Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-06-10, Page 19Famous People Players dazzle Goderich audience with black ligh • BY JOANNE BUCHANAN The Famous People Players, a black light theatre troupe which has performed all over North America; came to delete a Goderich audience on Saturday evening wider the sponsorship of the Goderich and District Association for the Mentally Retarded and the Goderich and District Pro Life group. Despite the poor acoustics and the, shifting humidity in the GDCI gymnasium and thedistraction of somenosy children, the show was entertaining, colorful and top-notch. It received a well-deserved standing ovation from the sold -out crowd who viewed it. _ The black light theatre technique was originally, developed in Japan and is •considered one of the most difficult, unusual for os of entertainment in the world today. The technique requires the performers to be dressed in black velvet suits complete with hoods coveting their heads (and the audience thought THEY were hot!). ft takes anywhere from one to four people to bring just one puppet to life. Th n black liabt puppets are draped in brilliantly textured materials and arethen covered in flourescent paint. Ultraviolet lights illuminate the colorful puppets. It often requires months of training, repetition and precise synchronization of movement by performers to create just a few seconds of magical moments of theatre, What generally isn't known and cer tainly not exploited is the fact that 10 of the 13 members of Famous People Players, are mentally retarded. "The best part is that most audiences don't even realize we're different," says Diane Dupuy, founder and artistic director of the troupe who prides herself on the professionalism her puppeteers have mastered. -Everyone in the company is self-made and very hard working. We have highly disciplined rules," she explains. "Diane doesn't really like it to get in the press that they're retarded," explains an assistant. "If• people really like us, we want it to be because of the show, not because they'te -teeth* sorry for players." By founding and developing •t, ef 0,11 professional theatre company that . employment to the mentally handieappn, Dupuy says she 'combined her first Ufa- - loves' in life. er Born in Hamilton in 1948 and no married with two children, Dupuy was interested in the performing arts at an early age. While ir high school, she used her skill' as a puppeteer to entertain •mentally handicapped children and this was the beginning of a long and fruitful marriage of her two interests. , In 1971, Dupuy's resourcefulness landed a grant from Colgate Palmolive, Canada, to sponsor puppet shows at the CNE in ' Ttronto. She then went on to perform with. th Black Box Theatre which farther in - ed her love for puppetry. During this time, she continued to work with Canada's National Association for the Mentally Retarded. Shewas committed to involving, handicapped people in the thabristreassii of Turn to page 1 lA • MMEMMIMMIIMMMMMOMMIME. • The F'amouit People Players, a black light theatre 'group, fascinated a Goderich audience , on Saturday everting when they perferawd 10 the GDCI Ornenminem. Dane Dam. (irm! (teeny.) founded the Buchanan) company seven years ago., (Photo by Joanne • • _-..noneenistalALZIMI 133 YEAR -23 *e 111.6 '14 lir '4* Alt 41, 4 * 's , 4 s• 40,• Julia Carruthers and Darlene -Moore will act as hostesses in the GOVerilOT'S House at the • .alitiiiireW6=424=2baasseeftipfttox questions about the jail from Venezuelan and English tourists. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) 8 GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1981 1 XT sT,uctent: it by e _ex BY JOANNE BUCHANAN It's 'Hire A Student Week'. This is a , special • week which the Canada . Employment, e for 'Students uses to retageigrs•liffe3liftititet out of the schools and onto the job market. • 'We won't just send you a student. We'll send you the right one,' their advertising slogan claims. Most employers using the service in Goderich say that the Centre does indeed live up to this claim. "They (the Centre) were very prompt in seeking out thetype of person we wanted," says H.O. Jerry who hag hired a student to work in his warehouse and make deliveries this summer. "I'm quite happy with the service" Mr. Jerry says he has noticed th4 year that there is a 'genuine desire on the part of the individual tofind work' The Employment Centre gives tips to students ow how to look for jobs, how to write resumes and how to handle, them- selves at an interview. They warn students that it takes work to find work.' In this way, the Centre encourages individual students to go out and find work on their own as well asusing the Centre's services. There are many advantages in hiring students. They are available on short notice. They do all types of work They can replace vacationing staff. They are able to help employers meet temporary summer peaks in production. They are energetic, capable and entluziastic. They are potential permanent staff. And they are waling to worit for a day, a week, a month, or more. individual homeowners use the Employment Centre to hire students to do odd jobs around the house from time to time. Nicky Sully of Goderich has hired students for the past few years tacit grass and do other yard work around her home. She says she has found the Centre 'just aver' in &ding her the students she needs. Area farmers also use the Employment Centre. Jim Hallaluan of Bit 3 Blyth hires crews of students to pick stones and later help with haying at his farm. Because Goderich is a tourist town in the summer, many students 'are needed to work in tourist -related jobs. Camps and parks hire lifeguards and maintenance crews. Restaurants need extra waitresses. This year the Town of Goderich has implemented a Summer Canada student employment program called F.L.O.A.T.- Familiarizing Locals and Others About our Town. There are four students split into two groups working on this federally funded program. Sane Smillit a third year philosophy and religion student at Western University and Calle Maguire, a law student at Windsor University, are working for the Goderich Tourist Committee this summer and are promoting thetown in every way possible. Their fiat aSgirgiffttibetit IS preparing a display to be set up in the Ministry of industry and Tourism booth at the Eaton's Centre in Toronto from June 15-20. The splay wilt include a vtdeo4ape recently made about the tocant, slides,museum artifacts' and pamphlets Dressed in naritteal costumes to depict 'The Pert of Goderichr, Jane and Cam, will answer questions from people looking at the splay. telitaiv Kyr/ 7... 4 . 116,7 Mary Anne Boyle end Angelina Arts are employed at the Huron His' torte Jail this summer doing spring elestrahrg, research, restaratkin work,, and some administration. Without the help of students every summer, the jail could not operate properly says curator Harry Bosneff. Photo by Joanne Buchanan) ,7" • litenda Feagan, Jackie Ifferiam and Ann Snrfth look over one of many books they will be taking to area camps and provincial parks this summer on a federally funded program through the flume Ceentriabrary, They will aiso pit on puppet shows and craft programs for eampeis. tPhotoby Jenne &wham* • Jane and Cam wall also act as tour guides this summer for various bus tours of Goderick They will be helping with the • ming_Canada Week Celebrations and " • V.' allairtg ausl 'Banat float &display which the town can use in future parades. The'other two students working on the F.L.O.A.T. program are Terry Marshall, an Early Childhood Education student at Seneca College and Larry Adams, a Grade 13 student at G.D.C.I. They are working out of the Huron County Pioneer Museum, Terry is acting as special events co- ordinator and right now she is busy working on the second annual Tiger Dunlop Days to be held at the museum August 15 and 16. Larry is the craft co-ordinator and he is presently busy researching rope and candlemaking to elaborate on a special &splay which the museum has on these two crafts. The Huron Historic Jail, a busy tourist attraction each summer, has hired four students this year. "We use the Student Employment Centre as our counsel," says curator, Harry Bosnell who admits that the jail just couldn't operate without the help of students in the peak season. Angelina Arts, a business ad- ministration student at the University of Windsor and Mary Anne Boyle, a human biology student at the University of Guelph are presently working for six weeks on an Ontario Youth Employment Program at the jail, spring cleaning and doing restoration work. When this program ends, they will move -on to an Experience '81 program for 12 weeks. This will involve citing research on the jail's history, more restoration work, some administration and acting as tour guides for groups. Both pro gra mg a re provincia lly funded. Julia Carruthers and Darlene Moore, G.D.C.I. students, act as hostesses in the Governor's House at the jail, answering questions from tourists from all over the world. At Goderich's Welcome Centre, Fan- shawe student Debbie Searis and G.D.C.I. students John Meyers and Rosie O'Keefe greet tourists and help them with maps, directors and general information about thetown. The Huron County Library has also hired three students through the federal government's Summer Canada program. Jackie Meriam, Ann Smith and Brenda Feagan will visit various provincial parks and camps in the area daily, taking books to the campers and putting on craft and puppet shows. These are just some of the students who have been hired to work in the area so far. They are the lucky ones. There are still many more who need jobs and the Employment Centre encourages all ern - Offers to use their sereece (Phone 524- 2744t. The Centre will screen potential students best suited for each job and will set up intervieera tosave the employer time Students need jobs to pay for their edueation„ By prceitchng jobs for them, employers can consider themselves fur- thering their education. tVery job is a valuable teaming and working experience for both the student and employer. szoorMSECTION • re a a. These four students have been hired by the Town of Goderich under a Canada Stunmer Works program. Cam Maguire and Jane Smith ( standing) will be working for the Tourist Committee and Terry Marshall and Larry Adams will be working for the Huron County Pioneer Museum. ( Photo by Joanne Buchanan) John ateyere. Debbie Searls and Rosie (YKeefe will be greeting tourists this summer at the Welcome Centre. They will give out maps, directions and friendly information about the town. Lately the Centre has only been open on weekends but beginning June 13, it will be open daily. Photo by Joanne Buchanan)