Village Squire, 1978-03, Page 43THEATRE
Theatre looks to the future
Four years ago about this time, plans for
a summer theatre in Blyth's Memorial Hall
were only a dream. Today the theatre is a
reality but the dreaming goes on.
In winter of 1975 Memorial Hall had just
undergone renovations to make it usable
by the public. There was no one in sight to
make the idea of a summer theatre seem
practical. It was in March of that year that
James Roy, a young native who had
graduated from York University's theatre
program. contacted local individuals about
starting a theatre. Within four months a
season was organized, two shows mounted
and the Blyth Summer Festival was off and
running. Now, on the verge of its fourth
season. the Festival's sponsors, The Blyth
Centre for the Arts is looking ahead with
plans for a major addition and improve-
ments to Memorial Hall.
The plans prepared by the Goderich
architects Hill and Borgal, were approved
in principal by the Centre's board of
directors in February and by Blyth village
council which owns the building. Now the
only thing that stands between the plans
and completion is $200.000.
The three -phased plan would see
improvements to the present building,
addition of air conditioning and installation
of lighting and sound facilities in the first
two phases. The final phase would be an
addition to the right rear portion of the
building to add dressing rooms, offices.
workshops. washrooms and storage space
to solve the biggest problem in the
building, lack of backstage facilities. The
theatre, an excellent place to watch plays
and concerts from outfront, has always
been a major headache for those producing
shows because of its lack of facilities
behind the curtain.
The Summer Festival's policy of
alternating three or even four shows has
led to a storage problem for sets that has
made stage crews old before their time.
Actors have had to use the hall's
downstairs kitchen for dressing rooms.
Set building and offices have been
located in another building because of the
lack of space. It's meant a communications
muddle trying to keep everyone in touch
with everyone else.
One of the benefits of the improvements
would be the addition of a ramp to allow
the disabled easy access to the theatre.
Another feature of the plan is an attempt to
soundproof the floor between the theatre
and the downstairs meeting hall. In the
past noise travelled freely between one
room and the other making it impossible to
use both at the same time.
The need for the new facilities has grown
out of the success of the Festival. That first
season drew about 3000 people. The 1977
season drew 12,000 people for the
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/MARCH 1978, PG. 41.