BF26: David Scott's political, journalistic ties bear fruit with 'Last Mayor'

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

David Scott has a long and storied history not just with the Blyth Festival, but with Huron County. In many ways - looking at his history - The Last Mayor of Rusty River was the play he was always going to write.

 

Scott is a bit of a Renaissance Man in Huron County terms. He currently spends most of his time farming, but, at one time, he was a local reporter and editor for several community newspapers, but he also served as the young Mayor of Seaforth in the late 1990s. Both of the latter experiences have clearly informed the telling of the story of The Last Mayor of Rusty River. Scott was, in fact, the last-ever Mayor of Seaforth. He served in the top position in the town for the term that preceded amalgamation, meaning that the next leader of municipal council led the newly-amalgamated Huron East, comprised of the Town of Seaforth, the Village of Brussels and the Townships of Tuckersmith, Grey and McKillop.

 

So, there’s that. During his time, as a young man at the head of a lively town council, he was tuned into the generational dynamics and the idea of an old guard butting heads with a new guard. However, during that time, Scott’s attention was largely focused on the impending closure of the local high school, which he fought vigorously, all the way up to legal appeals that provided him with what he describes as his Jimmy Stewart moment.

 

Similarly, Scott knew that he wanted a local reporter to be part of the story, representing that side of his storytelling career as well, so that has also come to pass.

 

Scott’s career in play writing happened very naturally and has resurfaced from time to time over the years, beginning with his first swing at the stage: There’s Nothing in the Paper, which was part of the 1997 season at the Blyth Festival. He returned in the mid-2000s with The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom, which was a rousing success as part of the 2006 and then remounted to end the 2007 season, followed by Mr. New Year’s Eve: A Night with Guy Lombardo to open the 2017 season.

 

Despite only four plays to his name, Scott said he couldn’t help but find the humour in that, with this season, he will have had plays produced across four decades at the Blyth Festival, sneaking up to a quietly prolific career with the storied local festival.
As far as The Last Mayor of Rusty River is concerned, it was always going to be a comedy, but he didn’t necessarily count on where it would end up: a bluegrass musical written with the help of Artistic Director Gil Garratt and with the musical talents of John Powers. The three have come together to produce something that they find to be so funny and prescient at a time when politics, from the international, federal and provincial levels all the way down to the counties and municipalities, have become increasingly uncivil and a true breeding ground for some of the country’s most unbelievable stories. Furthermore, he said that the aspect of the story that deals with the warring generations - an old guard holding onto tradition at all costs and a new guard that sees the world (and the future) in a different light - is one that is almost universal in its appeal. This is all in addition to the republic of apathy that has taken hold in recent years and the need to nurture the ambitions of those who care about their community at a time when so many simply can’t be bothered.

 

Scott submitted his first draft in 2018 or so. Garratt read it at the time, but it wasn’t until a second draft came from Scott that he began to take real notice. At the time, Garratt had just written A Huron County Christmas Carol with the help of Powers, who wrote songs for the holiday production. 

 

He connected Scott and Powers and the results were instantly funny and great for the show. Later on in the process, Garratt came aboard as a co-writer (he will also direct the show) and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

 

Scott says that what the trio has ended up with makes him very happy; that it’s funny and relevant and attempts to deal with some of the very real and very serious issues facing Huron County communities and those who put their names forward to represent their communities through a hearty dose of humour.