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PAGE 22.THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2002.
AD looks back and ahead as she steps down
Anne Chislett
Moving on
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
After five seasons as the person
responsible for what people see on
Blyth Festival's stage, Anne Chislett
has decided her time as artistic
director is over.
Something magical happened last
Monday. Perhaps you smelled it in
the air or noticed the vibrant colours
beginning to adorn the trees. Yes
folks, Autumn .has arrived!
At our house there are a few sure
signs of fall. We start up our Findlay
Oval for a gloriouj season of
cooking and warmth. The herbs.
rosehips and vegetables are
harvested and I've scoured
secondhand shops across the county
for hand-knitted woolen socks and
mitts, (There's just something cozy
about homemade socks and mitts).
I thought it would be fitting to ask
some of the Ethel and area residents
what symbolizes the beginning of
fall and it they had a favorite
memory or musing about the season.
The Bechard family picks the
apples from their trees, and soon
after the house is filled with the
smell of apple pies baking in the
oven.
Cindy VanNess explained that,
without quetion, piles of leaves are
the much anticipated season
favourite at their nouse! Mrs.
VanNess personally looks forward to
the final harvests of her garden and
then putting the soil to rest for the
season.
George Pearson shared a memory
from childhood of one specific
beautiful fall day in September.
George explained that the weather
we have been having lately "puts
you in mind of it". A splendid day it
must have been to etch such a vivid
image in one's mind.
Hiking the local trails, particularly
at the Wawanosh Conservation area
is an autumn favourite of Jennifer
Turner-Kular. Jennifer spoke of the
natural beauty she sees when hiking
along the trails.
Bob and Olive Cunningham take
a drive north to the Kimberly area to
admire how the sun dances on the
leaves. Bob also shared another
interesting memory of fall. He
explained that his uncle, Cliff
Dunbar, owned a threshing machine
that serviced many area farmers in
the 1940s. Bob told of the great
community spirit that was shown
during harvest when Mr. Dunbar's
Looking back, she says, there is
pride and humility for what her
tenure brought W the summer
theatre.
"When I took the job I hoped to do
play development, but it's all been a
bit of an exercise in humility. As an
administrator I didn't have the time
for it. We did make some gains in
development but there were also
challenges."
There's no denying that what
appeared on stage were, for the most
part. critical successes. Also,
Chislett is proud of the "family of
artists" which were brought back
season after season. "We gathered in
people whose first thought was for
this Festival. They are devoted to it.,
There really was a Blyth Festival
company. I expect that it will
continue."
Though quick to point out there is
always room in the company for
new people, the solid core of artists
is always expanding.
Chislett also expresses pride in the
"consistency to the.work of the last
few year which Eric (new artistic
thresher would move from farm to
farm. The farmers would work co-
operatively at each farm while the
thresher was there until everyone
was harvested.
Around the same time, ads would
appear in the local papers looking
for men to go to the prairies and help
harvest there. The farmer who hired
you might pay a portion of your train
fare and you might be gone about a
month.
Mr. Cunningham_ went on this
journey once, with three pals in a
Milestone
It was a great day for Alf
Sutton on Saturday as he
celebrated his 90th birthday
with family and friends during
an open house in the Brussels
Legion. (Vicky Bremner photo)
On Sept. 28, 1912, a son was born
in Toronto to Arthur John and Amy
(Crook) Sutton.
Alf Sutton, who celebrated his
90th birthday with an open house at
the Brussels Legion on Saturday,
was educated at Brampton Central
Public and Brampton High School.
On Nov. 2, 1934 he' married
Muriel Ethel Whitehouse. The,
couple had one daughter Muriel
director) and I worked hard to
achieve."
Coates's ability was one of the
reasons Chislett felt the time was
right to leave. "As associate AD he
as been a full partner. He was willing
and able to take over and pick up the
reins."
There are probably few who know
Blyth Festival as Well as Chislett.
One of its co-founders, she has not
only played a part in producing what
appears on stage but has created
some' of its biggest success stories.
Quiet in the Land, The Tomorrow
Box and Another Season's Promise,
co-written with Keith Roulston,
were all critical and audience hits.
Word that Quiet is to be part of
Stratford Festival's 2003 season co-
incided with her announcement that
she would not be returning as artistic
director. "It was wonderful timing,"
she says. "Sort of my calling card as
I turn to full-time writing."
It is as a playwright that Chislett
admits she is happiest. "As artistic
director I hadn't given up writing
entirely, but I missed spending
1948 Monarch. He explains that they
harvested wheat in Alberta and made
enough money to head on to the west
coast for a brief holiday. To pay for
the way back they worked
harvesting sugar beets and,
according to Bob, arrived home with
their pockets nearly as full of lint as
when they left.
Their minds that much the richer,
I'm sure.• May you enjoy the rich
colours, glorious smells and
wonderful sights autumn brings
us!
Helen, who passed away July 8,
1988.
A postal worker in Brampton and
Georgetown, Sutton retired Dec. 31,
1973. He and his wife settled in the
hamlet of Ethel.
Having enjoyed a very active life
Sutton has been involved in many
organizations and hobbies. He has
been a pianist, organist and orchestra
leader. He is a life member of the
Brampton Lions Club, a member of
the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 218,
Brussels, past master of St. John
Lebanon Chapter R.A. M. Wingharn.
Sutton is with the St. Elmo
Preceptory Templar. Knights,
Stratford, the Mocha Temple
Shriners, Legion of Honour (Mocha)
and Bluewater Shrine Club.
Special guests present to help him
celebrate his special day included his
brother David A. Sutton and wife
Bookie, of Newmarket and their
family from Aurora, Toronto and
Oakville; his nephews, Rod Godden,
his wife Gail and their family from
Ethel and Brampton, Gary Godden,
his wife Ruth Anne and family from
Trowbridge and Listowel, Donald
Anthony and his wife Mae and
family from Toronto, Brampton and
Sudbury, William J. Sutton and his
wife Pat and family of Toronto; a
niece Doris Noble and family from
Toronto; cousins from Scarborough,
Brampton and Listowel; Lions club
members from Brampton; former
Melody Men orchestra members
Ross Crawford, Fergus, who .played
sax and Ken Cotterill, Freelton, who
played cornet; Dave and RuthAnne
Edmonds and family of Georgetown;
Rev. Richard and Joan Golden,
Brussels; neighbours and friends
from Ethel and Brussels.
Bob Cunningham of Ethel was the
'master of ceremonies for the
occasion. The cake was piped in by
Donald Dunbar. Special music was
provided by pianists Mary Bryans
and Alice Brothers.
whole days sitting at a computer. I
can cheerfully spend six to eight
hours a day there because I love
writing."
Ideas for plays, she says, smiling,
are "stacking up like airplanes on a
runway".
For Chislett the ultimate success
as a playwright is not measured in
dollars and cents, or fame. "When
you write you're visualizing the
production. I am not writing a
career, I am writing a play. I want it
to do Well because I care about it. It
isn't that I have any ambition to he
the toast of Broadway."
The` wonderful thing about
Stratford mounting Quiet in the
Land, a story of a Mennonite family
in a time of change, is, Chislett says,
"that it found its way there. You put
plays out there and others do them.
If they're good they survive."
It is a desire to communicate
something that makes Chislett love
to write. "The idea of the play is
important to me and hopefully that
transmits."
That has also been her mark as a
producer, she says. "I would not
produce something I couldn't sign
my name too."
Having her name associated with
Blyth Festival is a great source of
pride for Chislett. "This Festival
remains a unique venture, a summer
theatre, but one which does work of
significance."
It is• therefore frustrating to see
that despite the quality, the Festival,
like so many others has seen
audiences dwindling. "We are down
10,000 from the heyday. We're
building again, but we have to make
people understand how important
this theatre is."
Recalling The Outdoor Donnelly.s
as an example Chislett says it takes
an "extraordinary event" to bring
people to the theatre. "It's not
enough to say it's a good play, you
will enjoy it."
And this may be her failing. "That
is really not my thing. I am only
interested in the quality of the
work."
For the future she has written a
play for the Manitoba Theatre for
young People on globalization, and
has been working on The Perilous
Pirate's. Daughter,: based on an idea
of David Archibald for this Festival
season.
Though she believes more of her
time may now be spent in Toronto.
ties with Blyth will always be
strong.
"For 15 years I was not involved
in this Festival; but maintained
contact. I would.anticipate as long as
I live I will be part of Blyth Festival
in one way or another."
A. Sutton turns 90