HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-05-11, Page 15Serving over 25,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, Atwood, Monkton, Millbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur. Wednesday, May 1 1 , 1953
Town Hall theatre is revived
"It just seemed a shame it wasn't used that much anymore,"
by Maurice Pifher
The second floor of the Drayton Town Hall
has. been the scene of much attention and
activity in past weeks, and for a group of
residents here, that's just the way it should
be.
Since January, a committee off 12 people
has met and planned presentations to be
held in the spacious theatre on that second
floor, a theatre that has been, for the most
part, unused during the last 30 or so years.
"For a long time, people have been saying
it's a shame that it's not used, so we're going
to give it a shot and see what happens," says
Drayton veterinarian Bob Thurston,
chairman of the group of 12, which includes
a high school student, a pastor, local
businessmen and farmers.
The committee calls itself the Drayton
Opera Company, the name of the group that
formerly used the facility. But as Dr.
Thurston points out, "We're not a theatre
group as such. I guess we're all just in-
terested in theatre."
The committee, which also includes three
councillors for the municipality, made an
arrangement with the town to operate the
theatre for six months. 'At the end -of April,
while renovations were still being made to
the theatre, the first concert scheduled by
the committee was held, the Calvin
Christian School Festival. With some 200
people attending, it marked the beginning of
what the opera company hopes to be a
special season. It also marks the revival of
cultural pursuits in a now splendid facility, a
program, says one committee member,
designed to "put Drayton on the map, after
years of being dormant."
On July 30, 1902, residents and municipal
officials of the village were then on hand as
the cornerstone was laid to the new Town
Hall. According to a historical account,
some 400 opera seats, saved from a fire in
Ottawa, were purchased by a group of in-
dividuals for $500 and installed in the large
auditorium. The stage, described in the mid -
70's as adequate for live theatre produc-
tions, was enhanced by wine velvet curtains
from the Women's Institute.
The acoustics in the auditorium are still
described as excellent, and a normal con-
versation easily carries to the balcony seats.
Over the years, when used, performers
included Pauline Johnson, Little Beatrice
Lillee and amateur minstrels. Annual
concerts were staged for many years on
May 24. As noted in the history of Drayton, it
was the custom for many years to. have
tickets reserved on the theatre's seating
plan at Richard Henderson's drugstore.
Now, "Everything is starting to
snowball," says Ab Hesselink, a Drayton
grocery store owner, councillor and com-
mittee member. A drama festival involving
three area high schools was scheduled for
May 11, the Elmira Little Theatre players
are to take the stage on May 13, and a Port
Perry group is performing Jesus Christ
Superstar on May 14. A local ministerial
association is featured on June 4, the Kit-
chener -Waterloo Barbershoppers on June
24, and "The Tomorrow Box" production is
slated for Sept. 28.
Season's tickets will be made available,
with outlets likely to be established in
Elmira, Listowel, Arthur and Palmerston.
The interest shown so far "has been very
positive," says Mr. Hesselink, adding that
the Ontario Arts Council has paid a visit to
inquire about the venture as well as other
interested groups.
"Our main concern is to get the facility
used," he says, mentioning that this season
will be a limited one, with the theatre to be
used on about eight occasions. "We don't
want to jump in too far, I guess," Mr.
Hesselink admits. "Right now, we're just
feeling the water, and we're all quite excited
about it."
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He believes that out-of-towners know
more about the theatre hall than most
community residents. Dr. Thurston adds
that many local people probably have never
been to the theatre auditorium. There has
been discussion about staging a local show
to make the Drayton residents more aware
of the fine facility in their midst.
Mr. Hesselink, having read about the
early days of the theatre, remembers that
community residents used to gather in the
auditorium to hear a gramaphone. He
himself recalls, as a youth, seeing a
Christmas celebration there as well as a
music festival. "When I was young, I just
took it for granted," he says. "But I grew up
with that building and as I got older, I ap-
preciated it more.
"It just seemed a shame it wasn't used
that much anymore."
Committee members say that for many
years there had been talk about fixing up the
facility. In fact, a former resident of
Drayton, Don Smith, outlined the potential
of the theatre to council in 1975, the
municipality's centennial year. "This
theatre combines a great deal of period
charm with a good deal of practicality," he
observed. He included a list of specific
activities which.... couldbe.. scheduled and.
which he claimedould' generate "sub-
stantial ticket or rental income" for the
village. He mentioned plays, meetings,
music festivaals and films as activities.
However, there was no action taken then on
the detailed proposal made.
The impetus recently to go ahead and
organize entertainment in the theatre came
when Drayton was allocated $15,000 under
the Canada -Ontario Employment
Development program. And, notes Jean
Campbell, municipal clerk and committee
member, other municipalities have un-
dertaken similar projects, while there's also
'ttte.success of the Blyth Summer Theatre as
au encouraging example.
With the employment program funds, and
$2,500 from council, three men were hired to
refurbish the theatre as well as spruce up
the Drayton cemetery. Carpentry work was
done on the stage area, the walls and the tin
ceiling were repainted, the floor refinished
and the seats rearranged, 320 on the main
floor, 60 in thebalcony area.
For many years a large painting of sheep
by area pioneer W. C. Moody occupied a spot
on the wall at the entrance to the theatre,
providing a rustic welcome to the few
visitors there in a sleepy recent past.
Temporarily set aside while the crew put a
paint brush to the theatre area, the art work
is again in its accustomed location, renewed
vitality promised in the now bright, polished
setting behind it.
"We're just sprucing it up and taking
advantage of it," says Dr. Thurston of the
81 -year-old opera house. As for the future
success of the six-month program, he says,
"We'll find out when we put the first couple
of things on."
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THEATRE BOX OFFICE—Bob Thurston, chairman of
the committee organizing programs for the Drayton
opera house, fakes a peek through the theatre's ticket
window in front of Marilyn Schieck, a high school stu-
dent who is also a member of the committee.
DRA YTON TOWN HALL—On a site at the corner of Spring
and Wellington Streets, was erected the town hall in 1902.
with George Gray of Harriston as architect, Adam Flath and
Harry Schieck as the contractors for the masonry and the
Adams Bros. for carpentry and painting. The original seats and
wood floors in the theatre on the second 'floor were sanded
and polyurethaned by students in 1972, the stage remodelled
and walls painted. This year's refurbishing has left the theatre
in excellent condition and the Drayton Opera Company hopes
for continued use of the facility in the future.
/44
CARROLL McKIM—a registered nurse from Lucknow, spent two weeks recently at a
medical mission in Honduras. The mission was sponsored by the Medical Group Mis-
sions of the Christian Medical Society and it consisted of over 120 doctors, dentists
and nurses dedicated to improving the quality of life the Third World countries. During
the time the medical team was in Honduras, almost 13,000 patients were seen.
Carroll Mckin travels
to Honduras to be
part of medical mission
by Margaret Arbuckle
A group of over 120 doctors, nurses and
dentists from Canada and the United States
have discovered an exciting and selfless
way to serve God and their fellow man:
working at short-term medical missions in
Third World countries.
Carroll McKim, a registered nurse from
Lucknow, is one of -those people. Mrs.
McKim recently returned from a mission in
La Ceiba, Honduras, Central America. She
speaks with enthusiasm about her two-week
stay there and the organization which
arranged the mission, the Medical Group
Missions of the Christian Medical Society.
The society, has recognized the need for
expert medical care in these countries and
for that reason, has dispatched teams once
each year to places. like the Dominican
Republic, Honduras and even India. Mrs.
McKim adiilitted it is something of a "band
aid" type of program, but quickly added
that seeing a doctor once a year is better
than not seeing one at all.
Four years ago, Mrs. McKim read a book
written by a medical doctor who had a
mission in Honduras. After reading the
book, she said she was smitten with a desire
to go to Honduras, so she started taking a
course in Spanish at Stratford.
In her class was a husband and wife
missionary 'team. She became friends with
the couple and when they invited her to
come and visit them last year in Honduras,
she jumped at the chance.
When in Honduras last March, Mrs.
McKim got the chance to join the society's
medical team which was there at the same
time. She agreed and spent a week with the
team. One week was all it took, she said. She
had such a good, experience working with
the team that she was ready to go back
again this year.
She submitted an application to go and it
was accepted last December. in March of
this year, the 1.20 -member team landed in La
Ceiba for two weeks of hard work.
The team was made up of doctors, nurses,
dentists, pharmacists, medical and nursing
students, as • well as several untrained
volunteers. Members were stationed at the
Red Cross headquarters at La Ceiba or
assigned to the outlying villages. Mrs.
McKim was one of those who traveled
outside La Ceiba to the villages.
After arriving in La Ceiba. Mrs. McKim
said her particular group was flown into the
countryside on a little DC -3 plane. Once
there, they set to work immediately because
there was a lot to do and not much time in
which to do it.
The most common problems among the
villagers are malnutrition, 'anemia and
parasites. The people are afflicted with
these things because of their diet. which
includes few fresh fruits and vegetables lit
mainly consists of tortillas and beams
Scabies (a parasitic skin ailment) is ram-
pant also because of poor hygienic and
sanitary conditions.
The team was busy all day long, said Mrd.
McKim, from morning to night. The doctors
in Honduras save all their most difficult
cases for the team. For example, team
surgeons performed 12 cleft lip operations
and seven tubal ligations while in Honduras.
The clinics were set up in church buildings
'or schools and team , members stayed in
very primitive shelters with no con-
veniences like hydro. They also slept on the
floor.
There were one or two evangelists on the
team too. At lunchtime, they would hold a
small service for the villagers awaiting
treatment. They shared with them the
society's basic belief: That to love God, one
must also love one's neighbor.
Catholicism is the predominant religion in
Honduras. During the team's stay, the Pope
visited the country. Mrs. McKim said she
and her teammates expected a very small
clinic the day the Pope was nearby but,
surprisingly, it was just as busy as any other
day.
Mrs. McKim said she regretted the team
could not immunize the Honduran people,
but said it really was of no use, since there is
nobody there in a month to give the
necessary follow-up shots. The team ran out
of antibiotics too, she said, which is not
surprising because almost 13,000 patients
were seen.
Participants in the project paid all their
own expenses and contributed medical
supplies to supplement those purchased the
society. Mrs. McKim received supplies from
the Lucknow Medical Centre, Where her
husband Jack is a doctor, and from a
Lucknow pharmacy. She estimated the cost
of the expedition at approximately $1,000
per person, which is what most people would
spend on a holiday.
She already is making plans to be part of
the team again next year and recently
started to study Spanish again so she won't
need a translator. She also is addressing
different community groups, like the
Women's institute, about her .experience
and the importance not supporting such
projects in underdeveloped countries.
The one thing she stresses to these groups
is: Third World countries need food, .but
they especially need trained professionals
who can come in and teach the people the
skills necessary to improve their way of life.
Mrs. McKim said her husband shares her
enthusiasm and has promised he will go to
Honduras to work in a mission sometime in
the future. In fact, she said, when their
family is raised, they would like to go and
live there.
When asked how she responds when
people ask, "Why participate in such a
program? You can't change the world
anyway ? " Mrs. McKim replies, "True, you
can't change the world, but if you change it
for one person. it's worth it."
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