Gil Garratt's guest appearances

Gil Garratt

The Performers Podcast

The Blyth Festival Podcast

Jeff Goins

Ray Cronise

Julieanna Hever

Ken Davenport

Irene Sankoff

David Hein

Kat Edmonson

Steve Cohen

Dayna Manning

Ophira Eisenberg

Steve Ross

Brooke Johnson

John Miller

Michael Healey

Ilana Levine

OwlTail

Part two of our in-depth conversation with Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt about his revival of James Reaney’s landmark Donnelly trilogy.Today Gil tells us about the design and staging of his new productions, and about the changes he’s made to Reaney’s original works for this production. He also talks about the Blyth audience’s particular affinity for this story, as well as his own personal connection to it.The Blyth Festival is 2.5 hours west of Toronto | 1.800.862.5284 | info@blythfestival.comThe Donnellys: A Trilogy is sponsored by Carlyle Peterson LLP and The Good Foundation, with additional support from Donnelly Murphy Lawyers and Blyth Legion 420 &amp; Legion Ladies Auxiliary.Thanks to all of you, to Bruce Power, our New Play Development sponsor, and to all Members of the Blyth Festival. We couldn't do it without you!Credits: Research/writing/host: Joanne Wallace | Sound production/editing: Jim Park | Incidental music: Doug Peterman, Sean Purdy, Eleanor Plunkett, composer Emmett Cooke via Shockwave-Sound.com | Theme © Kevin MacLeod Achaidh Cheide, licensed under CC BY 3.0

Part two of our in-depth conversation with Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt about his revival of James Reaney’s landmark Donnelly trilogy. Today Gil tells us about the design and staging of his new productions, and about the changes he’s made to Reaney’s original works for this production. He also talks about the Blyth audience’s particular affinity for this story, as well as his own personal connection to it. <a href="https://blythfestival.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Blyth Festival</a> is 2.5 hours west of Toronto | 1.800.862.5284 | info@blythfestival.com The Donnellys: A Trilogy is sponsored by Carlyle Peterson LLP and The Good Foundation, with additional support from <a href="https://donnellymurphy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donnelly Murphy Lawyers</a> and Blyth Legion 420 &amp; Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Thanks to all of you, to Bruce Power, our New Play Development sponsor, and to all Members of the Blyth Festival. We couldn't do it without you! Credits: Research/writing/host: Joanne Wallace | Sound production/editing: Jim Park | Incidental music: Doug Peterman, Sean Purdy, Eleanor Plunkett, composer Emmett Cooke via <a href="https://www.shockwave-sound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shockwave-Sound.com</a> | Theme © Kevin MacLeod Achaidh Cheide, licensed under CC BY 3.0

Artistic Director Gil Garratt: MORE Things Donnelly (Part 2)

In the wee small hours of February 4, 1880, an angry mob descended on a farmstead in Lucan.  An hour later, five people had been brutally murdered, and the farmhouse was in flames. This shocking piece of Canadian history – known as the Donnelly Massacres – was first dramatized in a trio of plays written by James Reaney in the 1970s. All three shows have been abridged and updated by Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt, and appear in rep this summer at the Blyth Festival.Today Gil shares his thoughts on why this troubling story is even more relevant in today’s climate of political polarization and factionalism. He also walks us through the actual history of the Donnelly family, and offers some insights into how a nation’s character is revealed through its art.The Blyth Festival is 2.5 hours west of Toronto | 1.800.862.5284 | info@blythfestival.com The Donnellys: A Trilogy is sponsored by Carlyle Peterson LLP and The Good Foundation, with additional support from Donnelly Murphy Lawyers and Blyth Legion 420 &amp; Legion Ladies Auxiliary.Thanks to all of you, to Bruce Power, our New Play Development sponsor, and to all Members of the Blyth Festival. We couldn't do it without you!Credits: Research/writing/host: Joanne Wallace | Sound production/editing: Jim Park | Incidental music: Doug Peterman, Sean Purdy, Eleanor Plunkett, composer Emmett Cooke via Shockwave-Sound.com | Theme © Kevin MacLeod Achaidh Cheide, licensed under CC BY 3.0

In the wee small hours of February 4, 1880, an angry mob descended on a farmstead in Lucan.  An hour later, five people had been brutally murdered, and the farmhouse was in flames. This shocking piece of Canadian history – known as the Donnelly Massacres – was first dramatized in a trio of plays written by James Reaney in the 1970s. All three shows have been abridged and updated by Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt, and appear in rep this summer at the Blyth Festival. Today Gil shares his thoughts on why this troubling story is even more relevant in today’s climate of political polarization and factionalism. He also walks us through the actual history of the Donnelly family, and offers some insights into how a nation’s character is revealed through its art. <a href="https://blythfestival.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Blyth Festival</a> is 2.5 hours west of Toronto | 1.800.862.5284 | info@blythfestival.com The Donnellys: A Trilogy is sponsored by Carlyle Peterson LLP and The Good Foundation, with additional support from <a href="https://donnellymurphy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donnelly Murphy Lawyers</a> and Blyth Legion 420 &amp; Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Thanks to all of you, to Bruce Power, our New Play Development sponsor, and to all Members of the Blyth Festival. We couldn't do it without you! Credits: Research/writing/host: Joanne Wallace | Sound production/editing: Jim Park | Incidental music: Doug Peterman, Sean Purdy, Eleanor Plunkett, composer Emmett Cooke via <a href="https://www.shockwave-sound.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shockwave-Sound.com</a> | Theme © Kevin MacLeod Achaidh Cheide, licensed under CC BY 3.0

Artistic Director Gil Garratt: All Things Donnellys, Part 1

Gil Garratt is the artistic director at the Blyth Festival, which focuses on new play development and work with rural themes.  Plays developed at Blyth have been produced around the world, which is impressive especially considering Blyth is a rural town of 1,000 people.  In our conversation Garratt shares his progressive thoughts on the Canadian dramaturgical and development process, adding that working on comedies can be the most divisive of all genres. I have witnessed, in the rehearsal of comedy, more relationships destroyed, friendships obliterated over the course of the comedy, than I have working in tragedy.  Garratt graduated from the National Theatre School’s Playwriting Program and holds an Honours BA from the University of Waterloo, and an MA from the University of Guelph.

Director, playwright, artistic director Gil Garratt