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The Brussels Post, 1978-07-05, Page 23JAN DUTTON L Congratulations to the BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL from tSb p eatZtOt2 diotzt Business men's lunch daily 30.211: P.M. Price 1.75 - 2.25 DINING 11:30 A.M. - 2 P.M. 5:30 P.M. - 8 P.M. [Daily except Sunday] SUNDAY DINING - 4:30 7:30 RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED PHONE 482.3421 BEST WISHES TO THE BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL Complete Stock of Household Furnishings Beattie livutitima LTD. . CLINTON, ONTARIO Phone 482-9521 18 Albert Street Best Wishes Blyth Summer Theatre Fora successful fourth season. Full line of the LATEST STYLES in MEN'S CLOTHING For Every [32 rears in Business] Campbells Occasion Main Corner Clinton at t_14 -,Jr op)! r THE BLYTH - SUMMER FESTIVAL ISSUE JULY S t 1978 11 Terrence D. arrant homegrown theatre Dona Hrabluk runs around for theatre As a production assistant with the Blyth Summer festival, Dona, Hrabluk runs, around a lot. Runs around, looking for props that is. She goes around to people and asks them if they have anything the theatre could use for props. She starts usually with Jim Lawrie of Blyth who either knows of people that have the necessary equipment or else she said he'll go to a dinner or something and pass around a list of props needed. The production people also talk to people on the street and ask them if they have things that are needed for various productions. , Once those props have been collected it's up to the production people to make them ready for the stage which can mean fixing them up, toning them down or toning them up and cleaning and polishing them. Dona did some theatre in high school. After high school she worked in graphics and type- setting for four years, an experience which has helped her with her present job of collecting props. "It's good for public relations and things like that. It's helped me in that way," Dona says, Dona will be entering her second year at York University this fall where she is taking the Jan Dutton just became the administrative director for Blyth Centre for the Arts in April but she's been kept busy ever since she started. , When she started they were just finishing up the winter program and she worked on the Huron Old Tyme Festival and the Craft and Antique Fair. "I've had a lot 'to do ,with appling for a lot of grants for oprating costs for the summer," she says. She recently had the experience of watching a whole day of auditioning in Toronto along with artistic director James DONA HRABLUK Honors Program in Theatre Production and Design. Dona says one of her professors at York University told his students that there were jobs in Blyth so she came up and had an interview with Bjarne christensen and James Roy and got the job. - . She isn't sure yet just what her main interest in the theatre is although one thing's for sure. It's not acting in front of an audience that attracts her. ''I'd like to try things out. I like Wilding props, constructing, things like that. I enjoy lighting, and costuming. I'd like to try design maybe. I'd like to try as much as I can, before I settle down," she says. Dona has worked for the Young Peoples Theatre, the Guelph Spring Festival and also in productions at York. Roy, which she describes as a really educational experience for her. "Basically I'Ve learned a lot about theatre. The theatre runs a lot differently than any other kind of business probably because it's a non-profit organization," she says. "My specific job is to help make major decisions with James, taking care of the money that's spent for the summer." Since living at the station house at the edge of town, Jan has gotten to know a lot of -people around town and their views on the Blyth Centre for the Arts. She's going to be running the winter program next year and hopes people offer suggestions as to what they would like to see. Jan's other duties include doing publicity for the Centre, taking care of tickets, answering phones and making sure the 30 people in the theatre company are well taken care of. Jan who is a graudate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design would someday like to do an "art awareness" program with the public. Having the experience of working in the theatre, that'll help me out in the future. That's what really the job is partially about for me. I'm interested in Likes Terence Durrant has acted in everything from theatre to films but he agreed to. come to the Blyth Summer Festival this summer because the idea of "homegrown" theatre appealed to him. He started his acting career 10 years ago after attending drama school in England where he spent three years studying his craft, He worked in England until 1973 when he came to Canada and he has been her ever since. He has worked for the CBC in radio and television, for the OECA in television, has done a couple Of films--Alien Encounter and Leopard in the Snow and some commercials. The theatres he has worked in. include Grand Bend, Sudbury. Thunder Bay and now. Blyth • He started a theatre of.bis own in Toronto, a couple of years ago—the Toronto Repertoire Theatre, starting from scratch, He had to raise the money, hire the actors, produce the shows and direct productions. He was an. -actor, director and teacher in that order, he says. • "I like to `each young actors. I find that very satisfying. I don't write but I would probably like to," he says. "It's something I think I probably will get into at some point," he added. He came to the Blyth Summer Festival when Artistic Director jamesRoy asked him if he would like to play the part of the hero Tiger Dunlop in The Huron Tiger. "That appealed to me. Being an English immigrant I had very few opportunities offered me to work in Canadian theatre-- homegrown theatre. It appealed to me to come to Blyth itself and Spend three months of the. summer there and the appeal of the role itself, plus the fact that I regional theatre and I'm interested in regional art. "I'm interested in what people do with their leisure time. I'm interested in people's pleasure from things like music, theatre and the visual arts." she says. like James." he says.. He knew nothing about Tiger Dunlop when he came here, He. had to start completely from scratch so he got out some academic history books for the period from 1792 to 1841. Then he read Dunlop's biography and has been working this week on some of Dunlop's own writing as well„ He has also been to see Tiger Dunlop's grave and the museum in Goderich. "Most of my energies so far have been spent on background research," he says. Terence first met James Roy in Toronto three or four years ago and then met him again a few months ago in Toronto when James was preparing for the new Blyth season and that was when James asked him if he would like to play the role of Tiger Dunlop. Asked about his.. preference of film or live theatre, Terence, says, "I love* working in theatre. My experience in films hanst really been wide enough. I haven't had a starring role in movies which 1 would like to do." He took a moment to talk about the film industry which he says is expanding in Canada. Besides his role in Tiger Dunlop he will also be playing in Gwendoline, but his role hadn't been decided yet when the interview took place. His interests are broad, taking in politics, philosophy, and the -other branches of the arts such as music and literature. He's not a hobby type person. He's more interested in intellectual pursuits. He is also interested in non- competitive sports, he likes watching sports as a spectator. He says he admires gifted athletes and then adds, "1 suppose I admire anybody who can do things -really well." He is not a Stanislaysky method actor but he very definately applies method to his work. "I discipline myself to apply method to my work. I'm obsessively fascinated by this process of acting which is why I'm interested in both acting and teaching." He believes that a methodical approach is necessary to acting. It's a process where you start with problem A and work your way through to problem Z. It's work and a lot of dedication," he says. When the Blyth Summer Festival season is over he says he will probably work in another theatre somewhere in Canada. TERENCE DURRANT WILSON'S HEALTH AND GIFT' CENTRE Blyth 523-4440 Congratulates Blyth Summer Festival on the opening of its third season July 1. Welcome All Visitors Jan administers