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(Posted Nov. 11, 2018)
Artistic
director’s granddaughter makes her theatrical debut
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
In
a wonderful confluence of her professional and personal
lives, Ottawa School of Theatre’s (OST) artistic director
Kathi Langston is directing her granddaughter in the three-year-old’s
first stage appearance.
Tilly
Mackie is in the non-speaking role of fairy Rosina Bubbleshine
in the Nov. 24 performance of the theatre’s school production
of Fairy Tale Caravan.
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Ottawa
School of Theatre artistic director Kathi
Langston with her granddaughter Tillie, 3,
who will make her acting debut in the Fairy
Tale Caravan. STAFF PHOTO
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“She
reminds me so much of her mother who was great on stage
from a young age,” recalls Langston.
Tilly
is the daughter of Langston’s eldest girl Jessica.
With
a cast of close to 60 playing more than 100 characters,
Fairy Tale Caravan is the latest of OST’s large
cast all-ages plays. It tells the story of a band of young
and old caravan fairies on a quest to recruit members
and to find the famous Brothers Grimm, sharing stories
along the way.
Langston
took her first acting class in her hometown of Calgary
when she was nine. After a career of more than five decades,
the award-winning actor, director and community leader
believes passionately in the value of theatre study.
“Theatre
teaches so many life skills, including self-confidence,
teamwork em-pathy and creative problem-solving. I really
believe it is one of the best things you can do for your
child,” she says.
Both
of Langston's daughters participated in the arts as children.
“As
adults, they are both caring and kind, and skilled in
whatever they do,” she adds, confident that their theatre
experiences helped them become successful adults.
That
sentiment is echoed by Paula Folkes-Dallaire who, with
her husband David and sons Felix, 4, and Liam, 7, are
also first-timers in the OST production.
The
family, who live in Findlay Creek, discovered OST on the
internet after Felix “crashed the stage” this past summer
during a performance of Twelfth Night at Strathcona Park.
“When
Felix showed signs of being interested in acting, singing
and being dramatic, I looked online to find a school and
(OST) looked the most comprehensive to teach the basics
of theatre and essentially give him a pathway if he wanted
to continue,” Folkes-Dallaire says.
Her
husband is taking a pre-school drama class on Saturday
mornings and the whole family decided to participate in
the school’s family play. While this is Folkes-Dallaire’s
first time on stage, her father was a drama teacher in
Toronto-area schools and she credits the influence of
theatre with giving her self-confidence and strong oratory
skills which are invaluable in her job as an executive
in the public service.
Fairy
Tale Caravan is suitable for all ages and runs under
two hours, including an intermission. Performances are
in the Richcraft Theatre, Shenkman Arts Centre, on Friday,
Nov. 23 at 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24 and
25 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for
children. For more information call OST at 613-2764 or
visit www.ost-eto.ca.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support
of our local business partners.)
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