The Blyth Festival is gearing up for another season of unique reflections on life.
The 2011 season pays homage to Canada – past and present – and explores ideas of the Canadian identity in a sometimes reverent and sometimes playful way. It is grassroots Canadian theatre at its best from the company that first made Canadian plays attractive across the country.
This season will feature two world premieres and two moving, quintessentially Canadian productions:
The first is Hometown, by the Hometown Collective, and it runs June 21 to Aug. 7. It looks at some interesting questions. Where is your hometown? Is it a place or is it a state of mind? Through memory, stories, and song, the group of seven shines a light on Canada’s hometowns from coast to coast.
Vimy, by Vern Thiessen, runs June 29 to Aug. 6. Many believe that Canada was truly born on the battlefield at Vimy Ridge. In a field hospital, four soldiers navigate the aftermath of fear and grief as they reflect on their lives before, during and after this momentous victory.
Rope’s End, by Douglas Bowie runs July 27 to Aug. 27. Toby Boone, a 40-something loser and hopeless romantic, is reunited with his lost love after 31 years apart. Join him on his fearless and fantastical quest for love against all odds.
The final show is Early August, by Kate Lynch, which runs Aug. 3 to 27. Meet Teddy. She’s calm, she’s smart, and she’s tough. She’s the assistant stage manager at a small-town Canadian theatre, and she is going to whip a shaky troupe of actors into shape if it’s the last thing she does.
A full season brochure is available at http://www.blythfestival.com/pdfs/broch11df2web.pdf.
