Season Brochure 2015 by Blyth Festival

2015 Exhibitions April 30 - May 21

Student Show 2015

May 23 - June 20

Community Show 2015

June 26 - July 18

From the Beginning: The Founders’ Retrospective

July 24 - August 15

A Vision of Home: Michele Miller

August 21 - September 12

A Trick of the Light: Greg Sherwood

Ron Walker and Jo Manning, admiring Ron’s painting in 1988.

In 1975, James Roy, the Artistic Director of the newly formed Blyth Summer Festival, approached local artists, Ron and Bev Walker, with the idea of incorporating an art gallery into the Festival. Starting in a small room on the lower level of Memorial Hall, the gallery later moved into its own larger space, funded through the generosity of Frank and Cenetta Bainton. The Blyth Festival Art Gallery now forms an integral part of the Centre for the Arts. Here’s to another 40 successful years!

Cover image “Corn and Clouds” and header images “Six Days in Summer” by Ron Walker.

Original Canadian Theatre. From its inception, 41 years ago, this has always been the goal: Original Canadian Theatre. It’s what we’re known for. Coast to coast, this notion has become synonymous with what the Blyth Festival is, and what it stands for. From the earliest experimenters who arrived in Huron County in the heady 1970s to the nationally decorated team of artists we have assembled for 2015, the Blyth Festival has always endeavoured, with all of its power and passion, to seek out and create Original Canadian Theatre; a theatre wholly its own; a theatre that gives voice to the region and the nation. The plays we are producing in 2015 take up this torch: they are relevant and revelatory. From a twenty-first century portrait of the increasingly unpredictable life on a contemporary Canadian farm, to the vital lost history that built so much of our shared foundation, to the song of a people who live along an inland sea, to the silence between her deep breath and their first kiss, our 2015 season tells the story of who, and where, we are. We have assembled an extraordinary team of some this country’s brightest luminaries; Now all we need is you: come be a part of the long conversation. It’s time to come back to Blyth. 2015 - 2017 Season Sponsors

@GilGarratt 2015 Media Sponsor

Seeds

By Annabel Soutar Directed by Kim Collier

#bfSeeds

JUNE 24 - AUGUST 8

Based on the case that went all the way to the Supreme Court: Percy Schmeiser vs Monsanto: Saskatchewan farmer sued by a transnational for growing a crop he claims he never planted. A pregnant young playwright travels to the town of Bruno to get the truth. What follows is her extraordinary journey into the community, into the courtroom, into the laboratory, and into contemporary life on a 21st Century Farmâ&#x20AC;Ś all in search of the real Percy Schmeiser. Production Sponsor

Blyth Festival Members

Media Sponsors

The Wilberforce Hotel By Sean Dixon Directed by Philip Akin

#bfHotel

JULY 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AUGUST 8

1830s. A pair of Minstrels are on the run from police. Desperate, they burst into the Wilberforce Hotel, owned and operated by Austin Steward, the black president of a stalwart black settlement. Through turns highly comic, and deeply moving, the two musicians, who have spent their showbiz careers painting their faces, come to learn something life-changing about the actual experience of early black settlers in Middlesex County. Loosely based on the autobiography of Austin Steward: 22 Years a Slave, 40 Years a Free Man. Production Sponsor

Fury

Book and Lyrics by Peter Smith Music by Samuel Sholdice Directed by Micheline Chevrier

#bfFury

JULY 29 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SEPTEMBER 12

In the Great Storm of 1913, off the shore of Bayfield on Lake Huron, the mighty SS Wexford went down with all her hands. There were no survivors. A young woman, her forbidden love, a zealous guardian, the would-be heir, a bare-knuckle boxer, and an irresistible singer with a voice clear and colourful as a Huron sunset, all stand poised on the brink of destruction and destiny.

Production Sponsor

Mary’s Wedding

By Stephen Massicotte Directed by Gil Garratt AUGUST 5 – SEPTEMBER 12

#bfWedding

It’s the night before Mary’s wedding, and the young woman’s dreams are full of wheatfields and battlefields. The rain on the barn when she met Charlie. The feel of the mare beneath her when he first taught her to ride. The sound of the thunder and the roar of the howitzers. From their first encounter, through the blossoming of their young love, to Charlie’s charge with the cavalry into the battle of France’s Moreuil Wood, Mary’s Wedding captures a time of innocence, courage and self-sacrifice. Perfectly placed in our Memorial Hall. Production Sponsors

Media Sponsor

Original illustrations by Randy Jones

#bfEdna From Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes. For the first time ever Blyth’s audience will have a chance to see what the Vancouver Sun called “unequivocally a work of art […] Burkett’s mastery of his craft and the beauty of his handmade puppets makes the comedy funnier, the raunch raunchier and keeps the heartfelt and heartwarming moments, genuinely sweet and moving.” An improvised tour-deforce, each performance will be completely different, utterly unpredictable, and for adults only! Presentation Sponsor

The Blyth Festival Young Company offers an unparalleled summer experience for young people local to the area. Each year the Festival hires a professional director who works with the group in a five week intensive, free of charge. The company members learn not only valuable actor training and performance technique, but are also responsible for writing and developing their own original show for our Phillips Studio; encouraging self-expression, confidence, teamwork, and leadership. While many of our Young Company alumni have gone on to have professional careers in the theatre, all of our graduates have gone on to distinguish themselves within their communities. 2015 - 2017 Season Sponsors

McCreary-Juhasz Young Company Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund

Directed by Geoffrey Armour

Visit the Box Office at 423 Queen Street in Blyth. Call us toll free 1.877.862.5984 or 519.523.9300

Email us at info@blythfestival.com Online blythfestival.com BY POST mail ticket request and cheque or credit

card details to Blyth Festival, P.O. Box 10, Blyth ON N0M 1H0 Single Tickets Regular shows Previews Youth (18 under) Phillips Studio Young Company

Regular 30 $ 22 $ 15 $ 25 Adult $ 15 Adult $

Preferred 34 $ 26 $ 15 $ 15 Youth $ 8 Youth $

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express Groups A Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dozen! Buy 12, get the 13th ticket free. Special group rates apply. Call the Box Office for complete details. Visit our website for more information on the theatre, ticket prices and policies. Special Events Ticket prices appear with event descriptions.

Ticket fees: Applicable taxes are included in all ticket prices. Exchange $3 per ticket. Exchanges are a free service to members. No exchange on day of performance. No Refunds. Each order is subject to a $4 handling charge.

Ticket Sales Tickets go on sale to: Members - Feb 2, 2015 Groups - March 2, 2015 General Public - April 1, 2015

Passes on sale until April 30 only

Purchase now and save up to 15%! Passes are redeemable for mainstage productions until Sept 12. Special Events, Young Company and Phillips Studio productions do not apply. $ 115 Flex Pass Preferred $ 100 Flex Pass Regular Youth Pass $50 $ 110 Adventure Pass Preferred $ 95 Adventure Pass Regular $ Bonanza Pass (Aug 7-9) 100

Regular Box Office Hours Mon - Fri ~ 9am - 5pm Summer Box Office Hours May 16 - Sept 12, 2015 Mon - Sat ~ 9am - 5pm Evening performance days until 9pm BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL STAGE A B C D E F G H I J K L M 27 20 N 19 9 O P ORCHESTRA Q 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 12 11

A B C D E F G H I J K L M 1 N 8 O P Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

BALCONY

25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15

AA BB CC DD EE

1413 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Hallowe’en Auction Sat Oct 24 | 7pm | $25

Blyth Arena & Community Centre

The evening will feature live and silent auctions, delectable hors d’oeuvres, and some live music.

Wingfield’s Inferno

By Dan Needles|Directed by Douglas Beattie Starring Rod Beattie

Fri April 24 | 8pm | $34 ~ Dinner $16

A devastating fire at the Orange Hall in Larkspur leaves it a smouldering ruin. Walt Wingfield leads the charge to get it rebuilt, but lighting a fire under his fellow committee members proves a daunting task. Is it courage they lack, or is the devil in the details?

Wingfield Lost and Found

By Dan Needles|Directed by Douglas Beattie Starring Rod Beattie

Fri Sept 18 | 8pm | $34 ~ Dinner $16

In the midst of a record drought, wells on the Seventh Line are drying up. A search to locate a new well on Wingfield Farm ensues but distractions abound. Is it the end of farming for Walt and Maggie, or can the precious liquid be found?

Special Events Sponsors

ROYAL FLUSH IMPROV: THE THIRD Fri May 22 | 8pm | $30 A new tradition!

Nug Nahrgang is back with some new friends from Second City and Bad Dog Theatre for a night of unscripted comedy that will leave you laughing out loud.

Annual Used Book Sale

A Blyth Festival tradition June 4-7 Free admission

June 4 - 4pm - 9pm |June 5 - 9am - 9pm June 6 - 9am - 4pm | June 7 - 12pm - 4pm Pre-order your delicious homemade pie for pick up; Friday, visit our “Book Café” for a Soup & Sandwich lunch; Sunday, join us after church for tea and coffee.

Opening Night Gala Dinner Fri June 26 | 5:45pm | $40

Blyth Arena & Community Centre Begin the season in style! Join Blyth Festival’s staff, board, sponsors, donors and friends at our Opening Night Gala Dinner. After dinner parade to the theatre led by a piper!

New Play Reading

Join us in the Lower Hall for readings of plays in development. Throughout August we will be holding staged readings of New Plays we’ve been working on. This is a chance for you to hear some of the voices we are considering amplifying into our future seasons. These are live, intimate events, with actors from our 2015 company reading roles from as yet unproduced plays. Call the box office for details.

blythfestival.com 1.877.862.5984

Contributions from individual donors directly support the exceptional repertoire of work brought to life our stage each season. Your membership donation of $ 40 or more ensures that Blyth Festival can continue to provide a unique voice in Canadian theatre. Membership benefits include: - Early booking privileges - Free ticket exchange privileges - Advance notice of the season - Curtain Call - our exclusive Members-only newsletter - Recognition in the house program - One (1) vote at the Annual General Meeting - Charitable tax receipt

For membership information, please contact the Box Office: 423 Queen St., PO Box 10, Blyth ON N0M 1H0 Tel: 519.523.9300 Toll free: 1.877.862.5984 Email: info@blythfestival.com

When you donate to the Blyth Festival, your gift can be directed to a number of different areas: A gift to the Operating Fund directly supports play production, including artist fees, wardrobe, props, carpentry, scenic art, lighting, and sound. A new play demands attention before it debuts on stage. Gifts to The Roulston Roy New Play Development help fund this process, and ensure that playwrights receive necessary support. Gifts to the Young Company allow Blyth Festival to present this rare opportunity at no cost to participants. Other youth programming includes drama workshops for children aged 5 to 12, and a Theatre-for-Young-Audience production for elementary schools each fall. Sheila Richards was a volunteer with Blyth Festival from 1978-1994. It was from her passion, dedication, and tireless work that The Sheila Richards Memorial Capital Fund was formed. Gifts donated to this fund will help carry on Sheilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy. Memberships are valid for one year from donation date. Charitable Tax #11881 2056 RR0001

Corporate Sponsorship

If your business or organization would like to be involved with Blyth Festival, consider one of our sponsorship programs. We have a program to suit any size business. Experience the benefits of an arts partnership in your community. For details contact: John McHenry, Director of Marketing and Development Tel: 519.523.9300 ext. 209 Email: jmchenry@blythfestival.com

Blyth Festival Singers is a county-wide community choir under the professional direction of Sharon Poelstra. The choir performs primarily in Huron County and has endeavoured to present a high standard of choral singing since its inception in 1980. A variety of music is performed: arts songs from all eras, popular music, Canadian and world folk songs, sacred and secular masterpieces. Like us on Facebook!

Songs of Peace

APRIL 12 |Blyth Memorial Hall|2:30pm|$15 Blyth Festival Singers commemorate the 70th anniversary of WW II with music from that era and songs around the theme of Peace. Featuring both sung and instrumental music. Tickets available in advance at the box office or at the door.

Dinner Cabaret MAY 30 | Varna Complex |6:30pm|$25 Blyth Festival Singers’ annual Cabaret Dinner and Concert is always a big hit, with an excellent meal, great music and a silent and live auction. This year’s musical guests will feature young up-and-coming soloists from Huron and Perth who will perform alongside the choir.

Formed in 1995, the Blyth Festival Orchestra performs frequently throughout the year and shines during special performances on the lawn during the theatre season. Its members are drawn from Huron County and the surrounding areas.

SPRING CONCERT

SAT APRIL 18 | Blyth Memorial Hall The orchestra is performing Vivaldi’s Gloria with thatotherchoir. For more information visit blythfestival.com.

No single thing more defines and distinguishes the role of the Blyth Festival than our New Play Development Program. From the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very first season to the one contained in this brochure, the Blyth Festival has premiered 123 New Canadian Plays. In addition to the plays you see fully realized on our stages, Blythâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incomparable group of artists are constantly at work, researching, writing, rewriting, re-researching, rewriting (again), workshopping, reading and rewriting some more. It is an incredible undertaking: a simultaneously herculean task and one as delicate as holding a snowflake. But nothing is as central to who we are, as our work with playwrights and creators.