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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-06-21, Page 65is iris i1 t live at e Ga lyt BY PATRICK RAFTIS ,' Girls to the (fang," the tnusical, com- ,edy, drama, which kicked -off the 19017 . Blyth Festival June 19,.ts a classic 1940's ganster story told in a flashy 1980's style. The show, a collaborative effort of scriptwriter -lyricist Raymund Stoa'y and composer John Roby, shows a maturing at Blyth in their decision to break away frur•n the stark dramas and breeze t•unl- ecbes which have been Festival staples in past years. Not that there's anything wrong with what the Festival's been turn- ing out, but staging an upscale produc- tion of this nature proves Blyth has no in- tentions of standing still artistically. 1'he play, although liberally fictionaliz- ed, is based on the real-life activities of the Boyd Gang, bank rubbers who cap- • tuned the imagination of' the country in the late 1940's and early 50's. The difference between this story and typical period cops and robbers tales begins with its focus, which is on four worsen associated with members of the gang. The story is told with an enjoyable blend. of music, dialuuge and dance that, though hard to follow at first, keeps the play moving at a pace that would be im- possible in a play dune in a more tradi- tionalyle. The ictors work well, under the direc- tion of . lureugraphei• Janice 1Iladk1, un u multi-level set that with.sci •many obstacles it looks as if it would be hard to • walk on, let alone dance. Yet, dance they. du, particularly the men in this show, who spend a great deal of their time ac- ' ting as a combination dance trupe and back-up chorus to the featured Temaie members of the cast. • Though all four women, blessed with a script which gives them veil -developed and varied character's, are standouts, it s hard to take your eves off. Patricia . .. Vanstone who ploys street -smart Mary Mitchell while looking like Marilyn Monroe and behaving more like Joan' Crawford. 't'h'is lady is good. `1'hough allfour sing well, the, most memorable musical moments in the'p'ro- duction are provided by Beth Anne ('ole i as I)orrcen Boyd' and Martha Irving. i as Anna Bosnich 1. ('ole also plays her role as a reluctant," crime dame;". for some of.'the show's biggest laughs, in• eluding a hilarious scene where she in- forms her gang leader husband that it would be unwise to turn himself in until the gang starts getting "better, press". Karen Barker las Ann, Jackson 1 also' .shutes a•powerful voice in some•solo work and gives her chatacter More dimension than she is given .scipt to work with. Peter Smith i Lenny .Jackson 1,..1\leil Foster 1 Edwin Boyd 1, and David Marr 1 Valent l,esso, aka Steve Suchan ) all ha4 e carciture roles to work with, but manage to keep their characters alive • .with.some depth and humor and, in' the end, have the audience oh their side. (:reg Spottisworth steals a few scenes Knox WMS hears reports from rneetin The W.M.S. 1 W.U. 1 Afternoon Auxiliary, Knox Presbyterian Church .June. 16 meeting was interesting and informative with reports frons dclegates•to Church meetings. The , ['resident. Mrs. D. Murchison, presented devotions, A minute's silence was held in memory of Mrs. I Arnold I Dorothy McConnell an active W.M.S. member and Past 'Treasurer of Huron Presbyterial. Reports of Hamilton -London Synodical held in i,istowel were heard from Mrs. R. McAllister, delegate, Mrs. ,1. Horton and ,lean Scott ori the various workshops at the Synodical and Mrs. Murchison reported on the Presbyterial in Stratford. • Mrs. [Clayton) Madeleine Edward, delegate to the 1987 Congress of the Presbyterian C'hur'ch in Canada held in Win- nipeg. gave a very interesting and kiiRV1edgeable report. 'There are many minor reasons that often affect our way of Irving and •either dire or enc rage our Church life. The foundation of t'hurch is to hc:jp all age'$ „of people. We may Nsometimes feel the older people are not receiving enough attention, but all ages are needed and young and older people can work together in church work. The smiles and ambitions of the young are given praise from the older. The main thing is that we all work together. Members wenn informed there would not be meetings in .July and August. An invitation ha been received to attend St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Sept. 14 when Barbara Woodruff, Executive Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, who was part of a delegation to Russia regarding Russia and Christianity, will speak on the topic Christians in Russia today.. HARBOR REPORT The Louis R. Desmarais arrived in the Goderich Harbour'1 from Nanjcate, light from salt on .June 4 and cleared for Mon- treal on ,June 9. r The Canadian entury arrived from Montreal, Tight fot salt on .June 11 and cleared on .June 12'for Valleyfield. The Algosoo arc ved from Connetticut, light for salt on ,Jme 18 and cleared for Ferryrrblrrg on ,lune 17. The i,ouis R. Desmarais arrived from Bay City light for' salt on .June 18 and cleared for Toledo,.Ohio the same day. The Agawa (;Anyon arrived from Cleveland light forj salt on .lune 20 and cleared that day tot- Thunder Ray, The Algorail arritiyed from Midland, light for salt on .lune 22 a s irnaginatisn estival T»eatre t lt)l.)E:R1('H SIGNAL, -STAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE: 24, 1987- PAGE.3A t 'an w e discuss hi ankh yg hafl the 1O do rich Siguaal-Star means to o a>aa and \ola9- 9<IIaai9�'° 1 h . 111. 1 , 111.1 .' . 1 .11 111. 1 1,1k i 1, l l l l l' 11.11 , I.11 '1!1.1 , . 111 I I„LI. 111,111111: 11.41. III , "111 111' i' 1, Ilk '11 111r 1, l 1 Actors Neil Foster Ileft) and Teter Smith portray two members the notorius Boyd Gang of bank robbers in the Blyth Festival prodnetion "Girls in the Gang," which opened June 19 at the Festival Hall and runs In repertory until Aug. 22. I photo by James Hoekings 1 • as the irr'epressit)le Willie.l the clown 1 . Jackson, the only member of the gang- , who doesn't have a woman waiting for him when he returns from a heist. Some excellent things arc' done (with lighting and sounil.in "Girls in the Gang," and this, along with the versitile set design, allow director Stephen lleatley to takers from inside 'Toronto's Don Jail. to Montreal hotel i•oonas, inside bar'iks and back outside to city streets and country roads with a minimum of of backdrop. Actually, a more obvious set . isn't needed because the costumes, designed by Kerry Hackett,,tell the story of time and place, and the cast does the •rest. The play rooves well, 'under Heatley"s direction and nfforus audiences a straightforward look into an often over- rormaFiticized period„ uti ithout losing any of the flavor. "Girls.iia the (Thug.- will run in reper- toryl at the Rylth Festival until Aug. 22. 1 1. ul ui1. I.n*11 .,111. I., 11. i1.1i4 GoVderich SIGA, 1 4 £_ L -STAR F�. 1 10. 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