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Home Newspaper of Hills Actons BIA page 14 Community news page March SECOND SECTION All natural performers studio nurtures Herald stair writer AH children are natural act but whether or not they develop the talents borne of youthful imagination and free dom is a direct result of the kind of encouragement they receive In reaching maturity both on and off the stage Upon this premise George town residents Williams and Nicholas both of whom made their stage debut at early ages founded the Nomlc Studio of performing arts which completed its first season with a student prcsen tallon this past weekend ember Studio has reduced more youngst ere to the basic skills of the theatre from makeup and writing tosongand dance The season achievements have delighted the studios found who admit that the school curriculum and dircc tian during the first year was largely experimental SESSIONS Children who signed on for the weekly sessions at Knox Presbvtenan church on Main Street displayed an eagerness to learn improvise and create that surprised their instruct youngsters who were seriously Since its Inception last Sept PEOPLEt limited in their performances by shyness and stage fright when they first joined the studio have blossomed into outgoing promising young at Mrs Williams who can I him extensive musical train in a number of amateur mi professional com pa nies between here and her native Montreal and Mr who has been involved In live theatre in Britain and Canada for the past years arc agreed that stage talent is an inheritance of birth Once that natural talent is identilied though they believe it must be encouraged and developed t maturity before it can be reflected on Alihough no applicant are turned away at the Studio Mrs Williams and Mr Nicholas are In a position to assess their students acting and monitor their deve lopment over the semester Those who demonstrate no real talent for the stage and those whose talents appear to lie in other creative fields are advised of their evaluation and directed toward more appropriate are as of involvement Report cards are among the few structured aspects of Inst at the Studio Friendly atmosphere important at lodge By MAbCI Ml Herald A friendly homey ere where they can feci secure is a most important part of providing a home for the aRed in the opinion of Ma pie view Lodge owner Joan Waldie Mrs says the 11 years she has spent caring for elderly people has been a wonderful experience When she look over the big farm house on the town no between Erin and Halton Hills just north of Acton she had a dream and a lot or faith and not much else Experience has taught her cope with a lot of things she know how to handle when she first opened the lodge ENJOV THINGS One of the keys to keeping her residents happy is letting them do the things they enjoy like setting the tableor baking she says We have one lady who loves to set the table so that her Job every day she explains Another one likes to clear things away Some of them still like to bake and I consult them about rccipies and things when we re pickling or for the group It takes so little to make them feel part of the place and it does so much to make them feel secure and content Food is a big part of the expense to running a place like the lodge but Mrs doesn t believe in using red or processed foods If she can avoid it As a result she picks fruit and vegetables and puts them In the freezer at the lodge She also buys meat by the half carcass and has milk delivered to the door It might cost a little marc but I just can see these old people having anything less than the best she says They deserve it Mrs Waldie was bom in No rva I and lived in Ashgrove Speyslde and Acton as she was growing up She and her husband Wilfred moved to a farm on the south side of the townline years ago While her elder son and from the Children Aid Socie ty to keep them company In a 10 year period she had foster children including twins She also had a few unmarried mothers staying with her at various time KELP IN TOUCH There are a lot of them that I ve never heard from she says but others keep in touch Having those kids en my life and taught me a lot Her elder children are all on their own now DavM is a cabinet maker for a boat builder in Coll Lynn is a secretary in Acton and Duncan works Lillian a student at McKenzie Smith Middle School in Acton Mrs Waldie husband died in November alter a lengthy illness It was while her children were still small that she to go Into nursing She looked into the Quo Vadis school in Toronto but decided against it when her brother a doctor in North Bay warned her she kill herself looking after her family including the foster children and taking her nursing degree in two years Instead she went to The School of Practical Nursing in Toronto and came out with qualifications equal to that of a registered nursing assistant In 1965 She began working in the obstetrical ward of George town hospital when opened Joan Lodge Toronto watches Mae lamhrrt Hi set the able and lor the residents evening meal Mrs Wellington counties I came to the lodge from her home in Itockuood but Mrs gels inquiries Herald photo and stayed there until I960 she worked shift steadily She also worked in the surgical ward at St Joseph hospital in for a short time It was while she in the hospital that she began think setting up a nursing home SUMP PL I saw so many old people who really fit to go home on their own any more but they bad enough for a chronic care hospital she explains 1 wished I had some place I could offer them where I hey could have the help they needed but the freedom to go on doing the things they were able to do like washing the dishes or setting the table New approaches to geriatric care seem to indicate that Mrs Idea of sustaining residents previous Interests is a good idea One of her residents brought her canary when she came to the lodge Another woman likes plants One resident Martha Jackson loves hockey and is a Daryl SIttler fan For her birth day her present was a trip to Maple Leaf Gardens to see Leafs practise and meet some of the players In person Mrs Slttlcr Mrs Waldie has two full time people one who irks days end one who works evening There are also two part time women who work nights on weekends and her through the week She also gives the volunteers from Acton High School plenty of praise saying that the elderly enjoy their visits whether they are company them on walks or cards with them or laughing and joking as young people do She is always glad to sec groups come to visit Mrs says and adds hat a nearby church group is intere sted in forming a support group to help lake residents shopping and transport them to various activities This would be very useful she says if it can be arranged since it takes a good deal of organizing to get residents out for appoint or just shopping Tor all the odd things they find they need She also likes to see her residents get to fall fairs and similar affairs At present Mrs Waldie has residents but she ex peels- more too arrive in the next couple of months Right now all her residents are female but she has had several couples and she hopes that one day she can put an addition to the house so that she can have room for some men One couples even celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary from the lodge Her residents come from referrals from hospitals doct families and sometimes prospective residents call up to make inquiries It seems to be very hard for fit to communicate with thi elderly members when it time for them to give up Iheir homes and go into some type of care she says I interview them and invite them see the place before they make any decision The feeling of security and complete happiness is so to them Over the years IS or residents have died at the lodge Mrs Waldie says she doesn send her residents to other homes as they become Incapacitated unless they need surgery or oxygen or long long term nursing While it might be easier on her if she did this wont give them up and upset them if she can avoid It keep hem right to the end she says One couple I had the husband died first and his wife was with him all he time holding his hand Then when she died we stayed with her Its very depressing at the time but you get over it Mrs says she has learned over the past few years that she must take breaks and get away from her job every once in a while When I the form and the kids were small I used to work until I was exhausted she says I learned the art of survival You need divers Ion some sort of hobby It s essential to your mental health to learn to relax My home is my hobby she says We jusl built our home and I m still landscaping it and weve put in a pond I love gardening and reading Lillian and I go crosscountry skiing at Terra Cot la and we just look swimming lessons together Mrs says she Is just getting back into focus after her husbands death Her nursing home was begun on a dream and a lot of faith and pray and perhaps one day she will get her expansion the same way Her dream home won t have to be big or very profit making It just has to be homey and friendly wellorganized and well run She considers herself to be basically an emotional person rather lhan one who deals well with figures As a result she relys on her accountant to keep her books straight and her lawyer to advise her in bust matters and keeps her prayer line open for the financ assistance shell need to make the changes she would like see at Lodge regular evaluations are designed to keep parents of the students informed as to their child progress but deal naively with developing I raits as they relate to performing arts You can t be taught to act Mr Nicholas But you can be guided and developed and natural talent is a major factor here If it not in you that desire and drive then you may have difficulty with the performing arts The studio junior students aged seven to years and the seniors ages 13 and up are encouraged to address their instructors by their first nam a faclor which Mrs Will lams and Mr Nicholas believe promotes self respect and ca While instruction in the var aspects of theatre arts remain preliminary only touching upon the foundation of stage skills the Studio covers a lot of ground which theatre courses in public and high schools do not In many Instances Mrs Williams the students arc seeking to extend the instruction they received in the schools Where Studios true lure Is somewhat more flexible than In the schools Is in the Instructors willingness lo allow students ample opportunity to demons rate their individual talents improvise and Jointly discuss and share their ideas Improvlsatlonal work at the studio has been vtry success and made up a large portion of Saturday a present atlon at Knox church hall where students of all ages performed a variety of theatr ica I productions self written for parents friends and guests The experimental nature of the studio first two semesters has given Mrs Wjlllams and Mr Nicholas a good idea of what direction their should take when courses begin again in the fall Both agree It s marvellous that all of their students are eager ly awaiting another semester so they can continue the work they began this year Not only are the students attending classes at the studio of their own accord rather than by their parents wishes Mr Nicholas says but they be come fiercely involved In their own projects gelannoyedwlth themselves when things don t work out as they hoped and become jubilant when a scene or song is successful Studio derives its name from syllables in Mrs Williams middle name No- reen and Mr Nicholas last name The Idea for starting a young people theatre work shop was first discussed seve ral years ago after Mrs Will lams and Mr Nicholas became acquainted through their a ma tgur theatric work in Having realized their idea after moving to Georgetown about two years ago the two veterans the stage now feel that the purpose being fulfilled by Nornic Studio Is a far greater one than simply basic training for potentially gifted youngsters Having served as a member of many professional and teur theatre groups in his native Wales In England and in Canada Mr Nicholas bears convincing witness to the portance of community heat re within ascending struct of the performing arts As is much more apparent In Britain where the Little Then movement enjoys a far wider base and appeal com munity theatre is the back bone of the professional tre he says Feeding the amateur theatre In all its small community manifestations across Canada and Britain meanwhile are the young peoples theatres and workshop groups like Studio Both the child rens theatre and Us adult amateur counterpart are fill a sad gap in our local culture Mrs Williams obse rves speculating that Studio itself will directly bene fit the work of the Georgetown Little Theatre and other a mat groups in the area in years THEATRE ALIVE Ultimately It is groups that keep the profess ional theatre alive she says Local cultural groups are ap pearing to meet every Interest among the community craftsoriented people and fl creating a balance with the town many Sharon left and Kim aid demonstrated one of the dan en they choreographed for show put on by Studios Saturday afternoon for pur en Is of students who have studying singing acting and other forms of expression with the Herald by Taylor cd groups The best communities in Canada arc those that have a balance between the different types of social activities Mrs Williams says Through the Nornic Studio and the Hills Arts Council Mrs Williams has been Involved in discussions about the theatre and cultural centre proposed for develop ment in Georgetown Like her colleagues In virtually all of the arts and crafts groups in the community she feels lhat such a facility is sadly lacking She points out with pleasure thai most of the cultural organizations In town are now In high gear in their own efforts to make the theatre and cultural centre a reality The mailer is now the subject of an ongoing feasibility study by town council the Rotary the ions selves Mrs Williams began voice and choral training at her Montreal area home at an early age She made her stage debut at age nine took her first lead role at age 15 and spent about ten years touring the Montreal area with a young people semi professional concert group in which she was one of eight featured soloists After a seven year break Mrs Williams returned to music and the stage in a production of Gilbert and Sull vans The Gondoliers She has since been deeply involved In the administrative aspects of musical theatre and has been a founding member of three different musical companies in the Montreal and Brampton A mother of five children she is employed as an Ins true or at Brampton Tiny Tim Developmental School which integrates mentally retarded youngsters with those who ore normally adjusted Nornic will be presenting a benefit performance in mid April or May from which all proceeds will go lo the Tiny Tim School Mr Nicholas arrived in Canada six years ago after what was already a lengthy career in ihe theatres of Britain He first came lo Canada as a performer with the Elizabethan Players when troupe performed at Lester Pearson and decld remain in Canada From small beginnings at age of Mr Nicholas went on to acting stints with various repertory companies Including those in Be grave Swansea and Coventry did some radio and television work and began directing theatrical performances in 1963 Upon his arrival In Ontario he found living quarters with two old friends from England Ron and Betty Hill of Bev Nicholas town Little Thealre Mr Hill and Mr Nicholas have appear together in many Little Theatre productions since then most recently teaming up to depict a pair or ancient Greek warriors in last fall The Rape of the Bell TPAC1IE5 MUSIC Mr Nicholas now handles much of the instruction at Nornic Studio while Mrs Will iams teaches the musical Ions and serves as the school administrator Assisting them in their leaching duties arc several friends and associates from outside lown who are invited to studio for work shop sessions on specific top ics Anticipating an Increase in Ihe studios registration next season Mrs Williams Mr Nicholas are planning to step up their lutorlng programme so that more workshops will be directed by professionals Plans for the future also Include a separate branch of the studio possibly opening in and a series of workshops for adults in the fall On Apr the studio will play host to Fred Thury a well known professional acting tutor in Ontario who ted the Georgetown Lit lie Theatre recent production of When We Altc Married for the Central Ontario Drama val Mr Thury who is well known locally as a former director of the Liltle Theatre will coach adults and youngst on acting techniques and exploration His workshop at the Studio is designed for a cross section of acting talents so that those with extensive past experience on Ihe stage will get as much out of It as will beginners Mrs Williams points out that only people will be accepted for the workshop and thus advises those interested to apply now ADULT WORKSHOPS April may also see a series of adult workshops depending on the interest shown Although workshops arc normally held Saturdays all day Mrs Will lams notes that many adults have trouble attending during weekends Registration fees for young peoples courses at Studio are ISO for Juniors and for seniors Classes run for two hours on Saturdays at the Knox church although courses themselves Involve field trips for students to theatrical product Ions in and outside town and other activities extending bey usual times Studio Is a registered member of Theatre Ontario and Association of Com Theatres