The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record-Blyth Summer Festival, 1980-07-03, Page 25"In the beginning there was Aothing," said stage manager Ron Ferguson', des- cribing the Blyth- Summer Festival in,„its: first season six years ago, Ron; who has been with the festival. every summer since its creation,' Saidwhen he arrived at the hall' SIX' years ago, there wereno. blinds on the theatre •windows e$ high lights a ” nye hadto borrow stage i ,ghts. from high school •and they bad to make ..their own dimmer board to control the lighting.. "It really hadn't been used as a theatre forsome time," he said., He explained one of the' biggest reasons he pulled through that year was :the satisfaction he• got . from his job and a liective production he was involved with, ailed. Mostly in Clover. • "It ,WAS a ! great feeling when the audience stood upclapping opening night."" Over the ' past s years. ,Ron said the theatre has obtained :better .equipment and expanded the- company, but even during those days of turmoil, • they always aimed • for high quality productions. "1 think we've always tried to remain consistent"over the last six years," he said. OVER THE PHONE Originally hired by James Roy, . artistic director for five ;years, Ron said he was , interviewed andhired by James over the telephone. • As stage, manager, Ron describes him- self as being in the middle of things. "The stage manager is sort of the person in the middle of all the actors, 'designers, directors and technical people," he. said. .Ron organizes rehearsal; schedules, puts together the production book, calls cues and generally acts as a communications Allperson between the actors, directors and xoductiion staff. During actual performances, he said it's his job to see that everything runs smoothly. -Originally from Toronto, Ron trained in '. i . tl'ieatrefrom1972•to•-14T4>:at:Ryerson-n ,,... the - theatre productions course. Now livingin ° Kitchener, Roe iSabout tO'eorn' lete �s l' final• year in, &- Soda services comae at Conestoga College. The '` veteran, stage manager .explained this will be his final -- year at Blyth. �.. Although it looks like he's takingalmost Although e a totally different career lir'ection from theatre Ron said hisjob as`sta a manager. rS g .. was: almost a breaking groundfor social work,;".explaining tries concentration of work just handling people! • Since his school years: at Ryerson, Ron has worked at Theatre New Brunswick, with productions of The Taming' of the S V"anities='and The Price,' as well; as •productions in, Toronto' andl ondon * ALL -CONSUMING. Ron describes the summer F° job as all consuming. • "Over the summer before it gets better, • it, gets worse," he said. • Looking ahead, Ron said he wants "to con • n e wth sc'l r cr w ri k' -ilii master's degree in social work. ..Joining Ron as stage manager this summer will be Kathy Kaszas. It's her first year in Blyth, but Kathy has been working in theatre .for- ,the last three years. Obtaining her. B.A. in fine arty itt 1976 from York�"University, Kathy has worked for Theatre : Passe Muraille, Toronto Fac- tory Theatre, and last summer at Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. She describes her job as being the "organizer.'" "I make sure people are there for costume fittings, rehearsals, just making sure that everything gets. done." "1 act as liason person;between directors, . and production people,;,She said, _ This year •as the stage manager for St. Sam of the-NOke. Pile, Kathy said her job. - doesn't have: to dominate all of her time. "If you're organized it doesn't have to be WI -consuming," she said. "It depends on the other people doing their jobs too." She said during rehearsals, she is responsible for, taking notes and making= diagrams. Not only -for the benefit of the tbor s HOME OF TME-ACO.UNTRY CRAFTSMAN' The peer fect spot to stop on that :afternoon drive. Look at the hand made quilts and ea rly:Canadian furniture andenquire about custom refinrshirg in the Antique Loft, wander through the Calico Shop and pickup : your quilting' materials — see the Country Cra f tsrnan`s work including - folk -art toys, pine and trardzvood accessories; jewellery chests etc.., then sit• down and enjoy lunch or tea in the Miller's - Country Kitchen. Tom & Carol Miller KITCHEN OPEN 11 - 4:30 LUNCHEON SERVED 11 • 2:00 NOTE SUNDAY HOURS R•R.411 ITCHELL, ONT. NOK 1N0 ' • OPEN DAILY 10:30 • 5:30 SUNDAY 12:30 5:30 APRIL TO oecem lE11 (5101 229.5120 4 actors, the diagrams .help in, arranging ' "Gler 1344 terra for what i, .:90"she stage lighting; with" the ll lrtingt_ echni said with, a mule, clans.. ' Her job -is funded' by an ,Experience '84 Mfg FNA Program and Leslie • originally from ., ,,, is. She added alie bas no'direct nvolvexne : She, said .it. was while she worked in -• In the"artisticereafon".ars stage manager Toronto as::a bank-thata-d ed 6 g � h ems... butt "it a.mesns. to end," She said it to get involved' more' seriously' in, theatre. a "It was %n Toronto that 1 volunteered my services to several theatres; to do technical! things," she said, explaining it 'helped her .gain. sortie. practical theatre a experience, R In S . .tember, . Leslie said she is not i!alio, who's Just ° completing her first � of returnin tee N ai arra Collo e year at Niagara College m theatre arts; g . 8 et 8 but .would rather euntYnue hex{.apprentice 'describes her job as: "'common sense,." ether theatre. • ' �, �_ work in ;ar<n is a step towards her other interest—direc- ting and writing, Helping Ron and Kathy,. as an assistant stage -manager is Leslie Hogan, Left, -Ron-Ferguson, Kathy. Kasras and Leslie .Hogan. reduction mistakes are costly When Bruce Specht was phoning -employers last win- ter trying to find his students summer jobs, he heard. of -a position that sOunded =..so. attractive, he°toolk it himself. rie was teaching at ' Nia- gara College in the Theatre Arts program,;and Bruce said the job , as production mane - ger at the :Blyth, Summer - Festival sounded too good to pass by. ...___� • As manager, Bruce is ° responsible for all ' of the -technical scheduling making sure the sets- are. built on time, staying within a budget in constructing costs and meeting all deadlines.. A graduate from York University with a B.A.-in fine arts in production and design Bruce . worked as a set and `costume designer for awhile, .but decided it wasn't for him. He said asproduction manager, he works with the plans and .designs resulting from ' the .director and designer's work together. • "A ,lot of it is simply finding, material ,,and sup- pliers u - pliers$at° the best possible price." He said one of the biggest parts of his job is . to niake sure all of the materials used for set construction meet the safety regulations involved, including fire codes. Bruce .will be employed as production manager until the end of September. Prior to his teaching -position, the 25 -year-old worked road houses and for a Toronto based theatre company' calledy.Angel. GREAT DEIVIAND "Most technicians can just walk into a job, because the demand is so great," he said: But, he warns, you don't want to make any mistakes, because the industry is small and word gets around fast. "Budgets are usually small and to make a mistake• would cost a company •too much money." After he has finished with hisjob-at the,-fettivalv-Brace-.- said he plans to look to the' western provinces for a. job. --He- added that the only "''reason he took the teaching job last year, was to pay off his car. Out there it is a business. In Ontario, it is considered a cultural experience." At the moment, he said salaries are much higher in the west and the .demand is constantly increasing: To .go far in the field of production ✓ management, Bruce said it is important to have a good background in business. "It's also important to have a good administrator like Keith Roulston, who knows ,what is going on in theatre and understands," - he said. This season, he said, has been "very well thought out" and should be well appreciated. The Van Egmond House, Egmondville • Y 1 W . . • .✓" u%� 1A J ..�.- . fah -°-t. ,i.: J i it _ 1 _,c,, n 0 tHu d , THE VAN EGMOND HOUSE AS IT APPEARED IN 1046 • • • 'Immerse -Visit-th - • • • • _ • - , • ',tlrof Seaforth_ yourself ..-_ in an important chapter of Canadian hiitory..(Restoration in progress.) Donations for the building fund are tax deductible: tVan. Egmond Fot nd&tion, ' Box 1033, Seaforth, NOK 1WO - •