The Citizen, 2017-05-18, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017. PAGE 7.
Phillips Studio to boast $250,000 in upgrades
— PHILLIPS STUDIO
A new dawn
The ongoing renovations and improvements being completed at Memorial Hall in Blyth have
overshadowed the $250,000 investment in the Phillips Studio, which is just steps away from
Memorial Hall on Dinsley Street. The studio has been the focus of massive electrical upgrades,
as well as a new HVAC system, resurfacing of the walls and new chairs and risers for the
performance space. The space will host three shows this season, The Downs, Watching Glory
Die and the as -of -yet -untitled Young Company production. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
While much of the focus of the
renovations occurring in the village
of Blyth are on Blyth Memorial
Hall, the Phillips Studio on Dinsley
Street has also received some needed
upgrades.
The building, which houses both a
performance space and the majority
of the Blyth Festival's technical
workshops for stage and prop
creation and storage, received
$250,000 through the Blyth Arts and
Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc.'s
fundraising efforts.
Blyth Festival Artistic Director
Gil Garratt said the site has
seen some major improvements
as a result of the funding.
"The changes are centred around
the performance space mostly," he
said in an interview with The
Citizen. "There are some basic, but
important, upgrades that were
made."
Garratt said the heating,
ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) system was replaced and
there was a thorough resurfacing of
the walls of the space.
"We acquired a professional riser
system," he said. "We also have 100
new chairs to use with it."
The site was also the focus of
a "huge electrical overhaul"
according to Garratt that allows
for professional dimmer racks,
an increased number of circuits
for lights and professional lights
as well, which is a change of
Obituaries
STUART ORVAL CHAMNEY
Mr. Stuart Chamney of Belgrave,
passed away at Wingham and
District Hospital on Thursday, May
11, 2017. He was 95.
Stuart was the beloved husband of
Lois Chamney, Wingham and the
cherished father of Diane Bridge,
Port Elgin; Donna and Jim Muir,
Bayfield; Barb and Kevin Pletch,
Belgrave; Joyce Bloschinsky,
London and Steve and Joan
Chamney, Lucknow.
Stuart was the loving grandfather
of 14 grandchildren and 21 great-
grandchildren. He was the dear
brother of Gordon "Bud" Chamney
and his wife Laura May, Auburn.
Stuart was predeceased by his son-
in-law Warren Bridge (2017),
siblings Elwyn, Herman, Graham
and Verna and by Lois' siblings Jean
and Cliff Henderson and George and
Greta Webster.
Visitation was held at McBurney
Funeral Home Ltd., Wingham on
May 15 followed by a Masonic
Lodge service. The funeral service
was held at the funeral home
chapel on May 16. Bruce
Whitmore officiated. Interment took
place in Brandon Cemetery,
Belgrave.
Memorial donations to Knox
United Church, Belgrave or Braemar
residents council would be
appreciated as expressions of
sympathy.
Online condolences may be left at
www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com
pace for the structure.
"The studio has always been the
little sister of the theatre, receiving
hand-me-downs," he said. "Now it
has its own lights and lighting
system."
The audio-visual capabilities of
the space have also been
dramatically improved, Garratt
said.
"We now have the ability to have
video in productions," he said.
"We used to use speakers hooked
up to a media player for sound in
the facility, but now there is a
proper sound console and speaker
systems."
Garratt also said the space will
have hearing assistance
technologies, making it more
accessible.
"That was one of the nice things
about the space is that, since it's all
on the ground floor, it's accessible,"
he said. "Having these technologies
will add to that accessibility."
The site was also the focus of an
architectural assessment, Garratt
said, and with that in hand, the
Festival can consider some of the
changes the site will need in the
future.
"It will need to be redeveloped at
some point," Garratt said. "We
would like to insulate the structure,
upgrade the building and include a
barrier -free washroom."
The assessment opens other
possibilities as well, Garratt said,
pointing to housing issues.
He said the site already offers
significant advantages as a
workshop.
"When we have new technicians
here they are blown away by the
shops we have," he said. "There
aren't facilities like this where you
can fit an entire set to work with and
paint it at the same time."
The culmination of the
renovations and assessment is a big
win for the space, Garratt said, as the
changes will allow the Festival to
utilize the space more effectively
this season. This year, the Festival
will be hosting three shows in the
updated space.
The Downs, a one -woman show
focused on farm life in 1950s New
Brunswick, will be performed by
Sheryl Scott, who also wrote the
play, from Aug. 9-13. The show is a
production of the Primordial Soup
Theatre Company.
The annual Young Company show,
which allows the youth of Huron to
collaborate on, prepare and run a
theatrical production, will take to
The Phillips Studio space Aug. 24-
26.
Mulgrave Road Theatre will
present Watching Glory Die, another
one -woman show starring Stephanie
MacDonald, Sept. 12-16. The show
is written by award-winning
Canadian playwright Judith
Thompson.
Bainton's
Old Mill
Downtown Blyth
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