The Citizen, 2017-04-20, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017. PAGE 19.
Thompson excited to start down Festival path
with her parents. The daughter of
The Farm Show creator Paul
Thompson and actress Anne Anglin,
Thompson was a Young Company
participant for years.
Despite growing up in both a
household and a community that
was steeped in the culture of theatre,
Thompson says it was far from a
direct journey that ended in her
career in acting.
"I went to college in Montreal and
I took courses on everything but
acting, but I couldn't settle on
anything" Thompson said. "I finally
came to the realization that through
acting, you can do all of these things
and be all of these people,
Thompson's post -theatre school
career began at the Shaw Festival, an
institution she said she greatly
admired at the time for its
tremendous roles for young women.
Her work at the Shaw Festival was
then followed with years of acting at
the Stratford Festival, as well as in a
number of shows in Toronto.
Her acting career then took a turn
to the cinematic, as she took a
number of television roles on shows
such as Hannibal, Defiance, Rookie
Blue, Helix and Ransom among
others.
For more information on this
year's Blyth Festival season, visit
www.blythfestival.com.
Walking the walk
Severn Thompson, left, directed her first main stage Blyth Festival show in 2013 with Beyond
The Farm Show. She is seen here with the cast of that show doing some research at local
farms. Thompson will now serve as the Festival's associate artistic director, a position that
hasn't been filled since current Artistic Director Gil Garratt held it under then Artistic Director
Eric Coates. From left: Thompson, Sarrah Sholdice, Catherine Fitch, David Fox, Marion Day,
Jamie Robinson and Tony Munch. (File photo)
Continued from page 1
Theatre in Toronto and she
continues to teach a Shakespeare
project to George Brown College
acting students.
Thompson was last in Blyth as one
of the two leads in Seeds, the
opening play of Garratt's first season
as artistic director. She had
previously been in Blyth to direct
2013's Beyond The Farm Show and
the Young Company project The
Farm the year before that. The Farm
was based on her father Paul's
production of The Farm Show in
Goderich Township in 1972 and
would form the basis for the 2013
revisitation to the project.
This summer, while Thompson
will begin her time as the Festival's
associate artistic director, she will
also be directing The Pigeon King,
which will star Garratt and several
other Festival regulars like J.D.
Nicholsen and Rebecca Auerbach.
While that project is still very
much in the research and
development phase, Thompson says
she's excited about helping to bring
the story to the stage. Not only will
The Pigeon King tell the story of
notorious embezzler Arlen Galbraith
and the farmers he took for millions,
but it will also explore the very
nature of farming — the ups and
downs of markets and weather and
The Blyth Legion &
Ladies Auxiliary
Building Fund present...
Ladies Night Out
A night of
guest speakers:
Greyhaven Gardens,
Jillian Walden Health
& Wellness Educator
& Practitioner,
and Wine Pairing
by a Rep. from Pelee
Island Winery plus over 15 vendors at
the Blyth Arena on...
April 27"
Tickets are $25 each includes 1 drink & dessert
OR a table of 8 for $175
Tickets Available at the Blyth Legion Lounge,
192 Dinsley Street during regular hours or by
calling 519-523-9535 I Susan 519-525-0490
Doors open at 6 pm, speakers start at 7 pm
All proceeds go to the Blyth Legion
Building Fund
why farmers can find themselves
susceptible to scams such as
Galbraith's.
The Pigeon King opens at the
Blyth Festival on Friday, Aug. 11 —
the Festival's third show and second
world premiere of the season.
Thompson, no stranger to the
community, partly grew up in Huron
County, spending summers in Blyth
Serving it up
Living Water Christian Fellowship hosted its annual free
Good Friday breakfast last week at the Blyth and District
Community Centre. Layla Hays was one of the many
volunteers serving food that day. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Old dome
Tnuntrv_ breakfast
Sunday, April 23
8 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
at Londesborough Hall
• Eggs • Bacon • Sausage
• Pancakes and Homefries
Adults $8.00
Children Under 12 $3.00
Sponsored by Londesboro Lions Club
A history
Severn Thompson was recently named the new associate
artistic director for the Blyth Festival. She has a rich history
with the Blyth Festival and Huron County. In fact, she is
pictured here as a young child with her parents, centre,
during production of 1972's The Farm Show. (Photo submitted)
GODERICH 519 524 7811
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