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dia ast o anea. oo asd a A Sudha Lau ane dedi a a a au el a - 4 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 22, 2000 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" Borelians turn 30 ..but it's not the end for Port Perry's enthusiastic group of amateur actors... it's a new beginning By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star "Adjournment. And throughout town, Port Perry's worthy citizens were preparing for bed as usual, unaware of the magnitude of events taking place in the Anglican church." That's the final entry among the notes taken three decades ago by secretary Jane Litt as a group of locals gathered to form what was originally to be called the Port Perry amateur Theatrical Society. That moniker, thank God, had been rejected during a meeting a month earlier when one John Cawker had the temerity to step forward and declare it "a lousy name", according to the minutes. Within weeks the would-be thespians, chaired by local high school teacher Paul Arculus, would settle on the name The Borélians, and launch an era of amateur the- atre in Port Perry that continues today. ...And celebrates 30 years on the stage this weekend, when the company present You Can't Take It With You, a revival of the Going through a dress rehearsal of the new production recently were (top photo) Terry and Colleen Baskin, and (bottom) Joanne Norman and Kathleen Farquharson. The cast of the original staging of You Can't Take It With You, company's first play, which was dirécted by Diane Lackie and staged at Port Perry High School. There is a gala reunion planned after the show at Town Hall 1873 on Friday night, and it's hoped that alumni from the past three decades of theatre in Port Perry will attend. ~ This is actually the third time You Can't Take it With You, a three-act comedy by Moss Hart and George Kaufman, has been put on by The Borelians. Dave Ellis, a long-time member of the group who participated in an anniversary revival of the play in 1980, is directing this production. He says the play and accompanying reunion will be a celebration of 30 years of something very special in this community. The group has consistently mounted seasons of at least two shows since 1975, and dur- ing that time has earned a rep- utation for producing quality, award-winning work, he said. The Borelians are perennial winners in the Association of Community Theatre -Central Ontario (ACT-CO) competi- tions, which have seen the group's actars, directors, and Hh wing, »Y . i % g AP , A % A jot og, Tete > 5, " RP 3 . "a TOR NJ > a K y 0 ¢ On, " technical people collect a shelf-full of THEA awards. "That's one thing our group is known for right through Ontario: Stuff that is challeng- ing, and of quality," said Mr. Ellis, who joined the Borelians soon after moving to the area in 1973. "We've got a good reputa- tion that way. It's been a group that's grown a whole lot, from simple beginnings, to gain recognition across the province." Helping to sustain The Borelians' longevity and suc- cess has been participation by a lot of people on stage, behind the scenes, and just as important, in the audience. People in Scugog feel a sense of ownership of their local com- munity theatre, and have con- sistently supported The Borelians by paying the price of admission, and taking in the latest show, said Mr. Ellis. "It belongs to us; we want to nurture it, and we want to keep it going," he said. "People know that Town Hall and the theatre, and the peo- ple in it. The reason for that longevity is a community that supports the arts as important performed at Port Perry High School 30 years ago. Sitting are Jim Kirkaldy, Val Martin, Jack Fisher and Jean Kennedy, and standing are Liz Fulford, Glen Taylor, and Carny Enns. The show, the Borelians' first, was directed by Diane Lackie. to the community." And The Borelians' board of directors want to keep it going. They'll continue to stage quali- ty productions - with an emphasis on Canadians plays - and make efforts to attract more people to the theatre, said Mr. Ellis. Ideas being discussed right now include launching a sub- scription series in conjunction with the Scugog Choral Society, which mounts two large-scale musicals at Town Hall 1873 each year, and perhaps pre- senting summer productions. The theme, as always, will be to put good work on the stage, have a good time doing it, and keep expanding an audience base that can only grow as the community itself grows, said Mr. Ellis. "That's what part of the his- tory of this group has been," he said. "Together, we can move forward." You Can't Take It With You opens Feb. 24, and continues through the 27th, with more shows March 2,3, and 4 at Town Hall 1873. You can reserve tick- ets by calling Henshall's at 985- 1965. ad