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THE ERA The Era Aurora- On Wed July 11 The Second Section Sports News District News Classified Section Barefoot in the Park was full of chuckles JACKSONS POINT Summer is the for laughter at the Red Barn theatre as it opened a season of comedy and farce with the hilarious comedy Barefoot in the Park The audience seemed to agree and warmly responded to topnotch per formances by the cast composed of both professional and fledgling actors of Sutton got the play off to a breathless comic start as Ma Bells usual first visitor to any new home This new home was the fifthfloor walkup of splendidly portrayed by Nancy Belle Fuller and Ken The duo carried the play through three acts of newlymarried blundering ably assisted by Nan Stewart as the what else Richard Allen formerly of Sutton also got to climb the stairs as yet another Unfortunately his part called more on his ability to gasp realistically than to speak many lines Davidson Puller and Stewart will return this week in the next Red Barn offering See How They Run They will be Joined by John J Dee the artistic director and general manager who will also have a part According to See How They Run is a wild crazy insane farce set In an English vicarage The theatres list of coming attractions describes it as breathless fastmoving farcecomedy It all adds up to the promise of summer chuckles Richard Davison and Nancy Belle Fuller The people behind the Red Barn BY DANA COOK JACKSONS POINT An accountant A farmer The proprietor of a country club and inn A real estate sales lady A recreation director A hotel owner A provincial Judge wife A school teacher A Gulf dealer A mi JOHN chairman of the Lake Arts Foundation publisher Two it see them taking a bow on the stage of the Red Barn Theatre this summer but If it wasnt or their behindthescenes efforts as founding members of the Lake Slmcoe Arts Foundation there wouldnt be any theatre at the Red Barn this summer Likely there wouldnt be any Red Bam In order of mention the saviours are Roy Jackson Audrey Hall John Merte lie puss Burrows Steve Don Havens Margaret Morrison Norman Marvin Hall Harry Stump Roger and Harry Kloepfer The nonprofit foundation is now in the process of acquiring the barn and A acres of property and presently has a lease And while the Red Barn theatre is specializing in comedy and farce this summer the story of how the old barn was rescued from the brink of destruction reads filled drama with a happy ending of course In 1969 owner Max Gold sold the barn to a developer the first point when future of theatre at the barn became uncertain In the summer of 1970 Bill Glassco who went on to found the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto ran the theatre The summer of saw a sparse schedule of only four plays The stage of the barn was bare during the summer of 1972 We were then thinking about how to make it go recalls John chairman and prime mover of the foun dation We started making a preliminary assessment but didnt come up with anything definite Starting in January of this year Georgina Township under pressure from developerowner Vitaly began warning that It would demolish the barn The first meeting of the Save the Red Barn Theatre CommlTtee was held March This group met regularly in the Sutton Municipal Officer over the next few months and out of it was bom the Foundation On May the foun dation made the final decision to go ahead with the summer theatre season This left less than a month to get the old barn whipped into shape for the June 30 Volunteer help is still needed opener of Barefoot in the Park It was an enormous amount of work Mr Sibbald explained Id estimate between 120150 mandays of work Leader of the volunteer cleanup force was Harry Kloepfer Their work included painting picking of trash interior renovations and straightening out of broken props One of the biggest tasks the clean up workers faced was the vandalism which had done to the barn over the past year In one part of the bam alone there were windowns broken But everything was In shape for the June 30 opener and Barefoot in the Park played before a capacity audience At tendance for the rest of the showing was from good to moderate Whats in the future for the Lake Simcoe Arts Foundation besides the seven remaining plays Wed like to get into the visual as well as the performing arts said Mr Sibbald Painting Sculpture Music Drama He adds It has to go In the direction people in the community want it to go Its going to have to make its own way For the time being Mr in content with giving people a few laughs foi the a JACKSON POINT Richard Allen Is learning the ropes in the theatre business at The Red Barn theatre the hard way The name of the unpaid apprentice at the summer stock theatre showed up more limes on the first program than the name of any other member of the company He played the delivery man In Barefoot In the Park the seasons opening play handled the lighting and was a member of the threeperson stage crew On top of that the young man works in the office sometimes can be found taking tickets ushering painting building sets or even sweeping the floors But the Job that gives Richard the most problems Is not one for which he gels credit on the program Richard is the theatres official coordinator of volunteers but no volunteers have offered themsleves Other seasons we have always had teenagers hanging around the theatre who are willing do a bit of work said John Sibbald chairman of the Lake Arts Foundation Without volunteers to co ordinate Richard has sometimes found himself working 20hour days at The Barn and that takes some of the fun out of being a volunteer himself We need at least one person to take tickets each night someone to hand out programs were shortstaffed in the stage hand department we need somebody handy with tools to make props and sets and someone to help move scenery during dress rehearsals said Richard Anyone wishing to help out at the theatre contact Richard or artistic director John Dee at the theatre and are seed as Interior decorations nee Hew They Barefoot la the Park