Memorial Hall plays host to student Crossroads Festival theatre experience
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Although the Blyth Festival’s 2026 season has not yet begun, last week, the village was suddenly descended upon by scores of visiting drama students pouring into Memorial Hall and spilling into the once-quiet streets, like ants on a summer anthill. The occasion was the annual Crossroads Drama Festival (CDF), put on in partnership with the Blyth Festival in order to bring together promising young performers from all over for two packed days of workshops, performances and collaboration.
At least 80 students took part this year - up from roughly 65 to 70 students last year. Lisa Gill, the Blyth Festival’s Director of Youth Engagement, played a big part in organizing this ambitious undertaking. “We’re growing at a reasonable rate that I can keep up with,” she explained. “This afternoon, we’ll see a total of five performances on the main stage - we’ve got five schools and an invited group: the Ordinary Magic crew from Goderich. Tomorrow, students will take part in feedback sessions and then create their own short performances through devising… Everybody is in a workshop - it’s a busy day!”
Throughout the day, every student is immersed in hands-on learning, including scenic painting, movement workshops, voice, text and directing sessions led by theatre professionals. In the main theatre, some students explored methods for building and managing a musical band, while others worked directly with acclaimed playwright and award-winning director Severn Thompson to create their own, original material. “Some students brought work they developed in class and got to continue building it here,” Gill said. “Mostly it’s drama clubs, but we have a few drama students involved through classwork. We’re also seeing students who might be getting the drama bug and may come back again.”
The festival showcased five performances, featuring students from Goderich District Collegiate Institute, South Huron Secondary School, Central Huron Secondary School, St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School, F.E. Madill Secondary School and the Ordinary Magic theatre troupe from Goderich.
Gill noted the remarkable atmosphere cultivated at the CDF. When students arrive, the pupils from different schools may not know one another, but bonds are quickly formed over a shared love of theatre. Soon, they are cheering each other on and offering thoughtful feedback on the work. “This is where the ‘weirdos’ lock eyes across the room - we find each other, and it’s beautiful,” she confided. “It’s a really wonderful time to celebrate students and see that they’re doing just fine - they’re doing pretty amazing things.”
Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt was also on hand at the event, and took a moment from the energetic proceedings to offer recognition to all the people who worked hard to make the event a success. “I just want to have a round of applause for those amazing teachers. And I also want to turn everyone’s attention to the very back of the room, to these extraordinary technicians back there,” he said. “And a final round of applause for our Blyth Festival volunteers - this place, and this festival, would not be possible without our volunteers.”
Natasha Keller, a member of the Blyth Festival’s Young Company, was on hand to help guide visiting students as they navigated the complex maze of the day. “I am working at the greeting desk, helping people know where to go, and I am doing some workshops,” she explained.
Keller was first drawn to the Blyth Festival’s Young Company when they came to St. Anne’s searching for potential thespians to join their ranks. She was quick to sign up. “I really wanted to do more theatre… I really wanted to do a lot of theatre!” she recollected. “I was already in the high school drama class, and they came and did a little workshop, and I was like - ‘oh, cool - more theatre!’”
She believes participating in theatre can make a big difference in the lives of young people. “I feel it helps boost your confidence, and it helps you become more of a co-operative person,” she pointed out. “Because everything in theatre is so interconnected - the actors have to know their cues, the lighting people have to be able to run the cues, the sound people and the light people have to be on the same page - there’s a lot of work that goes into this.”
Of course, it’s also a lot of fun - Keller’s favourite part of the process is learning the characters and coming together as a cohesive production. She’s enjoyed the experience so much that she’s now hoping to continue her theatrical education at the post-secondary level.
Callista Griffin is a member of the theatre troupe Ordinary Magic. “We get together, twice or three times a week, and we build a show together - it’s a lot of fun right now,” she explained. “We had so many people apply this year that we are doing two! So we have The Lottery - that’s performing here today. And then we have Peter Pan - that the school shows on Wednesday.
While Griffin is part of the Peter Pan group, she’s been spending her down time from that show to help out the other production. “My mom is stage managing for The Lottery right now, so I’m here to help out as an extra for them,” she said.
She may be young, but Griffin is already a veteran of the stage. “I’ve been part of The Livery in Goderich for longer than I can remember - I had my first show when I was nine”, she recalled. “Theatre has just been something that’s always been around me. I often went to theatre rehearsals and stuff with my mom when I was younger. When I was nine, I decided that I wanted to try out for a show… I got in, and I have never stopped since. I just think it’s incredible that we have so many places for people to be creative - whether you just want to come see a show, or if you want to be part of one, you don’t have to travel to such far places to do it.”