,it is his belief that the boy'!C should be aught to respect good urniture and paintings. boys "runners" -- boys who are looking for something more and run away. These are common in group homes. Expenses pile up when Al has to track down the boys -- and bring them home. And, as with most families there are the pets. A family dog has moved over to make room for two stray cats. These cost money. too. Al fears that government cutbacks are going to hinder the work of many group homes. Already he knows of several in the Lindsay area that have had to close down due t� lack of funds. Unless he' is allowed to raise his rates to keep up with in- flation. he will not be able to keep going. he says. Road, storm work set for next year Exeter council this week gave tentative approval to a list of` road and .drain projects to be undertaken next year. The major projects as recommended by the roads and drains committee in- clude a storm drain in the Simcoe-Albert Street area. reconstruction of two blocks of Victoria Street West and a storm drain along Marlboro Street. Chairman Ted Wright said the Simcoe-Albert Street area had been plagued with flooding conditions for several years and the 530,000 storm drain should alleviate that situation. The drain will start at the eastern limits of Simcoe, proceed one block west and then go along Albert Street. The portion of Victoria St. to be reconstructed is bet- ween Main and Carling and this will include curbs and the first coat of asphalt at an estimated cost of 860,000. Two other areas are also slated for asphalting. These include Huron from Carling to the western limits and on Carling from Gidley to Nelson. Total cosi js ,an- 3"pi stili. a't =if1560. 'x ' '` Wright explained that the portion of Huron Street east of the CNR tracks has gone "wavy" and if something isn't done soon, council could be faced with a total reconstruction job. The portion west of the tracks is breaking up badly and the paving will be temporary situation only. ,The cost of the Marlboro Street storm drain is listed at 8108,900 and will be un- dertaken as funds are available. Wright indicated it was hoped to dothe two blocks from Wellington to Victoria. Also approved in the recommendations was that the engineering be un- dertaken for sanitary sewers along Thames Road East and the purchase of a new wing blade for one�of the _- trucks at.a costs:.:..?=;+ Wright suggested fhal'f ►e town grader should soon be replaced, but noted it may not be necessary in view of the limited use it now has with many streets being, paved and trucks being available ,dor. snowplowing. -Councillor Jiffy 'Campbell asked if the committee members had taken a look at the Ann and Carling Street problem, where residents have been plagued with flooded basements in recent years. Wright said that it was hoped the new storm drain at the north end will help overcome . the flooding, but said there would be money available if this was found not to be the case and more remedial work was required. Campbell also wondered if any consideration was being given to additions at sewage lagoons so the town could develop more than now projected and Wright said this matter was already being studied by the town's engineers and the OWRC. Exeter d river loses licence An Exeter driver, Kevin 0. Wurm, was fined 8300 and had his licence suspended three months after pleading guilty to impaired driving before Judge W.G. Cochrane in Exeter court, Tuesday. Wurm was charged on August 11 after being stopped for erratic driving:' - A'breathalizer test showed a reading of 170 mgs. Two London men .were ' eaeh sentenced to c" .Dile _'-_i+�- - vjail and'given stiff fines after being convicted on charges of being in possession of stolen property. - Lorne Angus Albert was also fined 8300. while Donald George Burton was fined 8500. They had in their possession over 82,000 worth of household goods taken from an area home. Three men charged with possession of narcotics in the recent raids in Exeter and area were each fined 8100, while the charges against several others were set over to later court dates. Fined 8100 or 10 days each were John William Fahner, Crediton; Brian Mark Hemming, Dashwood; and Mathew Epp Postill, Dash- wood. All three pleaded guilty to the charges which were laid in mid Au us fig, r flu Mrs. Mary Fleming formerly of Mount Car- mel will be 94 on Sep- tember 23. She now resides in Marion Villa, London . Mrs. Lavina Keener of Exeter -will be 94 years old on September 24. Mrs. Mary Ravelle;of Grand Bend was 86 years young on September 9.