Village Squire, 1978-06, Page 13installation of airconditioning which should be ready for opening
night, July 7.
The air conditioning is one step in a program to improve the
Memorial Hall even further. Next year it is hoped to add a new
addition to the rear of the building with workshops, offices and
dressing rooms which will relieve the burden of poor backstage
facilities at the Festival.
Still, the play's the thing and this summer some of the better
known Canadian playwrights will have work produced at Blyth.
Opening the Festival is Peter Colley's, The Huron Tiger. Colley
is well known for his work with Theatre London over the years
with such shows as The Donnellys and The War Show. This time
he tackles one of the legendary figures of Western Ontario.
William "Tiger" Dunlop. Dunlop is a figure of heroic
proportions with several careers. While a literary gentleman, he
also was the man in charge of opening up the Huron Tract for the
Canada Company when it was little more than wall to wall trees.
He came up with the distinctive spoked -wheel design for
Goderich and left his stamp on the region for more than a century
with his various deeds and policies. The facinating character has
been the subject of several books.
The second opening, July 11, is a -new work by the author of
one of last year's most popular plays, Keith Roulston. Following
his treatment of small towns battling for survival from
government in last year's, The Shortest Distance Between Two
Points. he turns his pointed comedy,to the problems of running a
small business in Canada today with His Own Boss. His hero is
one of the countless thousands who dream of the day when he
can be his own boss. When he inherits a business he soon finds
his dream becomes a nightmare as a long succession of perils,
from government bureacracy to incompetent help to ungrateful
relatives descend on the innocent. Along the way the audience is
treated to many a laugh.
The third show of the season is The School Show dealing with
the problems of the education system. The show, features
Mitchell native Ted Johns in a one-man show that was inspired
by the recent teachers' strikes. Mr. Johns is known for his work
with Theatre Passe Muraille in The Farm Show, He Won't Come
in From the Barn _and many other shows. His riotous sense of
humour guarantees there'll be many happy moments in the
show.
James Nichol, one of Canada's better known writers for
television and stage will present the fourth show of the Blyth
season. Gwendoline tells the story of a very special and
gentlewoman who arouses love and, jealousy among the
townspeople of Kingforks. When a stranger threatens to take
Gwendoline away from a sensitive. young admirer bringing
reaction from the community. The play examines the conflict
between innocence, righteousness and guilt.
- Nichol wrote Saint Marie Among the Hurons for Theatre
London, was playwright in residence for the Nation,al Arts Centre
in Ottawa and has written a good deal for television.
The fifth show is still not announced as of press time. It will
open August 23 and finish the season with a week-long run from
Aug. 28 -Sept. 2. -
It's the most ambitious season yet for the Blyth theatre with a
seven week season of plays, it's longest yet. Last year it
presented four of its own shows and hosted three guest
productions. ' •
While the Festival has really caught on with residents of a
30-40 mile radius. it has largely gone unrecognized in wider
circles during its first three seasons. There is evidence the tide is
turning that way, however, with the acceptance of two of the
Festival's original productions elsewhere.
The hit that started it all for Blyth, Mostly in Clover based on
the Harry J. Boyle books will be presented at the Kawartha
Festival in Linday this summer. It's the first of the Festival's
productions to get further exposure with other theatres.
Meanwhile The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is the
first Festival original to be published. The comedy is scheduled
for release soon by Playwright's Co-op in Toronto.
The Festival seems to be a case of an impossible dream
corning true.
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1978. PG. 11.