Once the class clown and storyteller, Blair Scott is still casting spells many years later. Blair directed the recent award winning production of “Fuel” by Jerod Blake which won the Peace River Zone Theatre Festival and is now gearing up for the provincial theatre competition.
Blair says that, “Theatre is telling stories and it is fun to see the reactions of the people who see the plays.” Reactions can be good, bad, sad, or joyous, but theatre moves people to react in some way because theatre reflects life. He says, “It is like telling a good joke but the reaction lasts longer.” However, there is little humour in the powerful stage production of “Fuel”.
As a long time actor and director with Stage North, Blair chose “Fuel” for the Theatre Festival because it personifies addiction. His own personal journey in watching his alcoholic parents struggle daily with the disease helped him to guide the two actors , Gilles Francoeur and JP Wood, through the intense and emotional script. “I first saw the play when Fort St. John hosted the Can-West Playfest a few years ago.” said Blair. “I knew then that this was a story I could relate to and so can many people in Fort St. John. We have all been affected by addicts who are friends, family, or friends of friends.”
Blair has worked in the oilfield since he was 19 years old. He is the area supervisor for Terra Energy Corp. in Fort St. John. Terra Energy’s major focus of production is in and around Fort St. John so Blair is directing oilfield work on a daily basis and directing actors on stage in the evening hours. He feels that acting is beneficial for everyone in any field of work. It builds confidence, teaches you to take risks in life, moves you out of your daily routine, builds new friendships and it is just plain fun.
Both of Blair’s children are making careers in theatre. Chalene recently graduated from Capilano University with a diploma in Acting for Stage and Screen. She is on a theatre tour with her fellow thespians performing at Fringe Festivals across Canada. They will end their tour in Fort St. John and conduct a Theatre School for Stage North at the end of August. Zac was accepted into theatre school last fall at Studio 58 Langara University. Blair was pleasantly surprised that Zac had learned many techniques that helped to make “Fuel” an even better production. Returning for the summer, Zac assisted with the last few weeks of rehearsals with “Fuel”.
“Fuel” will play once more in Fort St. John as a fundraising event on June 24 at the North Peace Cultural Centre. This is a last chance to see the play for those who missed it during the Peace River Zone Festival in May. In July, the cast and crew will pack up the set and costumes and travel to Mainstage in Kamloops for the provincial competition. They will complete among the 10 zones in the province and take part in educational classes on acting, directing, technical aspects of theatre, set and costume design and more.
Blair has future plans with Stage North. Once done with “Fuel” after Mainstage, he will be looking for a cast and crew for the next production he is directing. The February show of the Stage North 2011-2012 season is “The Good Game”, a comic look into the locker room at a hockey game. It is the championship hockey team coming back 20 years later for a reunion. Anyone who has played the sport will see themselves on stage as the dressing room capers unfold. As an avid fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and a hockey player himself, Blair is sure to be very involved in “The Good Game”.
