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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-11-15, Page 17Before I managed to bluff a ministry of transportation and communications man intp giving me a license to drive I used to thumb to get around. The practice had- its obvious drawbacks but normally my friends and I could get from point A to point B with little difficulty leaving the driving .to.anyone that stopped to pick us up. The two things I disliked the most about thumbing were braving the sometimes less than ideal weather conditions waiting for a kind hearted soul to stop and the occasional long walks necessary when one had to go down a street rarely travellertby Carte. The other day I got an inkling of how progress has affected the art of hitch hiking. I was driving by an, elementary school and three kids were standing on the road in front of the school thum- bing. I figured the kids had missed their bus and could use a ride home. It turned out they couldn't be bothered waiting for the bus. They decided to take their chances thumbing hoping to get home long before the bus would have got thedi there. Once in the car they explained their plan. They told me the idea was to hitch hike until/the bus came. If by the time their bus arrived to pick them up they would just abandon their plan and go home in the conventional manner. Simple as the plan was I was im- pressed with their ingenuity. It was then I realized they were rookie hitch hikers. It was obvious they were content to look the preverbial gift horse in the mouth. The one thing any competent hitch hiker will tell you is that you -accept whatever is offered provided it gets you closer to your destination. The only time you turn down a ride is when it will leave you) in a spot• you know is almost impossible to hitch a ride out of. For instance if a guy is thumbing to Stratford he will take a ride to Clinton but he may have to give some thought to accepting a ride halfway to Clinton. People will stop and pick a hitch hiker up on the outskirts of a town but once the motorist is on the highway and has built up a head of steam he rarely stops. These kids did not consider that. I thought for a minute that I was wrong and they weren't hitch hiking but flagging down a cabbie. No sooner was the door closed when they began telling me where they were going. One kid was going up the road about two miles. A big white house on the left. You can't miss it. I figure they're all going to the same house right. The second kid informs me his house is about a mile further. It's on the right. The third kid never got to tell me where he was going. "The car's brown not yellow and black," I explain. "You guys get your heads together and decide where you want out. I'll let all of you out halfway between the houses and you can walk "That's too far," one kid complains. "I-Iow about taking us back to school and we can catch the bus. It let's us off at the door." "How about I drive you into town and we catch a movie then I'll take you home," I reply. "I figured I was helping. you guys -out not working for you." - Sorry," whines the youngest kid. "I'll take the bus home from now on if you let me off at my house. I haven't got any gloves and it's cold out." A sucker for a whiner I give the kid a piece of my mind and give in. I stop where he wants but he still pushes his luck. He opens the door and then turns' to his buddy in the back and begins to make plans for tomorrow. They're talking about what they're going to do at lunch time when I drive away. "Where do you want out?" I ask the next kid as he watches his buddy fade in the distance, "Anywhere up here is fine," says the kid. "You learn fast, that's en- couraging," I awnser. 1 jeFF seddon 1t Inside this section: • Seven area girls earn honors for their efforts in homemaking clubs, Page 3A Unknown seamen remembered at annual November 9 cemetery ceremony Page 2A Weddings ,. Page 8A Silver Cross Mother places wreath at Goderich cenotaph Page 10 A Robertson school children design Christmas cards to help earn money for playground. Page 11A Name winners of annual 4-H achievement night awards Page 12A Captain Comet Page 14A the dErich 132 YEAR -46 1 NAL -STA' THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1979 1 SECOND SECTION "Fiddler" difficult but BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Many people in Goderich have seen the Broadway classic, Fiddler on the Roof, either on television or the movie screen. But now, thanks to three dedicated directors and 52 hard working children and adults from the area, Fiddler is being brought._. to life on stage here for the enjoyment of all. "It's the hardest thing I've ever, done," says directo, Eleanor Robinson. Choral director, Irla Stewart agrees. "West Side Story is the only play I've ever found more difficult," says orchestra director, Hugh McGregor. Fiddler opened last night in the small gym at G.D.C.I. and runs until Saturday night. Usually, Goderich Little Theatre (G.L.T.) productions are held at MacKay Hall but because of the large cast and the need for an or- chestra pit, the play had to'be moved to a'larger area. However, the small gym was still chosen over the large gym at the high school because of better accoustics. G.L.T. has sold over 950 seasons' tickets this year and large crowds are expected to attend • Fiddler. Broadway musicals are always big attractions in Goderich. If rehearsals are any indication, the crowds attending Fiddler, should not be disappointed. A large number of people auditioned for Fiddler so Mrs. Robinson was selective about her cast. The lead, Tevye, the father, is played by Mrs. Robinson's husband, Warren, a Goderich high school 'teacher arid known . G. L.T: actor. There are several other teachers acting in the • play as well. Joyce Kuran plays the role of Goldie, Tevye'.s••.wife. All ages appear in the play, including elementary and high schoolstudents, with one of the youngest being the Robinsons' nine-year-old daughter, Erin. Their 11 - year -old son Baird also has a part. It saves on babysitters, laughs Mrs. Robinson who also adds that when you devote so much time to something,• it's not fair to your children unless they are involved too. Besides, she says, it's good experience for. them. "With such a spread of ages in the cast, you have the enthusiasm of kids and the maturity of adults, so it works out well," explains Mrs. Robinson. She says the children in the cast have taken direction very well. In fact, she has been pleased with the progress made by everyone. Shortly after the scripts for Fiddler arrived eight week's ago, most of the cast had their lines memorized. The scripts are rented at a cost of 'about $800. Royalties cost $125 for each of the four performances? All the acting and behind -the -scenes work is free. It is done volun- tarily. "A lot of people who are new to town meet other people through doing plays. They become friends. It's a great way for people to get to know each other," says Mr. McGregor, once a newcomer himself. - "People do plays for the same reasons people play sports. It's a hobby. So, you can't be too demanding with them. It has to be fun but you have to have some discipline too," explains Mrs. Robinson. She feels that Fiddler has been an excellent vehicle for community effort since it has brought several different art forms together and has involved so many people. Tiddler also has a lot to say about family life and tradition and what happens when you break those traditions, she says. In other words, Fiddler is not only entertaining, it also has a message for people. Audiences attending Fiddler are seeing the finished, polished product but should remember the hard work and dedication which brought them that polished product. Mrs. Robinson has been working four and sometimes five nights a week as director and •ch'oesographer of the play. She had to teach members of the cast such dances as the Hora and the Russian Knee Kick. "She's actually been doing the job of two people," offers Mr. McGregor. "I just followed in- structions from the original play and adapted it as best as I could," says Mrs.. Robinson modestly. Mrs. Robinson has been involved in Little Theatre for about 12 years now. She has directed about three or four G.L,T. plays and has acted in many more. She is an English teacher at G.D.C.I. and has directed many high school plays as well. When asked how she got interested in plays and how she got her experience, she simply says, "Exposure." She herself was in- volved in high school productions when she was younger and since - large cast persevered Not only is 'Mrs. Stewart responsible for all the singing in Fiddler but she is playing the piano in the pit orchestra too. She says she has had to practise a lot because she hasn't played for awhile but she -is enjoying it. ELEANOR ROBINSON DIRECTOR 'becoming involved with G.LT., she .has taken some courses in theatre. How does it feel to direct your own husband in a play? Well, she doesn't want to show ,favoritism and at the same time she doesn't want to be too demanding because he is the lead. She directed him in the - G.L,T. production of Four Poster Last year. As choral director, Irla Stewart has devoted at least two or more nights a week to Fiddler. There are 14 solo and chorus songs in the play. they're all ready to go 'fir A dress rehearsal was called on Sunday for the Goderich Little Theatre production of ]Fiddler on the Roof. Here, some of the play's main characters, out of a cast of 52, gather around the Sabbath table, complete with Star of `David candelabra. Left to right, are Warren Robinson who plays the role of Tevye, Joyce Kuran who plays the role of Goldie and ColleeMaguire, Jane l-Inatyk, Eli abeth McMiIlan, Jodi Kuran and Mary Margaret play the rC►l�es of Tevye and Go die's daughters. (Photo by J anne Buchan in) Murphy wh IRLA STEWART CHORAL DIRECTOR Mrs. Stewart, a former elementary school music teacher, has worked on both elementary and high schoolplays and says she really got the "bug" while working on high school productions. -At present she works as an office manager and directs the Goderich Teen Tones, some of whom are in Fiddler. As orchestra director, Hugh • McGregor has worked once a week 'with the orchestra besides holding sectional rehearsals. There are 18 members in the orchestra from several different bands in town. Mr. McGregor says the music in Fiddler is rather dif- ficult because of the complex harmonies, rhythms and constant change of keys. Mr. McGregor, a music teacher at G.D.C.I., has played trombone in pit orchestras before but he has never led ,such an orchestra. He has never done the play Fiddler before either, "I'm enjoying it. It's a She's one of the oldest HUGH McGREGOR ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR great learning ex- perience. It's a real challenge getting.. so many art .. forms together," he says. While all three. directors say they are having fun and while they admit they will miss the play when it's all over, they also admit that they will feel a sense of relief. They have been working such long hours on the - production that usually the music or various scenes are going through their' heads. Some aspect of the play is always on their minds. And while they're not striving fox absolute perfection (when there are two people in a play,. there are only two.people to make mistakes but when there are 52 people, there are 52 people to make mistakes, explains Mrs. Robinson), they are hoping for the best. G.L.T. may not have a revolving stage and some of the other fancy effects used in the original Broadway production of Fiddler in 1964, but it has done the best it can with what is available. There's lots of varied talent in Goderich and Fiddler is an excellent means of exposing this talent. Black River scrapped BY SKIP GILLHAM The "Black River", a grain -carrying freighter that has called at Goderich many times, has been sold for scrap. She was one of the oldest Mills on the Great Lakes. Her last visit to port occurred August 25 when she brought a load of grain from Thunder Bay. The vessel cleared two days later for Port Stanley. Many similar cargoes had been discharged' in the past. These included four previous cargoes earlier this season and seven in 1978. On other occasions she has been in to load salt. Black River dates from 1896. She was built by F. W. Wheeler and Company at the West Bay City, Michigan, that year for the Bessemer. Steamship Company. Designed as a "consort barge", she was towed by larger steamers in the ore and coal trades. The advantage of the consorts was chiefly that it almost doubled- trip capacity with only'a fifty percent increase in crew. In 1901 United States Steel was formed through the merger of numerous interests. .This vessel, known -then as the it Isaac Lothian Bell, was eft involved and thus became part of the Pit- tsburgh Steamship Company:' By the thirties, U. S. Steel no longer felt a need for their barges and most were sold. This vessel had a series of owners from 1936 to 1949. These included the following: Marine Iron and Ship- building Co., Pigeon River Timber Co., Lakehead Transportation Co. and Great Lakes Lumber and Shipping Co. This barge passed to Canadian registry in 1937 as Blanche H. and served in the lumber trade on Lake Superior. A new phase in her career began in 1949 when she was purchased by Quebec and Ontario Transportation. Renamed Black River, she and a sister ship, Pic Turn to page 2 A '• The Black River, a grin carrying•'freighter that has called at Goderich harbor many times, hai been sold for scrap. She was one,of the oldest hulls on the Great Lakes. This is a picutre of her as she e(lts Lock One .of the Welland Canal. (Photo courtesy of Skip Glll.ham)