The Citizen, 1995-05-31, Page 46Flying high
Peter Pan, starring from left: John-Erik Lappano as Michael, Cara Hunter as
Wendy, Ben Canny as John and Leisa Way as Peter Pan, was the
beginning to a successful 1994 season at the Huron Country Playhouse.
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Back in the barn
They flocked in droves to Blyth Festival last season to see Aylmer Clark and
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wife, Janet Amos are bringing Aylmer back again in He Won't Come in From
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Page 23
---- Stops Mong (The Way
A bit of theatrics at Huron Cty. Playhouse, Blyth Festival
Coming to Huron County for a vacation
promises relaxation. Just looking at the
picturesque countryside while driving to
your destination provides a break.
But, while Huron is known for being a
rural community it is also home to two
prominent Canadian theatres — the Huron
Country Playhouse in the resort town of
Grand Bend and the Blyth Festival in the
tiny village of Blyth, located on Hwy 4,
north of Clinton.
The history of the Huron Country
Playhouse dates back to 1972 when a tent
theatres. The Playhouse was later moved to
an old barn, located on the former farm. It
has housed a rehearsal hall, wardrobe
department, dressing rooms, bar and
washrooms. Though it has a certain rustic
charm it has at times been inadequate so this
year it has been replaced by a new building,
which offers all the same facilities as well as
a new smaller second stage and auditorium
and a new public lounge.
In 1996 further renovations will be
completed when the old driving shed, which
houses a cramped administration and box
office area will be replaced by a building
offering modern facilities.
In 1994 the auditorium was enclosed
allowing better fire-proofing as well as
heating and air-conditioning. For the
audiences who suffered through heat or cold
to enjoy the productions over the years it
was a wonderful reward for their loyalty.
From the beginning of the $4.5 million
project, which actually began in 1992, the
show has always gone on. This year is no
exception with a summer season packed full
of entertainment. Sandwiched between two
popular musicals are comedy, thrills and
farce.
The season opens on June 13 with a
modern musical drama, West Side Story.
Based on a conception by Jerome Robbins,
with a book by Arthur Laurents and music
by Leonard Bernstein, the play runs until
July 1.
July 4 is the outstanding comedy by
Larry Shue The Foreigner which closes July
15.
Three days later thrill seekers will be
brought to the Playhouse for the opening of
Peter Colley's celebrated I'll Be Back Before
Midnight. It closes July 29 in time for the
Aug. 1 opening of Who's Under WI:ire?, a
hilarious farce by Marcia Kash and Doug
Hughes. The closing date is Aug. 12
Rounding out this season is My Fair Lady
set to open on Aug. 15 and closing Sept. 2.
This award winning musical, with book and
lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by
Frederick Loewe was adapted from George
Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.
At Playhouse II, the productions are
Lorne Elliott's Collected Mistakes from July
3 to July 15 and Canadian Cafe, a msuical
revue from July 17 to Aug. 12.
Also at the Playhouse II stage, appearing
for one night only are Robbie Lane and the
Disciples on July 9, The Big Band of Johnny
Bond on Aug. 20 and the Sunday afternoon
All That Jazz series, July 2, 16 and 30.
The Famous People Players will be
giving a family performance on Aug. 6.
For the kids there is The Kids' Show with
Dickie Bird, June 25, Judy and David, July
23 and Lenny Graf on Aug. 13.
*****
Blyth Festival, known as one of the
foremost originators of new plays on
Canadian topics, celebrated its 20th season
last year.
After some seasons of difficulties, which
followed several seasons of amazing
success, the theatre is back on its feet once
again.
In 1975 James Roy had been told about a
fine theatre in Blyth and that a small group
of people were interested in beginning a
summer theatre. A previous attempt to bring
theatre to Blyth's Memorial Hall had failed
because of much needed repairs.
Eventually in the fall of 1974 money was
invested and almost immediately it began to
pay dividends. In barely four months, Roy
organized a board of directors, developed a
playbill, hire professional actors and
rehearsed and mounted plays.
That first year Roy recalled the books of
Huron County native Harry J. Boyle, about
growing up in Huron County in the 1920s
and 1930s. With the help of a creative team,
he turned the books into Blyth's first hit
Mostly in Clover, which not only packed in
local audiences, but was a hit for the second
season in 1976 and toured to Victoria
Playhouse in Petrolia.
Roy held a five-year tenure at Blyth. One
of the last plays he brought there went on to
international fame. Inspired by a night spent
in Roy's creaky old farmhouse, city born
Peter Colley penned I'll Be Back Before
Midnight, a tale about a young woman living
in a farmhosue and fearing for her life.
An instant hit, it was performed in
countries all over the world.
Roy was succeeded by Janet Amos, who
built on his success. She was followed by
Katherine Kaszas and Peter Smith.
With success came improvements over
the years. In 1980 the actors got real
dressing rooms in the now air-conditioned
theatre. An addition to the north side of
Memorial Hall also provided access for
handicapped patrons and gave room for a
box office and administration offices and an
art gallery.
Big changes came along in the early
1990s. A garage on Dinsley St. was turned
into the first proper facility for building sets,
painting sets, making costumes and making
props. "The Garage" also provided rehearsal
space or a theatre for smaller productions.
The old bank building next to Memorial
Hall was renovated to provide. administration
offices and upstairs a second rehearsal space.
The buildings were linked wit4 a building
containing new washrooms, a new art
gallery, box office and more wing space for
the stage upstairs.
The building was completed, just as the
recession hit, unfortunately, and though
much of the money had been raised, finding
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