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The Citizen-Blyth Festival, 1999-06-23, Page 35PAGE 16. BLYTH FESTIVAL SALUTE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1999. Thrills, chills, laughter fuel career of Peter Colley Returning to the scene of the crime Crime has definitely paid for playwright Peter Colley whose life was changed by the murder, mayhem and mirth of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight. This year he returns to the scene of his first big success with When the Reaper Calls. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff When Peter Colley comes back to Blyth Festival it will be like visiting a shrine. “Blyth changed my whole life because from that time on, everything was different.” When The Reaper Calls By Peter Colley It was 1978 when urbanite Colley, ensconced in a ramshackle farmhouse, was inspired to pen his thriller I'll Be Back Before Midnight. It became a huge success playing worldwide and grossing over $8 million. He still receives royalties from theatres all over which are continuing to produce his script. “After Midnight opened, and this was my second play, I almost retired from that day on.” Fortunately for Blyth audiences that was not what he chose to do. This silver anniversary season, Colley’s latest work When the Reaper Calls will open in the Festival’s intimate studio space, The Garage. His inspiration for the play, a comedy/thriller, was the approaching millennium. “I got the idea for it a few years ago. I realized that as the millennium approached people were going to be looking back at the whole aspect of life beyond the grave.” Drawing comparisons to two recent movies based on the same theme, Meet Joe Black and What Dreams May Come, Colley says “I guess I was ahead of the curve. I actually had the idea before they did theirs.” The story focuses on two rival college professors with two different views of life. “One is the hedonistic sort who believes when you’re dead, you're dead, so ydu might as well squeeze all the pleasure out of life that you can. The other is a stoic who believes life is the veil of tears through which you struggle through until reaching the ultimate reward that awaits.” The problem arises when the hedonist decides to rattle his colleague out of his lethargy by playing a prank involving the apparent seduction of the latter’s wife. “Things get out of hand and all learn more about life, love and betrayal.” Like Midnight the play is set in the country. “The sensibility is fish out of water,” the writer says. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Colley says, “I love taking those stuffy professorial types and dropping them where the rules have changed, when you strip away the city veneer and get to two cavemen with clubs.” Colley says he gets his ideas almost always through travelling. “I just find the country an interesting environment for a play-” His look at smalltown Canadiana is often best glimpsed behind the walls of local coffee shops. “Forget about soup. I hear more little stories coming over those partitions. That’s my inspiration.” From Midnight to Reaper, Colley has published a number of plays, produced in 21 countries, and enjoys a lucrative career both in theatre and writing for the screen. Two of his plays have been made into feature films, with Colley as screenwriter and he has written extensively for television. His success has allowed him to own two homes, one in Toronto and one in Los Angeles, where he and his family “hang out for the climate.” Coming back to Blyth for opening night and for the premiere of Reaper has obvious significance to one of its greatest success stories. But for him the success lies more so in the theatre itself. “I think what’s amazing about Blyth is the connection between the stage and the audience. I think anyone who wants to get fired by what live theatre can be shouldn’t go to Toronto, it’s right here.” Congratulations to the Blyth Festival on your 25th Season Patterns • Notions Yarns • Fabrics Lawn chair cord & frames Accessories Stitches by M. Queen St., Blyth Lauretta's Hug & 1/2 Specializing in plus sizes for women... Fashion is an Attitude not a size Wingham 519-357-4650 Coleman heads Theatre Passe Muraille Continued from Pg. 15 again artistic director at Theatre Passe Muraille and one of the busiest theatre artists in Canada, directing shows at his own and other theatres and acting in some of the plays of George F. Walker. The connection with Blyth continues, however. Theatre Passe Muraille’s biggest success this season was The Drawer Boy, Michael Healey’s story of two Huron County farmers interviewed by actors researching The Farm Show. The script had originally been commissioned by the Blyth Festival and stars of the show were two long-time Blyth favourites Jerry Franken and David Fox. In 10 seasons at Blyth, Coleman has demonstrated a wide range of talents, beginning as an actor in the 1970s, he returned in the 1980s as a playwright of such plays as Blue City (which later played in Toronto and was made into the movie Blue City Stammers shot in Blyth). In the 1990s he has turned to directing shows. He loves directing because he has always enjoyed actors. Some directors have a central vision that forces actors to shape their performance to fit the vision which can be very frustrating in a creative job like acting, Coleman says. He has a different philosophy. “Most of directing is to make sure the actors go with their instincts instead of against their instincts,” he says. In the case of The Great School Crisis of ’99, directing will be responding to what Johns does. “Ted asked me to be around for some reason and we'll soon find out why,” he jokes. It’s the first time he has ever worked on a one-person show. When an actor has to carry the entire show it’s very demanding, he says, especially when there are days the show will be performed both in afternoon and evening. Still, he says “There’s an electricity when Ted performs in Blyth in that theatre.” His job as director is to help the two hour length of the show just fly by — perhaps like the 22 years since Coleman first became part of the Festival. 49" earthward ABOUND**'1 Health Foods Health Related Books 5 Great Gift Ideas 5 Supplements Sports Nutrition 5 Aromatherapy Skin Care Products 40 East Street, Goderich 519-524-6651 IT S GOOD TO HAVE HOBBIES. INSTALLING AIR CONDITIONERS SHOULDN'T BE ONE OF THEM. To an independent Lennox dealer, your home comfort is a full-time commitment. Not just a joh on the side. Each dealer has passed Lennox Quality Dealer Standards, which means you can count on them to provide exceptional customer service. Just as you can always count on Lennox to Q provide exceptional air conditioners for your home. lOtniiseERMM. 10 year Compressor - 5 year parts warranty available LENNOX* ON* thing to wonitv A.qui MONTGOMERY’S COMFORT CENTRE LTD. 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