HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-07-01, Page 15Wednesday, July 1, 2015 • News Record 15
'The Wilberiorce Hotel' to Blyth Festival Gallery honours
founders with exhibition
p
remier at Blyth Festival
The Blyth Festival presents the
world premiere of The Wilber-
force Hotel by Sean Dixon.
Directed by Philip Akin, The
Wilberforce Hotel is on stage at
Blyth Memorial Hall from July 1
to August 8.
The Wilberforce Hotel is
loosely based on the autobiogra-
phy of Austin Steward; 22 Years a
Slave, 40 Years a Freeman.
In the true, all -but -lost history
of South Western Ontario, the
town of Lucan (just outside of
London), was originally settled
by a colony of emancipated
slaves who had come up from
the United States in the hopes of
building a new life, and a thriv-
ing community; They cleared
that land, built those early roads,
and laid foundations. At its
height, Austin Steward was the
president of the colony of
Wilberforce and he built and ran
a hotel.
In Sean Dixon's fictionalized
retelling we encounter Austin
on what will be the last night of
the colony. Everyone in town
has left to resettle in Rochester,
including Austin's own wife
and children.
Austin can't bring himself to
leave after everything he has
built, his dream for the future.
Before he can finally close the
hotel door in burst two white
fugitives on the run from the
police. As the two plead for safe
harbour Austin discovers that
they are in fact minstrel per-
formers with a popular local
routine performed in blackface.
Austin Steward makes the
men a deal: if he hides them
from the police they will have to
perform their song and dance
for him. Through turns highly
comic and deeply moving the
two musicians, who have spent
their showbiz careers painting
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We made select lists, we put out the call
across the country, and we saw a host of
brilliant actors."
their faces, come to learn some-
thing life -changing about the
actual experience of early black
settlers in Middlesex County.
Making his Blyth Festival debut
is Marcel Stewart as Austin Stew-
ard. To cast the role of the real life
historical figure, director Philip
Akin and Blyth's artistic director,
Gil Garratt spent hours and hours
viewing auditions
"We made select lists, we put
out the call across the country,
and we saw a host of brilliant
actors," said Garratt.
Marcel auditioned on the last
day of auditions. Just 48 hours
earlier, Marcel had been hit by a
car while running for a streetcar
in Toronto. He came into the
room on crutches, pins and sta-
ples in his leg, an air cast, and
his foot in a plastic bag. He
couldn't stand, so they got him a
couple of chairs, one for him
and one for his leg but in "an act
of theatrical alchemy, Marcel
transcended the room, the
wound, the chairs, the crutches,
the time, and the place," said
Garratt. "We instantly knew that
this was our Austin."
Playing opposite Marcel and
making her Blyth Festival debut
is Sophia Walker as Milly Stew-
ard. Sophia has been a company
member of the Stratford Festival
for the past nine years.
Familiar faces returning to the
OUR BEST
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GRANDBEND - II9-23 48-1
CILINTION • 519.46? -340i
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vevaka w'uerAu r_iarr
— Gil Garratt
Blyth stage are Greg Gale, Eli
Ham, and Peter Bailey. Greg
played the ghost of a young lieu-
tenant in Vimy and last summer
in addition to his tank -top -
sporting romantic caterer
in Stag and Doe he was the cold,
selfish banker husband
in Kitchen Radio; Eli
Ham played the Stag himself
in Stag and Doe, and Peter Bai-
ley was last at Blyth in World
Without Shadows in 2007.
TheBlyth Festival spon-
sored Sean Dixon's first work-
shop reading of his very first
play, Falling Back Home in 1989.
Two years later the Fesitval pre-
miered his second play, The End
of the World Romance, which
was remounted twice in Canada
and once in the UK. Ten years
after that he returned to play
William Porte, the narrator of
Paul Thompson's massively suc-
cessful The Outdoor Donnellys.
Director Philip Akin is artistic
director of Toronto's Obsidian
Theatre Company. He has
directed for various theatres but
this will be his first time direct-
ing at Blyth. Akin has received
numerous accolades and
awards for his work.
Tickets are available by calling
Blyth Festival's Box Office at
519.523.9300, toll free 1-877-
862-5984 or online at www.bly-
thfestival.com.
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respond to:
Clinton News Record
Attn: Dale Box 39
Clinton ON NOM 1LO
In 1975, two artists from Toronto
arrived in Huron County. They were
in the process of renovating an old
farmhouse when they were inter-
rupted by a visitor. After introduc-
tions, he asked, "How would you like
to start an art gallery?"
The visitor was James Roy, the
director of the newly established
summer theatre in Blyth and the art-
ists were Ron and Bev Walker. Since
that moment, 40 years ago, the Walk-
ers have been deeply involved with
the Blyth Festival Art Gallery, from its
first shows in the basement of the
Blyth Memorial Hall to its more
recent home in the Bainton Gallery,
next to the theatre box office.
Ron Walker had been an Art and
English teacher in Toronto, while
wife Bev worked at University of
Toronto in medical research.
Together they maintained a Queen
Street studio/loft and exhibited
prints, paintings and drawings in
various venues, juried shows and
prominent Toronto galleries.
In 1974, they moved to a rural
property near Blyth, renovated an
1850's farmhouse and built a sepa-
rate studio among the pines on the
property. Ron returned to teaching
art, this time with the Huron County
Board of Education while Bev pur-
sued volunteer projects, including
serving on the Board of the Blyth
Centre for the Arts. Both worked on
raising their family and continued
producing their own art works, usu-
ally rooted in a love of landscape.
Ron specialized in oils and pastel
with occasional forays into other
media, while Bev concentrated on
silkscreen prints and fabric dyes.
Since 1975, for over 40 years, the two
artists have dedicated much of their
time to the Blyth Festival Art Gallery.
They worked, along with other Gallery
volunteers, to bring more than 100
exhibitions to the venue, everything
from a student art show to raku pottery
to various printmaking techniques.
There were shows of art by internation-
ally famous Canadians and local artists,
individual men and women as well as
groups, theme exhibitions and displays
open to the entire local community.
They were instrumental in making the
Gallery a major venue for art in South-
ern Ontario.
So it was an easy choice, when the
Gallery Committee was selecting shows
for the 2015 season, to honour the
Walkers with a special retrospective
exhibition of their work. From the
beginning - The founders' retrospective,
curated by Greg Sherwood and spon-
sored by Lynda and Duncan McGregor,
opened June 27 and runs to July 18. It
can be seen during theatre box office
hours in the Bainton Gallery located in
the Blyth Memorial Hall.
For information on the Blyth Festival
Art Gallery, email gallery@blythfestival.
com or call the Blyth Festival office at
519-523-9300.
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The Huron -Perth Children's Aid Society is looking for potential Board members.
The agency is looking for persons who reside or work in either of the two counties, are
over the age of 18 and who are able to commit to a three year term.
Potential members of the Board of Directors are persons who can support the Vision,
Mission and Values of the Society, are interested in advocating for children, and are
committed to assisting the Society in its efforts to provide quality services for the
children and families in Huron and Perth Counties.
Interested persons are invited to contact Angela Simpson at 519-271-5290 ext. 2398 for
more information regarding the application process.
Application deadline is July 10, 2015.
Huron Perth Children's Aid Society advocates for and protects children's rights,
supports and strengthens families; and is a leader for change in our community. The
Society serves approximately 375 families each month, and conducts more than 1600
abuse investigations each year. It also helps more than 140 children who are in the
Society's care.
Our Vision is: SAFE CHILDREN. CONFIDENT YOUTH. RESILIENT ADULTS.
Our Mission is: To advocate for and protect children's rights; to support and strengthen families; and to be leaders for positt,
change in our community