HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1980-07-03, Page 31..r4:T41,2.0.t.YT.171 SUMMER . Fe$T.WAL,.' IS.S(10.
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It all began the first, Week OterApith Born north of IgeknoW, jiist 20 minutes
Rouistans bought the
myth Standard and from Keith attended journalism
attended 'a Lion's Club ,meeting in the old ' school in Toronto atRyerson. In the -
Memorial Hall, • ' §uMmer of 1967,, Keith gained reporting
",It was dirty. and dusty, but X couldn't, experience werking for the Httrom,gxpes,
hefievethe .theatre inside,"he said. "I itor in Seafortb and after 'graduating: in
kept thinking What ft terrific little theatre it 1969, he began Working in public relations
would make." ' ' with,glorontocompanyA '
Keth, one of the the PI wasn't a .0 said .ei
Summer Festival and MIS year's adminis, oirdatmo4 why he aeon left the city to work
trator, said it wasn't until his second year as editor at the Clinton Neyrs-Iige.9td,
In Myth when he became active „ with the ,,
It was mum ne worked in Clinton, that
Board of Trade and had find a place for Keith and his. Wife hough( the "Blyth
the annual fair queen competition that the standard and war booting!, of his ntoiost
thought. of cleaning UP the theatre came in magazines, started YifiaRe Pla/re and a
about., few years later the Rural Voice .
He said it was Helen Crowing, then ' • '
president of the Board orliade, who Aotecting on malildy's Lost
Organiied a group of VOlunteers,to. begin Weekend, Keith said comedy is Hot only
estoring the old hall.
difficult to write, but diffieult to perform.
r •
•
With clean Up crews working hard, the "What happens in comedy is that you e
old Fall was 'fir from restored. In 1974
that
was halted when it was found
at faults in -the -roof structure added •
.pressurelo-the-walle-making-the-building -
unsafe. An approximate $60,000' had to be
spent on repairs that year.
Keith said it wasn't until he met Paul
Thompson, founder of Theatre Passe
Muraille, working in Clinton with the Farm
• Show, that the -possibility of turning the old
into a theatre Came into focus. .
It was Paul who later introduced James
Roy (artistic director for five seasons) to
the idea of summer theatre in Blyth, to the
old hall and in March,1975 to Keith to talk
about theatre. -
"We got things off the ground the first
year with only $70,000 in grants," said
Keith, explaining they only hired non -
equity actors.
When Mostly in Clover, a collective
production based on Harry, Boyle's book of
the same name; out -did Mouse Trap; a
play based on Agatha Christie's famous
book, in ticket sales by two to one,. Keith
said they knew there was a market for
Canadian plays.
tweren# oyer it se Wen In`rehearSals, that
it is not funny' after awhile»"
Citing last ,year's.perfonninee, he said
'the4astwasOeilvisOed thatMcGillicuddy's
1stWekend wag not gOing to be fitilny,
Keith added they were amazed when ,they
. 00410 did the play ari4 the audience
• laughed,
or the future* Blyth theatre, Keith
said he'dliketo see the audiences eOntinue ,
to BrOvv•
"I'd like to see the company do more
• tenting to beam* Wider known," he
added. .. • •
For himself, Keith said he wants to:,
continue)yriting and hopes,tn-begin work
en a bock •
,juttlike to get to -the Point where
can earn a Wing." he said, _
"I'm a starter.a creator type of person,
not am'auager," heattaeitrlaining-WhY
Keith Roulston
London. Free Press Photo
hoe*, sold, botiCthe magazineS and the
newspaper he published,.
• AS a creator, KeRh has cencentiated a
•great 5Ieal hlgefferta ea ri'riting• TO date;
he has WO three 0104 produced In 4130.
The ° Shortest ,Platne nce. IletWeen Two
points Was the first of Keith's plays;
Petfern*t,l, In Myth, durillf; the end of the:
1977 Season,
In 1978 His Qvvit BOSS, a story about the .
frustrations ofbeing self•en,Iplojed_Was the.
second: to be produced at thalestival,
•His third play, Remenihe,:r When? was
Mitten for the Winghanti ',Centennial -end
his last play, 'mat'
Weekend, adapted'froin,hiaVillage StIttirO:
,Column MeGillienddy's MO about the
adventures of a Sa4411 town . Felice chief, '
was produced last season in -131r.th.
Keith dectibes himself, as
wrIter,:" he added his .1AIRBSg$,R.r?hlela is
•thinldng,thintiCilirotigh. '
• McGillicuddy's Lost Weekend.. he said
wag one of the easiest and most difficult
plays-to:write.
"It Was easy to write because I knew the
characters, but it was difficult at time
because I couldn't change the 'characters,
• people knew them from the column, they
were sot." ' • •
"The other shows," said Keith, "I Was
trying to say something, but McGilli-
cgpicly's Lost Weekend, wasjust a satire."
a funny process sort or like
lightening striking. In most cases it's
something you want to say and you ky it
on stage in your pliy."
For a playwright, Keith said one of the
most upsetting experience is to see yohr
play in tehearsal.
"Suddenly you've got all of these
critics," he said. 'Everyone in • the arts
runs on ego. Actors arelaying it on the line
the most, so they are very !eerie about
what they have to say on stage."
"As long as you have a good give and
take situation with the director and cast,
things are usually ok."
IROM0i4
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lyth Variety
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