As the Classic Theatre Festival gears up for its 6th season of professional productions of shows from the golden age of Broadway and the London Stage, there are many ways for community members to get involved. As part of the Festival’s preparations, volunteers are being sought for a variety of rewarding opportunities to get involved with this summer’s productions, which include Neil Simon’s comedy “Barefoot in the Park” (July 10-August 2) and Frederick Knott’s “Wait Until Dark” (August 7-30). Volunteer roles include front-of-house staff, working on the painting and construction of sets (in conjunction with Stratford Festival designer Jennifer Goodman), assisting with marketing the Festival and the Town of Perth as a tourist destination, and helping out with concessions. “We have been blessed with great volunteers who really get into the spirit of welcoming the thousands of visitors to Perth who attend the Festival each summer,” says Artistic Producer Laurel Smith. “One of the most consistent comments from those visitors is how warm and friendly our volunteers are, which leaves a great impression, and encourages repeat visits, which benefits everyone in Perth.” Those volunteers also earned the Festival top marks in the Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization’s OHVation customer service program. One of those volunteers is Madeleine Labelle, a theatre fan who began volunteering with the company in 2011 and has since become President of the organization’s Board of Directors. “As a theatre lover, I was so excited 6 years ago when I heard that the Classic Theatre Festival was bringing professional theatre to Perth,” Labelle says. “I wanted to be part of it – and what better way than to be on the  volunteer team?   I love the experience of working in such a positive environment and meeting the patrons who come to be entertained and to have a good time. You hear such wonderful stories about people after they see a good show. They want to share what is going on in their lives, and relate it to what they just saw on stage. It makes for a lot of wonderful moments.” Individuals who wish to volunteer can either email info@classictheatre.ca or call Labelle who, in addition to working as President, is also the volunteer coordinator, at (613) 279-1991. Community Hours, Co-op Placements Because the Festival is a registered charity, it can sign for the community hours required by high school students; it also offers co-op work placements during the summer. Some of the previous years’ volunteers and co-op students have gone on to find summer employment with the Festival. This year, there’ll be a new volunteer role: that of the costumed greeter. “We’re looking for folks who love to dress up and promote the town of Perth, and on a daily basis, they’ll be roving the streets in period costume promoting our Perth through the Ages walking tour, the Lonely Ghosts Walk, the Festival’s mainstage shows, and all the other great summer attractions Perth has to offer,” says Smith. Hosting Actors In addition, the Festival is still looking… Continue reading

Every summer when the curtain goes up at the Classic Theatre Festival (54 Beckwith Street East, at Harvey) hundreds of free seats are made available to residents of Perth and surrounding communities who otherwise would never be able to enjoy live professional theatre. Those seats are made available courtesy of the Deborah Cass-Bernard Behrens Save-a-Seat program. This year marks the second in a row that the Festival is collecting used books that will be on sale in the theatre lobby all summer long to raise funds for the program. With spring cleaning on many people’s minds, those who have books to donate can contact the Festival by calling (613) 264-8088 or emailing info@classictheatre.ca. Save-a-Seat was named in honour of two veteran Canadian performers who, following the Second World War, made their mark coast to coast to coast with the travelling Canadian Players (a group made up of Stratford Festival performers who took the shows on the road during the fall and winter months on a rickety chartered bus), as well as with the CBC, the Shaw Festival, the Crest and Neptune Theatres, among others. Through the Classic Theatre Festival, almost 1,000 tickets have been shared with everyone from food bank clients and women’s shelter residents to seniors, young people, social assistance recipients, and more across Lanark County, in North Frontenac, and in Kingston and Ottawa. “Poverty socially marginalizes people, because most things people do when they get together involves spending money, whether that’s going for a donut and coffee, visiting a friend with the expectation that you bring food or a beverage, or hosting a party,” says Festival Associate Producer Matthew Behrens, whose parents bear the name of the Save-a-Seat program. “When you live on a fixed income, it’s hard to get out and enjoy a lot of the stuff many of us take for granted, and this is one way that we can help people reintegrate into the community because it costs them nothing.” Some Save-a-Seat recipients have gone on to volunteer with the Festival as well, bringing their special talents as ushers, painters, or carpenters to the Festival, which this year features two mainstage Broadway classics (Neil Simon’s comedy “Barefoot in the Park” and Frederick Knott’s thriller “Wait Until Dark”) as well as a brand new Perth through the Ages walking tour and a Friday night Lonely Ghosts Walk. “And if you don’t have books to donate, we can issue charitable receipts for cheques and online donations because we are a charitable organization,” Behrens says. Individuals who would like to donate books or make direct contributions to the Save-a-Seat Fund can contact (613) 264-8088 email info@classictheatre.ca, or visit www.classictheatre.ca and hit the donate now button. Continue reading