Autumn Smith Returns to Direct 4th Line Theatre’s First Play of 2024

Photo Karen Graham.
Autumn Smith is happy to be back at the 4th Line, where she is the Director of the first play of the season.

Last August, Autumn Smith stepped in as Musical Director of the 2023 production of the Cavan Blazers, replacing brother-in-law Justin Hiscox who was suddenly hospitalized for many weeks due to a severe leg infection.

It seems she was hooked, as this year she returns to the 4th Line as the Director of Onion Skins & Peach Fuzz:  The Farmerettes, the first play in the 4th Line Theatre’s summer season.

Autumn is a seasoned professional in the theatre industry.  She is the founder, artistic and Executive Director of TimberBeast Productions, a company dedicated to creating and sharing immersive live performance focused on the unique stories of the Muskoka area.  Other theatre credits include  the Canadian Stage, The Stratford, Shaw and Blyth Festivals and the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, to name a few. She is also a professor at the University of Toronto and Centennial College.  She holds a Masters in Fine Arts from York and a Conservatory training in acting and Directing from the Oxford School of Drama in the United Kingdom.

You might imagine a Director as someone who controls every aspect of what transpires on stage, molding it to their own creative vision.  Autumn sees the role a bit differently.  She compares it to that of an orchestra conductor, relying on a script rather than a score.  When she is in the director’s chair, actors are encouraged to provide their own interpretation of the character they bring to life on stage.  Her job is to let their creativity flow while maintaining boundaries that respect the script and story while actors to explore their roles.   She describes the process as establishing a container and letting the actors play within it until they find the authenticity of the characters and the story they present.  Her style is one of collaboration rather than control, and while it may be more challenging to establish a final interpretation of the play when so many perspectives are considered, the result is richer for the audience and more satisfying for those on stage and behind it.

You might be surprised to learn that once performances begin, Autumn believes her job is done.  The vision has been established, details about the delivery of the story have been worked out and the play now rests in the hands of the performers and the Stage Manager.  She will watch a performance or two, but experience has taught her to have confidence that the professionals on stage and off will deliver a performance they have created together.

The Farmerettes play by Alison Lawrence explores the stories of some of the teenage girls who worked on farms across Canada during the summers of WWII to feed the troops as well as the entire country.  Performances run from July 1st to 20th.  To learn more or reserve tickets, visit www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca or call the box office at 705-932-4445.

A few years back, Autumn had the opportunity to share the stage with her partner Sarah and her brother and parents to compete on the game show, Family Feud Canada.  It allowed them to demonstrate their goofy, fun-loving side.  They even won $10,000.  Autumn brings that positivity and well-managed ego to her theatre work.  In an industry where success is hard to come by, this collaborative approach fosters commitment from cast and crew that will surely be evident in this season’s first production.  Will The Farmerettes be the hit of the season?  Survey says…..  KG

Tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.