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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1991-09-04, Page 6Page 6 Times -Advocate, September 4, 1991 FAMILY. Zurich actor spends successful season at Blyth By Ray Lewis ZURICH - For some, career choices are the hardest one will make in a lifetime and it takes some a little longer than others. Zurich's David G. Latour has yet to turn 19, but he's had no trouble fording his niche in life. He first taste of real theatre came in high school with Steve Oliver, who runs the drama club at Central Huron. Latour was asked to be in a play and ended up in the lead role. That was four years ago. Since that time Latour has been able to expand his horizons in the field of drama. His list of talents now include ceAume, set design and even puppeteering. "A lot of it was just being in the right place at the right time," said Latour. "I've been kind of lucky." After adopting the trade of de- signing logos for t -shirts, Latour's work was noticed by Jane Gardiner of the Blyth Festival. He was asked to work on covers for this year's fes- tival and ended up doing all but one cover. As work began on the pamphlets, conversations developed with Blyth's artistic director Peter Smith, Soon afterwards, Latour was of- fered a summer job as a designer with Blyth's Young Company. "You do one thing and the doors seem to open because if they like you, they keep you in mind for oth- er projects," said Latour. Life in the theatre has also ena- bled Latour the opportunity of close contact with some elite company. One such person whose talents have become immortal in the eyes La- tour, is author and playwrite James Dave Latour (left), poses with his marionette Apple Butter, fellow young company member Mi-) chelle Carter, who holds the puppet Raven, and sister Nicole with a bear mask which won ac- colades at the Sears Drama Festival. Original Dr. Martens $9 Shoes 3+Uuerth'x SHOES Meaty rod INS,., Sims 11N Exeter - Goderich - Clinton 19 SMILES $4299 NOW ONLY $ al CLIP THIS D AND SAVE! CIRCLE YOUR NOW FO DVERTA DATE(S)1 A 1, • 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 99 • 1 -8x10* • 2 - 5x7's* • 16 Wallets ( 2x1) * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 • 19 Portraits Only $9.99! Special includes one 8x10', two 5x7's' and 16 Wallets (2x1)' on traditional blue back- ground only (1 pose). One offer per family. Additional portraits are available. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed. $2.00 Sitting Fee per person. ' Portrait sizes are approximate. GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICE ON ADVERTISED OFFER! Stedmans 311 Main St., Exeter Dates: Fri. Sept. 6 Hours: 10 - 8 Sat. 7 10-5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Reaney. During a production of a high school play, Reaney's Colours In The Dark, Latour had the opportuni- ty of meeting the author. Plays which show promise are entered on a competition circuit and as Colours continued to rise from level to level within that circuit, Latour and Re- aney were able to continually in- teract. Reaney, being very supportive, was enthusiastic especially after masks, designed for the play by Latour and fellow company mem- ber Michelle Carter, won several awards as the play progressed. Creatively, the members were able to design masks from foam which various critics said would never work. The group ended up win- ning design awards at the all - Ontario level at• the Sears Drama Festival. Reaney himself was so im- pressed he mentioned a job he had lined up restoring a puppet theatre and said he would call. "At the time I was skeptical be- cause you don't expect someone as respectable as James Reaney to be giving you even the time of day," said Latour. "As if a famous au- thor and playwrite is going to be phoning you." But sure enough, a few months later Latour did receive a call and Broken Teacup Productions was born. Latour and his company, which also consisted of Carter and Latour's younger sister Nicole, be- gan performing two Reaney plays as a couplet, Red and Apple But- ter. They were rewarded with in- vitations to the London Art Gal- lery and London's International Children's Festival, and are still looking for places to put it on. Once again, while working on this project, Latour was noticed by David Smith, who was doing an- other play of Reaney's and needed some puppeteers to work with marionettes. After a couple of months, Broken Teacup became involved with another company, a husband and wife team known as Rag and Bone, leading to the pro- duction of Sleigh Without Bells. The play is about the black Don- nellys and saw Latour travelling to Ottawa with it last week. The play will be seen in October at the Lon- don Art Gallery. "I've got the role as narrator which is really great: said Latour. "The scary part is they sculpted the puppet to look like me and it gives you a kind of eerie feeling." As a member of the Festival's Young Company, Latour has just finished working on The Polar Bear Swim: An Environmental Collective. The play was a collec- tive in the sense that everyone in- volved has some hand in writing it, a lot of which was improvisation. "You get an idea and have to go with it," said Latour. "Improv is a batch of free-flow creativity. Someone says something and you go with it, you don't contradict it." The company eventually ended up with a three hour play which has since been edited to just under an hour. Performances were given in Goderich and Kirkton and the company staged five shows at Blyth. To date, Latour said his most re- warding work was on a play enti- tled, The Collected Works of Billy The Kid. The play was adapted from a series of poems by Michael Ondaa41e, and is rarely performed. In fact, the author declined the re- quests of Latour and company to perform the play. It took to prod- ding of Reaney, Alice Munro and a host of other authors to change his mind. "I was fortunate enough to land the role of Billy," said Latour. "And it was the best thing I've ever done." Currently, Latour is taking a year of from school but is definitely planning a return. Next year he hopes 10 enter Sheridan Art Col- lege in Toronto where he will study animation. "But if I had to do anything over again, I would definitely take a job at Blyth." "Grand Opening" Sept. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. KIM'S CERAMICS Store Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Evenings 7 p.m. -10 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. ham: 129 Market St., Lucan 227-1019 "Featuring" Classes, firing, supplies, paint brushes, greenware, bisque and finished pieces. Free coffee and Donuts Draw on a Mop Doll For more Information call 227-1019 F— —it!i—amat.memelsme 1 Expires Sept. 7, 91 Coupon — Expires Sept. 7, 91 Coupon 25% on 11 1O°"o ff GreenwareSupplies Ow woo— ME ME . .a1 .a .1 1. am — — ..111- 1 KI'TCEN A�yE HEATS 1' T. 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