HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-23, Page 26•
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PAGE 2A--,-GQDERICHSIGNAL-STAR, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1977
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Vets show style on annual fishing trip-
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Bunny Le Blanc of the Legion Ladies' Auxiliary baits Tom Temple's hook while Gene
Baker (left) and Bill Hillis look on. Mr. Temple was one of 47 war veterans from West-
minster hospital in London on a fishing trip in Goderich, sponsored by Branch 109 on June
15. The trip has been an annual event for morothan 20 years. (staff photo)
These four waryeterans from Westrninster Hospltal in London congratulate one another
for the prizes they Won after a fishing trip in Goderich on Wednesday, June 15. They are,
left to right, Gil Allen, oldest person on the trip; Irwin Cohen, person who caught the most.
fish; Bob Dewberry, who caught the biggest fish; and Hugh Walsh, who caught the first
fish. The fishing trip was sponsored by the Goderich Legion Ladies' Auxiliary Branch 109.
(staff photo)
lyth plays fit,local culture.......
• from page IA live play in Grade 9 and never
events in the region: and looked back. He became
real the potential of the involved in the high school
Blyth Memorial Hall as a drama, club and. eventually
year round cultural centre in enrolled in York University's
Huron County. In its previous theatre program in Toronto.
seasons, the Blyth Centre for He graduated from the Fine
the Arts has realized all three Arts Faculty in 1974 majoring
aims. in theatre directing and
The first year in operation, design.
two productions were staged. During the summer of 1973
The first play to be performed he was a designer and actor
was Agatha Christie's Mouse with the Mariposa Summer
Trap. The second was a more Festival of Fine Arts, a
resque play called Mostly In sum mer stock company
Clover. an adaptation of three housed in the Orillia Opera
novels by Harry J. Boyle, a House. In the summer of 1974
native of St. Augustine in the he worked as a director and
Blyth area and now chairman designer with the Frontenac
of the C.anadian Radio and Playhouse in Quebec City. In
Television Com mission the fall of 1974 he was design
(CRTC). assistant on the Theatre
Mostly In Clover, a comedy Passe Muraille production of
based on Boyle's recollec- Them Donnellys. He co -
tions of growing up in Huron adapted and directed Mostly
County during the depression In Clover for the Blyth
years, was a hit with Summer Festival.
audiences and greatly out As artistic director for the
distanced. Mouse Trap in Blyth ,Summer Festival, Roy
audience appeal. Taking- this is hired( by the board of
as a cue, the company directors to make final .ar-
decided to go ahead with tistic decisions. He chooses
Canadian works of local the plays and directs some of
relevance and interest, them as well. He also 'hires
preferably original. the other members of the
company, including the ac -
THE tors who must audition for
‘RTISTIC DIRECTOR -him.
A slight bearded man with
James Roy, artistic brown eyes, Roy gives his
director. said given a choice, views on theatre in a deep'
he had really wanted to do voice. emphasizing and
locally related plays which fit punctuating his sentences
into the culture of Western with expressive hand
Ontario right from the start. movements. He speaks en -
And that first season, with thusiastically of expanding
Mostly In Clover being more the Blyth Summer Festival.
popular in audience appeal "There is so much to be
right from the start than done. so much local history to
Mouse Trap, Roy had good explore," he says.
reason to go ahead with "We don'A need the
locally related plays. opulance of . the Stratford
Roy is a firm believer that Festival. That would be
people anywhere like to see , defeatingthe purpose. We are
themselves portrayed on the trying to develop the
stage and that theatre should audience to the greatest
be giving something back to extent."
the audience such as a sense Publicity director, Brenda
of culture and history. Doner agrees.
Born near Clinton, Roy "Live theatre doesn't have
attended -high school in to be scary," she says.
Sarnia. He saw his very first The Blythi Summer
•
*Ai
Festival, by staging plays of
local relevance, she feels, is
introducing theatre to a lot of
people who might not or-
dinarily have bothered with
it, people who might be put off
by the mink coats and long
dresses. worn by some of the
Stratford crowd.
Doner is also a graduate of
York University's theatre
program. She grew up around
the Orillia area and enjoys
the slower pace of a small
town. She is 'encouraged by
the support given to the Blyth'
Summer Festival and thinks
it is amazing for a town with a
population- of 900 and the
surrounding area to have
spawned so many talented
and artistic people.
THE ACTORS
,NNI) ACTRESSES'
Two of the Festival's ac-
tresses, Lynda Langford and
Angie Gei, sit in the sun on the
front lawn of the Blyth
Memorial Hall enjoying their
brown bag lunches. Along
comes a local resident who
pretends to snatch Langfoid's
apple. He jokes with the two
women for awhile and then
continues on his way.
"See," laughs one of the
actresses, "that's why we'
love it here: It's neat. It's a
nice, friendly little town."
Both of the actresses have
attended York University and
Gei has also attended
Ryerson Polytechnical
Institute. Gel has been with
the Blyth Summer Festival
since it began. Both of the
women have received their
fair share. of good reviews for
their acting abilities.
Only three of the eleven
actors and actresses are new
to the Festival this year. They
seem like a happy, talented
group working hard at
something they love doing.
They have to love their
profession because they
certainly aren't in it for the
money.
The Blyth Summer Festival
is fully professional and the
actors and actresses are paid
equity, meaning actor's union
rates. They earn about $2,000
for eleven weeks work. The
salaries wouldn't be so bad if
the work was full time. But
usually the work is only
seasonal and because the
actors and actresses , move
around so much, many of
them pay double rent.'
Roy himself tries to find
other work in the winter when
he is not involved with the,.
Blyth Summer Festivul.
Even in the winter he sPends.
at least one day a week
working on,Festival business.
Roy says there isn't a lot of
money in Canadian theatre
anywhere and the average
wage for an actor is $3,000 per
year. Things are looking up
though, he says, with the
establishment of a lot of
regional theatres in Canada
since 1%7.
U NI)
Roy feels that people
shoUldn't have, to pay a lot to
see theatre. Blyth's p box
office price is $3.50 for adults.
Senior citizens pay $3 and
children under 14 pay $2.50.
Box office receipts account
for less than half of the Blyth
Summer Festival's funding.
The total budget for the 1977
season is about $62,000. The
rest of the funds come from
corporate and local donations
and government grants.
Two winters ago the
Festival received a Local
Initiatives Program (LIP)
grant enabling enthusiastic
local workers to further
renovate the interior of the
Blyth Memorial Hall.. Aided
hy othecgrants from the Ivey
Foundation and from the
Blyth Village Council, the hall
received a complete face lift
in January 1976. Floors and
woodwork in the auditorium
lobby and stairs were
stripped and restored to their
original beauty, a new stage
floor was laid, the orchestra
pit was reopened, insulation
and ventillation fans were.
installed, the auditorium
seats repaired or replaced
• and the interior of the
building repainted.
With the help of a Wintario
grant, lighting equipment
was also purchased and in-
stalled. The hall is well on its
way to being completely
equipped and it is a'fine
example of beautiful craft-
smanship:-
NEW OFFICES
This year, the Festival staff
has moved into "new" offices
in a building close to the hall.
The building had not been
used since the second world
war when it served as a Red
Cross depot. "It looked like
when the armisticewas
announced, the people just
picked up and left .the
building." described Doner
who said they found -half full
coffee ,cups, old uniforms.
supplies, cigarette butts and
over thirty years, worth of
dust when they moved in.
She said thehwnbuilding pageildin3Agis
•
Courses
(Particpants should
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PosesssnLRATESSia.tperwe.per(Evening clasiwill beheld if
al I
Interest is shown)
Further Information;
DOUG IkUNDY-524-8011`'
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Registration Deadline - JULY
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For the entire family
• SPORT HATS
• STRAW HATS
40 • NOVELTY
SHELTER
VALLEY
TENT AND TRAILER PARK
15 OPEN FOR
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Novi, 1/2 Price
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CANADA
WEEK
PROCLANIATION
CANADA WEEK PROCLAMATION
To honour Canada, our land created by the fusion of two
founding cultures, enriched by the contribution of many
other cultures, fatherland of all Canadians;
To honourthis country, home of over 22,000,000 people, proud
of their heritage and the freedom they enloy;
To honour this land of peace and prosperity, this promised
land of untold resources;
To honour this country which 4 ours, of which we all are
proud, 1 hereby proclaim the weak of June 25th to July 1st
"CANADA WEEK".
-Mut, I invite thil citizens of Goderich to celebrate it by
triving. No know our country better, by flying our flag, by
rticiaatleo In CANADA WEEK 'and by promoting
II • 1..
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Situated on the bank of the
Maitland River, 4 miles east of
Goderich, on Hwy. 8.
— Family camping only.
— Modern service building
with hot showers.
— Store for your camping
necessities.
— Playground to please the
kids.
— Serviced Pull through
sites with water and hydro.
— Fishing iri the Maitland
River.
— Dumping station.
BEAVER BRAND
72" x. 90"
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For Reservations call: 524-4141
Your camping hosts: Ray and Marlene Bush and family.
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:BAPA:YLIANCWeEs::::11'
D. J. (Deb) Shewfelt
Mayor
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