The Huron Expositor, 1978-07-06, Page 33STEVEN THORNE
P10.44,c,
HURON '78 4flirt1
s
training through amateur theatre, •
through reading and through .
working ,with people who know
more than "he does, and learning
• from them.
He never studied • theatre
aeadendeally. He came to the .
theatre in Toronto because-it4s—
the hub of English speaking '
theatre and even people who work
in regional -theatres tend to
congregate 'in Toronto because
F. . Kity has its offices there, he •
said.
"Of course there's a lot more
work in Toronto," he added'.
, John is also interested in •
painting. and •believes that this •
• helps 'him with his work as a'.
lighting technician. He works
with oils, acrylics and water 1
colours. He hasn't had a showing- -1
yet .but has sold a few' of 'his
-paintin-gs-Meis-hoping-to-gerout "1".
and do some drawing while in
Huron County' becauSe, "Huron
County. has a very beautiful
countryside and 'most of my work
is landscape`orierited-."-'-:-
"I don't think, that painting and
lighting are necessarily. that far .
apart, It's A different media, I
He said basicall he ot hi
%at-von
and besi of luck to
• • BLYTH-SUMWR:FE$TiyAL.-
on its fourth season
Blyth Village Council
PUC-Cornmission
B-lyth veteran
Steven Thorne will Aut be a new
face to Blyth residents who
attended the .Summer Festiyal, the
first year it was in operation.
He was here when the theatre,
began in 1975. The first summer'
he was here he directed • Mouse-
trap -and , helped to adapt the
novel of Harry Boyle'S.• The
Blood is Strong and he also
hplped artistic director James Roy
co-direct the Blood is Strong..
That summer he also did some
acting_itt•How I Met My Husband.
Lhst summer, Steven took time
off from the Festival tq get
involved in writing 'a play called
Huron Tree Blues which is about
regimentTh at has to face
some very severe winter condi-
• tions.
"Hopefult,y, I'll get that done
some time and produced here,"
Steven said.
Steven first 'got involved in
drama in Barrie where•he grew up
and then went to York. University
where he. was . enrolled in the
lama program. ,
That's ,where Steven met
James' Roy and Bjarne
Christensen ,and a number of the'
other people who have been with
the Blyth Summer Festival in the
paSt. Throughout his,four years of
university, he found work. in
summer theatres. He has worked
at the Griffin Theatre in Barrie,:
Quebec City, sOrillia Playhouse,
and the Studio Lab- Theatre in
Toronto.
At the Summer Festival this
year, Steven playas the part of
John Galt, Jr. son of John Galt in
the play, The Huron Tiger. He
' describes- the part as • that of a
yoUng angry rebel trying to.fight
the injustices' of his time.
' This is the 'first summer in
:which.he has been acting now for .
a couple of years and he says it's
hard readjusting fo a new rhythm ,
and a new lifestyle from What he's
been living in the past with his
writing.- •
Asked about, his acting
technique. Steven says, "J.think I
tend to de,:a little, -bit by bit 1
'thick I need 'to work More fr-em
' the inside out than'i do, blit,1 do
, find that my internal life is
• triggered t by; external.
moyement.'
He went on 'to explain that the"
c). • resonance yoiee, a particular
gesture. a. 'particular way ef
even 'sometimes
particular property like a' pipe
brings to life, interesting •things
Sfey0.Thorne
about' the character.
He says he wasn't trained in
anyschool of thought. w He 'as-
traiAd, oti a much' more, eclectic
scale, At 24 years of age. Ite 7 s just
• a young, actor and. as he says.
"I'm just beginning to discover
. hew I work , just learning The best
technique for me as a person..
He said he's not very interested
in filnis at the moment but likes
the stage: He said. that ,he
supPesed as with most actors he
had a love-hate 'thing with ,the
theatre. . .
"I very much enjoy it at this
time. I don't think I could do it
a lb befirin e..„1 njo+.1. b cing-
here for two months," he said.
He says he not only needed to
come hack to the theatre this
summer, but that he Wanted to.
"If you stay away from it too long,
yotir gears get , rusty."
• He says when you get bored
with the role you're playing you
have to 'inject new' life;-new ideas-
' into voin work •so yo* jump' those
hurdles of boredoM.
'Yost have to listen, to live and
to share the life and energy on the
stage with those around yen:
Every'night' there's .. something
you can improve, he 'said,
SepteTber 4 - 30, 1978
HURON COUNTY
THE,BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL. ISSUE, JULY 5, 1978 13
Lighting` is painter
John flugt?os', job,:
can to improve whatever` the actor
is doing, first of all so they can be
seen." he said. '
This . is his 'first: summer in.
Blyth and he says he really came
because of Bjarne Christensen
with whom he worked . at the
Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, ''l
. 'colic because I love the country,. I
love to be out of the city." he
. said. He and Some of the other
Festival' company haVe just
bought 10 starter pallets 'that they
-. are keeping out ;at the Nesbitt
JOHN,HUGHES , place and. they're alsO, going-to
, Jolui c_fughe-s-is---th-e troon-ii:--gr6W-t;OniCi. of !heir OW it food.
designer. and master electrician .-11C said Bjarne'hild asked 'him if
for the Blyth Summer Festival 'he was interested in working at
this. year and as such is respon. the festival. John had heard of the
Bible for doing all the lighting for' festival ,and ,as he says,, "I was
the . shows, . any temporary very much interested in working
eleetrictil Work. 'all the stage' . in a summer theatre that was,
'lights and all the wiring' . geared to the people in the , area.
For. boa: of t h e shows. •he's ' rather : than , most- summer
' geafed to goihg--to-be-running-the light ink—Theatres ''whilif Tiiii.e . . . . tourists. Mitch I think is 'a very
artificial. kind of theatre."
There are several things he
might,do after the theatre season
is over, one of which could he a
position. as technical' director h r
the Jamaica School of Drat a
Which means, that he would' be
five or six lighting cues.
AWrikanze
to pLYTH ancUthe
BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL
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We ,.wish to add our congratula-
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Festival- on,.theoning of - a
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• hoard and for the other .half 'hell
help out as a production assistant.
He works in conninetion .with
the director • and . they • deeidc;
beferehand what the lights .are.
going to bedoing at a given point.
in the play. •
At the point of beinginter-
john has been working. in
theatre, amateur and professional
for 20 years now. He. did ,his first
• amateur, show when.-he was 5
and ‘ (Irked with local. amateur
greups in Calgary. He did his first
professienal season at the
Neptune Theatre in 'Halifax in
1969, Since then' he has been in
stage managing'. lighting or
sometimes technical director in
places all over 'the country. . .
He . also did two • years. with
Theatre Calgary, ''spent a' couple
of years at. Montreal, worked at
the Saidye ,f3rontniarm Centre and
also the Centaur Theatre.
• While he did -,a fair amount of
acting .MI.61 he. was an amateur.
he'has never acted professionally.
He, -Said his amateur acting
experience,.. is very helpful -in.
helping ' him „understand 'file
actors point 'of view. . •
We really see the actor as
being the, core of our '', Ile
said of his own .position as a
lighting designer. ' • '
"I'm Nally doing Whatever,
, . . •L'...t .(.."a N „painting water
viewed there were aporbxinia0v ,,•••leachie•g- le-clink:if-din:0km, .• . ' colours is a natural for'. a person
35 lighting cues in the 'Huron He just recently.' finished stage who winks with transparent '
Tiger 'and in His Own Bo',s thp r e. ..inzinaging a play called Ashes at light.- .he sold.
probably will he something like .4.-the l'hocni,,c Theatre. in Toronto.. . , ...