Recap of the Village Theatre Season
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Hudson a Hotbed of Theatre, by Bert Markgraf Between the professional Village Theatre productions, productions by other professional companies and the Hudson Players Club and Music Club community theatre groups, Hudson has more going on in theatre than many small cities. This summer has seen two excellent productions and this fall will see a new and exciting initiative from a new Hudson-based theatre company. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is ClockMaster, run by Glen Robinson, some of the problems fellow-inventor a difficult play to stage well but the will be producing the David Fennario Marconi was having with Morse code Hudson Players Club production made Play “Fessenden Follies” as a steam transmission via radio waves and was the most of their lakeside setting to punk review. in fact the first person to transmit the put on an excellent show. Directed by (continued on Page 2) theatre veteran Mary Vuorela with Montreal music by Roy Vuorela as part of the theatre icon David annual Shakespeare by the Lake Fennario wrote the series, great casting, acting and play detailing the costumes kept the audience en- work of Canadian thralled. The young romatic couple is Reginald Aubrey gracing the cover of this issue and Fessenden who former Players Club president Diana pioneered the Gausden, shown in the accompanying wireless transmis- photograph, took on the male role of sion of the human Prospero as Prospera. voice. Fessenden was born in the Over at Village Theatre, another Quebec Eastern difficult play was staged successfully Townships in 1866 based on great acting and tight direct- and was instrumen- ing. Read Kathryn Lamb’s review on tal in the develop- page 7. ment of radio trasmission technol- The most exciting theatre event ogy, first for Morse of the year is yet to come. New Hud- code and then for son-based theatre company voices. He solved Diana Gausden as Prospera in “The Tempest” Photo by Valerie Provost p a g e 1 a r t s h u d s o n, a u t u m n 2 0 1 8 (continued from page 1) company has reserved the Hudson David Fennario play, “Balconville.” The human voice wirelessly. Despite this Village Theatre for a two-week world Club received an “Outstanding Com- fact, it is generally Marconi who is premiere run from Thursday Novem- munity Production” 2017 META (Mon- acknowledged as the inventor of radio. ber 8th to Sunday November 18th. treal English Theatre Award) for this show and are hoping to repeat such a Hudson resident Glen Robinson, To make this a production success. who has been active in Hudson theatre worthy of the first run of a David for many years, incorporated the new Fennario play, the company has The large cast includes Esme company last spring. ClockMaster recruited top local talent for key roles. Terry, Karen Delorme, Susan Corbett, Productions is a community driven Textile artist Tina Struthers will design Adele Reeves, Adam Recine and David theatre company that hires profes- and produce the steam punk costumes Anderson. Tickets are already for sale sionals to work alongside volunteers, for the show. As well as creating on the Village Theatre website at allowing it to put on large-cast shows textile art as independent pieces, Tina $25.00 plus tax. They are likely to go at a reasonable cost. Professional has designed costumes for the “Mid- fast for the theatre event of the fall theatre companies in Montreal have Summer Nights Dream” production of season. used this configuration for some of the Players Club and the “Peter Pan their musical productions. Glen will Pantomime” for Village Theatre. direct the new show and his credits Further afield, she has designed include directing the Village Theatre costumes for “The Hobbit” at the Pantomime “Wizard of Oz” and the Grand Theatre and several musical award-winning Hudson Players Club and comedia del arte shows for French revival of David Fennario’s theatre. Her creations of the costumes “Balconville.” on a steam punk theme for this show will be worth seeing. The “Fessenden Follies” will be mounted as a steam punk review, and Centre Decor owner Lea the website at www.clockmaster.ca Durocher will take on set design. Lea’s has extensive graphics to set the tone. set designs date back to the very A live band will accompany the actors beginnings of Village Theatre but one dressed in steam punk style in keep- of her most notable works was the set ing with the steam punk theme. The for the Players Club production of the p a g e 2 Greenwood’s StoryFest 2018 brings a world of insights to Hudson’s doorsteps by Julie Gedeon, special contributor A world of interests will be professor and, of course, accom- Liona Boyd to share No Remedy for covered during this autumn’s line-up plished writer. Love, the title of both her autobiogra- of guest authors and other special phy and latest CD. Her new memoir events at Greenwood’s StoryFest. relates how she lost her ability to perform at one point, the emotional StoryFest first takes note of this roller coaster of her divorce, past summer’s record-breaking heat by loves including her relationship with welcoming Silver Donald Cameron, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, her experience one of Canada’s most prominent performing for leaders around the environmental writers/journalists. world, and the joy of learning how to sing. StoryFest then features one of Goodreads’ 40 Hottest Thrillers (2018) when Montreal author and lawyer Catherine McKenzie dis- cusses The Good Liar, her latest Photo by Don Dixon psychological drama set in Chicago, as well as her other global bestsellers that have been translated into French, Novelist, poet and TV writer Zoe German, Portuguese, Czech and other Whittall prompts us to search inside languages. ourselves with her latest novel, The Best Kind of People. What would we do if we discovered that a person we love is capable of doing awful things? Winner of the 2016 K.M. Hunter He’ll introduce GreenRights: The Award and several other literary Human Right to a Healthy World, a prizes, this co-recipient of the 2018 documentary that he wrote and hosts Canadian Screen Award for Best about the powerful impact of this right Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy in Ecuador, Argentina, the Philippines, Series might also share what it’s like and the Netherlands. to work on CBC’s humorously daring Baroness Von Sketch. The film also features the dramatic fight for environmental rights in Canada and the United States. The Canadian literary legend and documentary builds on his book Senator David Adams Richards Warrior Lawyers: From Manila to subsequently takes us to Mexico Manhattan: Attorneys for the Earth, where a Canadian heiress experiences which he’ll also discuss. unfortunate circumstances in his 17th novel, Mary Cyr.The winner of the The festival next looks at sports Giller Prize and the Governor-General health with iconic Canadiens’ goalie Literary Award for both Fiction and Ken Dryden. The legendary Hab will Non-Fiction will be StoryFest’s break- discuss Game Change: The Life and fast guest this year. Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey. It is the latest of The festival then strikes a nine books by the top 100 NHL player, perfect chord by inviting Canadian and Photo by Nicol Mikus former Member of Parliament, lawyer, world-renowned classical guitarist (continued on page 4) p a g e 3 a r t s h u d s o n, a u t u m n 2 0 1 8 (continued from page 3) The Naturalist. It has amateur natural- the Hudson Film Society. Global intrigue arrives with Ian ist Walter Ash unexpectedly returning Hamilton, the author of the Ava Lee to his forgotten Amazon birthplace. As always, all events (except series popular in numerous countries. the writing workshop) are open to His latest book, The Imam of Tawi- The novel earned the 2017 StoryFest passholders. This year’s Tawi, is his 11th Ava Lee novel. All of Canadian Authors Association Award packed line-up is available for a pass them have been optioned for movies for Fiction. York’s international acclaim price of $110 (a $165 value). The or television. Hamilton was recently includes being on the long list for the passes, as well as single event tickets, chosen by BBC Culture as one of the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin can be purchased at Boutique Pure top 10 crime/mystery/thriller authors Literary Award and the Giller short list Art, 422 Main Rd., in Hudson, Quebec, from the last 30 years to have on our for her earlier novel Effigy, along with or on line bookshelves. several prizes for her short stories. at www.greenwoodstoryfest.com. (They will also be sold at the door if Michael Redhill generated Bilingual storyteller Sylvain seats remain available, but it’s best to headlines last year by winning the Rivard will take the younger set into buy ahead to avoid disappointment.) $100,000 Giller Prize when he only the aboriginal world of engaging tales For those without passes, the had $411 left in his bank account. His at StoryFest for Kids. StoryFest for Kids admission is by prized novel, Bellevue Square, has donation at the door. readers chuckling as a Toronto woman StoryFest will also encourage searches for her double in Kensington story creation by having auto- Market. Redhill has garnered rich biographer Marjorie Simmins, who praise in Canada and abroad for his recently authored Year of the writing for some time: his Consolation Horse about her love of and mishaps novel was long-listed for the Man with horses, lead the Let’s Write a Booker Prize, and his Martin Memoir workshop.