Clinton News-Record, 1985-3-6, Page 21Filter
Queen
curf'ON NE rsl E OMMItTPNWA' B ,6.
Future looks bright forthe theatrewith hert
By Shelley McPhee
BLYTH - Ai new decade, a new season, a
new artistic director - the llth season of the
Blyth Festival promises continued en-
thusiasm and refreshed aims.
In the successfi 1 tradition of the critically
acclaimed theatre, new artistic director
Katherine Kaszas says that her aim is to
continue the Blyth legacy.
It was a legacy that began a decade ago
by James Roy, and was expanded by Janet
Amos. The mandate, to produce Canadian
plays and to promote the Blyth Festival
across the nation, will continue to be
Katherine Kaszas' goals.
She likens the phenomenal success of the
Festival "to tele little acorn that grew," and
still the growth continues. She compares the
future of the Blyth Festival to an oak tree,
growing and branching out in many direc-
tions, not straight up. Working to become
better, not just bigger.
Making the Festival a bigger theatre
would not add to its success. The theatre's
reputation is not based on physical size and
audience numbers. The Blyth Festival is a
ttluts; iii airiin�le cxi cfA'vii'rliie C:uiivatiakdL
and the people who live there. Katherine ex-
plained, "The warm hospitality com-
municates itself, through the office, on the
stage and back to the audience."
It's a feeling that makes Blyth a favorite
theatre for actors, directors, technicians,
playwrights, producers.
As Blyth's new artistic director,
Katherine must determine how the Festival
can grow and branch out, without losing its
special charm and personal hospitality.
Taking actual Blyth productions across
Canada is next to impossible because of
physical and financial limitations. The
strength in Blyth's continued success lies in
the script. Katherine believes that the
development of quality, original scripts will
keep the Festival name on the nation's
theatrical map.
"People associate Blyth with new work.
They're looking for new scripts. It's through
the script that we export the Blyth ex-
perience. It's the plays themselves that are
going to make good theatre," she said.
Katherine is exuberant about the direc-
tion that she hopes to take the Blyth
Festival.. This past January the Festival
hosted playwrights' workshops to develop
new plays. From the ' workshops came
Polderland and Moose Country, two plays
that will premiere on the Blyth stage this
summer.
Holding the workshops in January allow-
ed playwrights extra time to work on their
scripts before the summer season. It also
giyes the summer theatre a year round
scope.
"I would like to gently expand this to
make it an annual event... it's not only good
for the playwrights, but also for the com-
munity," Katherine said.
This kind of expansion also protects and
promotes Blyth. Playwrights are 'given the
"IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN VARNA"
482-7103
ST. PATRICK'S DAY LUNCH
ST, ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
Saturday, March 16, 1985
11:00 am -2:00 pin
"Irish Stew, Homemade
Bread, Pie,
Bake Table
Sponsored by:
"THE NEW
DIMENSIONS"
Adult Tickets:
Advance -'4.00
At Door - '4.50
Children's Tickets:
Advance - '2.00
At Door - '2.25
Advance Tickets CaII:
482-7860
opportunity to visit and live in the communi-
ty and to experience Blyth's hospitality. It
allows the festival to improve and expand,
but on its own terms.
"You can keep the smallness about it, the
small town hospitality," Katherine explain-
ed. "The Festival has to continue to grow in
certain ways, but it has to keep its heart."
The key to the continued success and
growth for the Blyth Festival is better
scripts. Already the theatre is headed in
thatdirection. All of the plays that were
staged in the Blyth in 1984 are being produc-
ed in theatres across the country. Over the
years, many other plays that have
premiered at the Festival have gone on to
receive national and international praise.
Katherine says_ there is no shortage of
scripts, but there are a limited number of
plays that suit the,plyth image.
"We get a kit of scripts. Some of them are
a different style, that wouldn't fit into the
Blyth scheme of things."
Script reading" can become a tedious
chore, as Katherine explained, "Sometimes
you only get one good play in 10 or 20.
&inietiiiieeyou gel just61'goons ri-un,
a play."
What kind of script is the Blyth Festival
looking for? Drama, comedy, adventure
and musicals are performed on the Blyth
stage, modern and traditional themes are
portrayed. And yet in the wide variety of
material that the Festival produces, there
subtly appears a central theme, a thread of
consistency that has made Blyth
distinguishable among others.
For Blyth's artistic director it's a per-
sonal feeling, "I want plays with heart, that
will teach the audience something about
their own lives."
This trait appears in the 1985 Festival line-
up. Polderland, the story of war torn
Holland, the Dutch people and the Canadian
soldiers, tells about people living under Nazi
rule, about life and death existence. It's a
story of suffering and determination, sur-
vival and appreciation of better times.
In the same vein, Primrose School
District 109, "deals with things we take for
granted," Katherine says. The story of a
Ukrainian school teacher during the depres-
sion years "is an interesting examination of
another time, and how important education
was to new Canadians."
Canada's diverse and rich culture is also
examined in Beaux Gestes and Beautiful.
Deeds, a musical about two grandmothers -
one English, the other French, the
similarities and differences in their lives.
Katherine believes that the play address-
es an important Canadian topic, the
English -French connection. "It's about our
country, our two cultures, our two solitudes.
The theme is important. In Huron County
there's not mucli French, but it's part of our
heritage."
Two modern comedies, Moose Country
and the 1984 hit Garrison's Garage round out
the Festival's llth season showbill.
PIANO TUNING
•REPAIRS •REBUILDING
*KEYS RECOVERED
•DAMPP-CHASERS
*REGULATING
*BENCHES
ti
BRUCE
PULSIFER
348.9223 mIrcHfu
NOTICE
to Fish and Game
Members and Guests
STe PATRICK'S
DANCE
Saturday March 16
SMORGASBORD
SUPPER 6:30-8PM
$7. PER PERSON
DANCE 9PM - 1 AM
53. PER PERSON
MUSIC BY
"Tumbleweed"
LUNCH - DOOR PRIZES
SPOT DANCES
BLACKBEARD'S
RESTAURANT
RUMOR HAS IT..,
that Blackbeard took advantage of o miserable day (which could hove
been any of the last 45 days) and loaded his ocean-going barge and
made a break for the Gulf of Mexico: Only to be met between the
Bayfield piers by Mr. Gibson from the Credit UniJn in a rowbodt. After
a brief encounter with the sound of bayonets crashing in the howling
wind- Blockbeard retreated back north of the Bayfield bridge and
unloaded all his supplies to continue his weekly specials.
MORAL OF THE STORY: You may gain a few ships in your
lifetime but you'll never beat the bank.
-BLACKBEARD
TVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AII-You-Can-Eat '
FISH FRY
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
STEAK NIGHT
includes all -you -can -eat SALAD BAR
—SUNDAY BUFFET: MARCH 10
ROAST PDUCK aOR HAM $ 95
y
carrots Plus our all you•con-eat a
Salad Bar plus dessert.
OPEN: 7 DAYS A WEEK 7 AM - 0 PM
2 MILES SOUTH OF CLINTON
ON HWY. 4
Katherine is wildly excited about the up-
coming season. She loves her job, loves the
theatre, loves Blyth. She's working at "full
tilt," with ambitious energy.
"You think the job's too big, too huge, but
you jump in and it starts to work," she en-
thused.
Katherine's beegn too enthusiastic and too
busy to think of Much else other than work.
However between a stint in Winnipeg last
November and preparing the Festival's line
up in January, she did find time to be mar-
ried on December 15. A honeymoon is still in
the works.
Katherine and husband Paul hope for
some time to themselves in the next few
months, but Katherine doesn't appear too
worried or over pressured. Her work may
be demanding but it's also exciting, "I'm
having a great time here. I love it." She
even likes the snow. She realizes that her
"beginner's energy may settle, but her en-
thusiasm and devotion to Blyth will remain
in the forefront. She noted, "What you give
is what you get back. The minute that stops,
it will be time to move along."
For the time being, however, Katherine
has no intentions of leaving Blyth. She has,a
job to do," to continue the Blyth legacy."
"James Roy left his stamp on his time (at
the Blyth Festival) Janet Amos left her
stamp and I'll leave my stamp."
4019
ST. PATRICK',
DANCE
Sponsored by Blyth.
Clinton K of C
Saturday, March 16, 1985
Clinton Legion Hall
Music by: "EXPRESSIONS"
9pm- 1 am
$15. per couple -Prizes -Lunch
Tickets available at the door or
in advance from any member of
the K of C or at Bryan Lavis Ins.
office.
EVERYONE WELCOME
HAPPY 45th
tk wok r in"
IR KIR V LIP1401141111.1
MOM AND DAD
(PIETER AND ALIDA WESTERHOUT)
They're nearly ready - the impressive brochures outlining the 1985 season at the Blyth
Festival. Publicity director Philippa Borgal (left) and artistic director Katherine Kaszas
( right) got a sneak preview of the finished product. More than 85,000 brochures will be
printed. (Shelley McPhee photo)
QUEEN'S
- ,.. SEAFORTH
Presents
ELIMINATOR
(Impressions of ZZ Top)
THUIRS. TO SAT.
RED CROSS LEADER'S
COURSE
At Vanrastrn Recreation
Centre
MARCH 8th, 9th and 10th
22, 23 and 24
$60" includes material and
exam fee.
Call to register. First come, first
servile 482-3544.
Watch for National Life -Saving Service
Course corning in April.
Hay Township Recreation
is sponsoring a
Mystery
Bingo
Every other Thursday
Next Bingo
Thurs., March 7
Zurich Community
Centre
Jackpot:
5500, must go
Bonanza Prize, 51 calls
• 4 flash games • 1 early bird
• 10 regular games
• 1 mystery prize
OVER $1500 in cash prizes
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Bingo
• starts at 7:45 sharp
Bring your dabbers
ALL PROCEEDS for "NEW" BALL
• DIAMOND
No one under 16 allowed to play
ALL THIS MON H
YOU CAN
00
OFF ANY FAMILY PAK MEAL
SAVE 1.00 ON THESE FOUR FAMILY PAK MEALS
ECONO PAK
—
9 plocos of chicke, family
fronch frios, 2 medium salads
iof your choico)
S 10.99
FISH 'N' CHIPS PAK
6
places of tnglish style fish.
(entity french fries
59.99
COMBO PAK
5 plocos of chicken. 4 ',locos of
fish, family fronch fries, 2
modium salads eof your choice)
$11.99
BUCKET PAK
13 plocos of <hlckon, 2 modium
fronch tilos. 3 modium salads
(of your choke)
$15.99
FRIED CHICKEN.®"" ,:i=.®I. SEAFOOD
33 Victoria Street
CLINTON,..,,....
OPEN: 7 DAYS A WEEK
10AM-10PM
SUNDAYS 11AM-9PM
Love -
Tilly and Sandra, Henry
and Nelly, Hank and
Pat, Leny and Andy,
Dirk , and,. AQnna., Peter,
and Joan, Alex and
Gloria, the
children and
grandchildren.
grand -
great
Kenny Boyers
and
DoIIy Parton
a Pathway Tour
Troy, Michigan
2 day tour
Mar. 17/85
double 5135 pp
The
Oakridge Boys
a Pathway Tour
Lexington, Ky.
April 5/85
double '225 pp
EASTER •E(KEND
ET
to Nashville
'249 Can. p.p. quad
-269 Cen• P.P. dbl,
ET to Washington
$21 5 Can. p.p. quad.
$235 Can. p.p. dbl.
ET to Las Vegas
'30 9 U.S. p.p. dbl.
Hawaii in Pittsburgh
April 5 - 7
5195 Can., Quad.
3 day bus tour
Pickup in Clinton,
Exeter
and Grand Bend
Local calls 235-2000
Toll Free 1-800-265-7022