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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-07-08, Page 17'Sew -s w' job brings Westerner east to esign costumes for the 1V1yth Summer Festival BY JOANNE BUCHANAN One might describe Kerry Hackett's sununer job as 'sew -sew'. Kerry is working as a costume designer and seamstress at the Blyth Summer ,e Festival. She has designed all the costumes for the Festival's first play, Quiet in the Land and Will design the costumes for the bele( play, He Won't Come in from the Bann She is also cutting out and sewing costumes for the other three plays from designs drawn for her. Kerry studied theatre design and production, and even a bit of acting and directing, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. She worked for artistic director, James Roy at the. Belfry Theatre in Victoria last year and this summer when she neeeled' a job, he suggested she try the Blyth Festival, a Festival which he founded seven -yea rs ago. „ Kerry packed up and moved east where she says she is filming the whole eastern mentality completely different than that of the west -not necessarily any worse or better -just different. Her first play posed a real challenge for Margaret and Norm McHolm of RM. 2 Goderich recently returned home from Newfoun- dland after participting in an Elderhostel program. Eiderhostel is for people SS years of age and older who .are interested in low-cost, short-term academic study at various universities. ( Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Couple praise Eiderhostel BY JOANNE BUCHANAN, "It was the most fabulous experience of - our lives," says Margaret McHolm of R.R. 2 Goderich „ Husband Norm agrees. "We hated it to be over and can hardly wait until next year. It was one of the most enriching experiences we have ever had." Tlie recipient of such high praise is a program called Elderhostel. Elderhostel combines the best traditions of education and hosteling. Inspired by the youth hostels and folk, schools of Europe, but guided by the needs of older citizens for intellectual stimulation and physical adventure, Elderhostel is for elder citizens on the move -not just in terms of travel but in the sense of reachingout to new ex- periences. Elderhostel is a network of over 400 colleges; universities, independent sehools, folk schools and other educational institutions in 50 states, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, which offers special low-cost, short-term residential academic programs for older adults. It is open to people over 60 or to those whose spouse or companion qualifies. Most programs begin Sunday evening and end Saturday mor- ning and are limited to 30 or 40 elders. The Elderhostel program is only three years old and the McHolms found out about it last year by reading an article in the London Free Press. "It was a very short article but it con- tained an address so we wrote away to get more information and to get put on the mailinglist," explains Mr. McHolm. That's when the McHolins discovered that the program was booked up for a year. However, after selecting the university they wanted to attend from the program's catalogue, they settled back to wait. And well worth the wait it turned out to be. . The McHolms chose Memorial University's Sir Wilfred Genfell College in Newfoundland, located in the beautiful Humber Valley on the west coast and headed there by train in June. For one week, they hadthree lectures per day: one „e in the morning from 9 to 10:15 a.m. on the history of Western Newfoundland; a 15 minute break; then another for an hour and a quarter on the Joy of Music; and then, in the afternoon another on the geography of Newfoundland which in- cluded an outing to Gros Morne National Park. "At the end of each lectere, we'd clap because they were so fabulous," says Mrs. McHohn. "And the professors were thrilled to teach older people who were there because they really wanted to learn." Mr. and Mrs. McHolm rhyme off facts they learned about Newfoundland's history and geography from notes they took. Note -taking is not required though and there are no exams, grades or required homework The non-credit courses do not presuppose previous knowledge of the subject. Lack of formal education is not a barrier. Although both Mr. and Mrs. McHolm took university extension courses before they retired, one doesn't have to have a university degree to qualify for ElderhosteL . "Whether you finished grade school or earned aPhD, if you have an ad- venturesome spirit, you're perfect for Elderhostel," the program brochure claims. The McHolms then, took notes only for their own interest and retention. They had travelled to Newfoundland once before and knew of its rugged beauty but it was only after learning something of its history and geography, that they really came to ap- preciate it. Besides the educational experience, the McHolms discovered that Elderhostel was an excellent way to meet .-a diversity of people. They lived in a dormitory on campus with cafeteria meals provided. On the night they arrived, there was a wine and cheese party for everyone to become .ecquainted. There was a geography outing one day and on another day, a senior citizens' group in a nearby town held a party for them. The cost for Elderhostel, which is a non- profit organization, is ;140 per person. This weekly charge is an all-inclusive fee and covers room and board, all classes, as well as a variety of extracurricular activities.' Transportation costs are, of course, not included. After taking the train to Newfoundland and viewing the beautiful scenery, the McHolms decided to fly home. - ' And they have their sights set on Pacific University in ,Ancherage, Ala.ska. next - However, for •the less adventuresome, there are Elderhosteiuniversities closer to home like Brock in St. Catharines, Humber College in Toronto, Western in London and Wilfrid Laurier in Waterloo. For an Elderhostel catalogue containing more information about the program and listing the participating universities, write to: HosteLships, Eldeehostel, Suite 200, 100 Boylston Street. Boston, MA 02116. her. It is about the Amish and she explains that there -are no Amish people in British Columbia_ She had no idea what kind, of clothes they wore and it took lots and lots of reading and several field trips before she became acquainted with that clothing. She had to pay attention to details like the fact that the Amish don't use buttons on their clothing.' The play covers a tirne span of two years so numerous costume changes are required for summer, winter, fall and epring. The play also requires good clothes for the church scenes and casual clothes 133 YEAR -27 for the at-home scenes. Except for a few jackets which she borrowed for the men in the play, Kerry says she sewed all the rest. She estimates that it took her about a week and claims she is 'a fast sewer'. Although she did not design the costumes for the Festival's second play, Love or Money, Kerry says she enjoyed sewing them because they are more elaborate and flashy -the kind of clothes rich people would be wearing around 1919- 1920. • "Lgot to make people look pretty instead of like farmers," she says. r • • - oaericn te • e Kerry Hackett is one of many behind-the-seenes people at Blyth Festival this summer. She LS working as a costume designer and seamstress. She has designed all the dothes for the first play and will also be designing the clothes for the last play. In between, she will be doing a lot of cutting out and sewing. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) SIGNAL -STA WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1981 It's showtime! Fantastics is delightful musical production BY -JOANNE -B The Fantasticks by 'Torn Janes and Harvey Schmidt, now running at the Huron 'Country Playhouse in. Grand Bend until. July 11, is a delightful musicale fan- tasy about life and love. 1 Songs such as Try to Remember, Soon It's Gonna Rain and They Were You are truly beautiful to listen to. And the play is hot without comedy and philosophy either. • Directed by Ken Livingstone and featvizing cast. of eight, The Fantasticks revolves around a girl named Luisa and a boy named Matt whose 'romantic • imaginations turn toward one another when their fathers pretend to oppose their match by building a wall between their backyards. Luisa is played by Aggie Cekute who reveals the best singing voice in the play: ' Her background of voice, dance and music' training shines through. • ,.. Matt is played by Andrew MacBean. He too has a fine voice although not as strong ae Cekuta's. The boy's „father, Hucklebee and the girrs father, Bellamy, are played by Tom Arnott and Don Fleckser. Both are ex- cellent in their „roles. They hold to the theory that the way to get children to do what you want them to do is to forbie them to do it. This theory is revealed in the song • Never Say No. And one of my personal favorites in the play is a comical number by Artiott and Fleckser entitled Plant a Radish. Wayne Burnett as El Gallo, the Narrator, holds the play together with his insightful comments. He also plays the SECOND SECTION role of a bandit who is d by the fathers to stage a fake abduction of Luisa so that Matt can glory iri her eyes by rescuing her.. He shows real agilityt in the abduction scene and is particularly good in the number entitled It -Depends On What You Pay. - Peter Colley as Henry the Old Actor and David Holmes as Mortimer, The Man Who Dies have the most comical roles in the whole production and they play these roles tO the hilt. They are hired as two has-been actors to -help El Gallo stage the abduction scene. One is as skinny as the other is pot- bellied. Their costumes are perfectly ridiculous and Mortimer's hilarious fake death scene brings a spontaneous round of applause and laughter fmrn the audience. Completing the cast is Terri Hawkes in a non -speaking role as The Mute. She is a very active changer of the props and scenery, which by the way, are simple yet effective. Hawkes also choreographed the production. Her own movements and facial expressions are fluid and effective. It's not easy to play the part of a wall but Hawkes carries it off well. • Special lighting by .Gbris Popowich enhances the plain set of T he F antastics. • Musical director Robert Cooper and musicians Jack Broumpton per- .cussionist) , Marilyn Denman pianist) and Martha Miller harpist) also deserve a round of applause. • If The Fantastuilts • is any indication, audiences can expect more good things to come during this. the Playhouses tenth anniversary season. uiet in the Land is beautiful experience. • BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Quiet in the Land, :the \ first Blyth Festival play of the season which opened last Friday evening, almost defies description. You have to see it to believe its high quality and outstanding features. It is a touching story about the Old Order Aniish in southwestern Ontario. Researched and written ,by Anne Cliislett. a co-founder of the Blyth Festival along with her husband James Roy. Quiet in the Land is set in 1917-18 and deals with the crisis which faced the pacifist Amish people during World War I. R also features a romance and shows how the Amish became split intp so man Y different eects, each one differentiated by the amount of modern technology accepted. The play revolves around Christy Bauman (David Fox and his son Yock (Keith Thomas).'Both men seem perfectly cast for their roles, Fox as a strict father and Thomas as his rebellious son, who first refuses to join the church by being bap- tized and hater runs off to become a soldier. John Ferguson is to be congratulated on a most versatile and ingenious revolving set. Although somewhat noisy, this set is able to transplant the actors and audience quickly and easily from church to home scene. The first scene, which takes place in front of an Amish church in a rural area near Kitchener), is somewhat confusing with many of the characters. to whom the ,.. audience °, has not. yet..been introduced. talking at on'C'e and milling about. however, this disintegrates into a small • flaw as the play unfolds. Next the audience is taken simultaneously into the simple kitchens of the Brubacher family and the Bauman family. • . Janet Minos plays 1,ydie, wife and Mother of the Brubacher family who is full of temper but also very comical as she pines for a telephone like the ones her Irish neighbours have. Sam Robinson plays her good-natured husband Zepp Brubacher. a deacon of the church. Their three daughters, Katie. Martha and Nancy are played by Kate Trotter, Denise Kennedy and Susie Walsh respectively with Trotter • having the biggest role as the girl Yock fells in love wit h. Trotter.. no stranger to Blyth audiences. • is superb in her role as a young woman torn between loyalty to her parents and to Yock Bauman. the man she loves. She decides- that she cannot give up her religion and way of life. to run off with him. Instead, when Yock runs off alone. she tries to keep peace and harmony in the family by ntarrying• Ntenno Miller i William Dunlop. also a familiar face at Myth). Graham McPherson has a dual role in' the play. He briefly portrays a young Irishman named Paddy, O'Rourke. a , school, friend of Yock's who goes off to war and comes home an amputee. later in the play he portrays an obnoxious recruiting officer who tells the Amish they should be shot for treason because they will T1 ot fight to defend Cana da. It is during this recruitment scene that, the audience learns. , through a speech made by Christy Bauman, some Amish history. Before the Amish set foot in Canada, a promise w as received from King George. through the Military Service Act of 1873. that t ey would never have to perform military retire or be iner niters ' of any army. Dean Hawes also has a dual (v1n the play, briefly as visiting Amish Bishop Eli Frey and later as Mr. O'Rourke. an Irish neighbour of the Brubachers and ,Bainrians. As O'Rourke. Hawes per- sonifies the feelings of many people who resent the fact that the Amish were ex - Turn to page 12A • The.castof the Fantasticks, now playing at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend, includes. clockwise from top centre, Terri Hawkes (The Mute), Tom Arnott (the Boy's Father). Andrew MacBean (Matt, the boy), Aggie Cekuta (Luisa, the girl) and Don Fleckser (the Girl's Father). At bottom left is Wayne Burnett (El Gallo, The Narrator). Peter Colley as Henry the Old'Actor and David Holmes as Mortimer, the Man Who Dies complete the cast ( Photo coUrtesy of Huron Country Playhouse) 'TO tiNN*4 Shown in this scene from the Myth Sittritiiet Fesitvars 'Quiet in the land' is Beth Striae, a profoksiotial actress and mother of artistic.director, Janet Amos and six-year-old Rachel Thompson. one of f ourlor al children chosen for the play. Photo by liockingsl . . •