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Mustakas, who has taken on the tremendous task of launching the "Inaugural Season" of a summer theatre festival says. "The awareness - that's the toughest challenge . making people aware of where Drayton is and what we are doing." This is perhaps the most common question Alex Mustakas is asked as Artistic and Managing Director of the newly renovated Drayton Festival Theatre. 7Feiigi' By Michelle Lahn Wit; 'pliitti Just where exactly is Drayton? “History is something I really love," he says. "Part of It is an aspect of nosiness I think - just wanting to know how other people lived their lives in other times." And though his popularity is growing as is his reputation for being a wonderful storyteller through song. a career in music was not part at Keelaghan's original plan. A history major in university, he initially considered practising law. While still in school Keelaghan began to play prutesalonally, and today, he translates his keen love of the past into music. "Things have really taken off for me in the last few months," he says. "We - myself and the band - have travelled further afield than i ever thought we would." Virtually every province in the country - with the exception of New Bruns- wick and P.E.I. - has been exposed to Keelagh- en's music. He has travelled as far east as St. John', and as tat north " Yellowknife. not to mentlon to 15 at the continental United States. His folk songs of history have created a force to be reckoned with on the Canadian music scene and he has already begun to break into the U.S. market " well. The past six months have been the best of Jame; Koalaghan's career. By Michelle Lahn Last six months best of Keelaghan's career Keelaghan's music has both a folk and a Renovated Drayton Theatre gears up for season of 'light-hearted' entertainment W. It all began in 1902 when the Drayton Town Hall was constructed with a 38th seat theatre on its top floor, But some 86 years later it looked like this little piece of town history was going to be just that . history. In a fairy-tale effort, local villagers donated time, effort and money to save the building and bring it back up to fire and safety code standards. In fact, out of If all goes as planned, this village, which incidentally is about a 30-minute drive from Kitchener-Waterloo, just may prove to be an up-and-coming centre of culture and first class entertainment. He presently has " per cent of the material for his next album written and hopes to begin pre- production in May and record in September. It all goes as planned, Keelaghan‘s third recorded eftort will be released in December of this year. James Keeleqhan performs in concert with Connie Kaldor and Ferron, Friday, March 29, 8 pm. at UW's Humanlties Theatre. Tickets are $17 and are available by calling the box office at 885. 4280 or Provident Bookstore at 746-2872. "As time goes on. I think my songwriting is taking an even more distinctive turn, in terms of the way that I'm writing it and the way I'm constructing the songs." says Keelaghan. Small Rebellions, Keeleghen's second and most recent album, illustrates this with songs like Rebecca's Lament and the title track, Small Rebellions, He feels he has gained firmer ground with this album and that he has become much more deliberate about Mmusic. "I'm concerned about the nature of how we can become free - of how we maintain our rights and how we live our personal lives according to those decisions." he says. country feel to it. He particularly enjoys writing songs from a first person perspective. and he has chronicled many issues in Canadian history, including the Htllcrest Mining disaster, Dunkirk, and the plight of Indian chief Tecumseh. Freedom is a dominant theme in is most recent songwriting. Three shows are scheduled for this nine-week summer festival. which begms with a preview night on July 2 The first production, entitled Vaudew/Ie, is a salute to the good old days of musical theatre. Mustakas rs particularly excited about this show because Alan Lund, creator of the onginal productron of Anne of Green Gables, will be guest director and choreographer. To date, 50 per cent of the membership is actually coming from outside Orayton Members will come from KAN to London to Toronto - even as far as Quebec And the story continues. Enter Mustakas. As a professional arts administrator, director and actor, his help was initially enlisted to prepare a protect outline on the feasibility of theatre, Today, he is largely responsible for getting Drayton's summer theatre festival off at the ground. Mustakas. a Waterloo reSIdent, lS overwhelmed by the support that has come from the village and surrounding communities. The Theatre already has well over 200 subscribing members the $176,000 raised to save the hall, approximately two-thirds came from the village itself, which has a population of a little over 1,000 people. "What is so striking about this number is that I think It's a commitment,' says Mustakas, "It's support for what wtyre doing and we haven't shown a product yet." FREE TABLE DANCING G---- Tuesday a. Wednesday ngms 9 11 p m Recession Special . Free Pool 1 - 5 p m Regular Buffet 53.25 Sat. noon till 1 pm. FREE ENTERTAINMENT ZONE. WEDNESDAY. MARC Battle of the Sexes Sat., March " Etamng at 9 p m --1tzaturmg - Temptation Panther n has been very excmng tor my has been very excmng for everyo" Involved m the theatre s re-openn‘. says In the meantime every day hm; " Challenges tor Mustakas but that t‘ w»: C seem to matter . he loves running "v c small country theatre Eventually he would Inke to see " t theatre become a producmg house ' new Canadian comedes The Drayton theatre was set up war P. mandate not only to create a Somme theatre festival, but to also use the facilities tor educational and culture actwmes Area schools and the Drama” Community Players WIN be able tr c'." ce the theatre for local productmns Mustakas plans to set up a cnndrw t serves In the fall and hopes to rur concerts and tour groups through The theatre as well "We re looking at a season ot w hearted family entertamment he "We Just want to get people out _ think these shows will appeal to a ages, _ Mustaias feels that Vaudew/Ie IS a ternhc way to reopen the theatre new»: it IS the kind of show that w0utd “3% come through the village In the Guru days Neil Smon s, Brighton Beach Mug/rs and Gilbert and Sumvan s The may» vl Penzance are also on the Summe' program Both wnH be directed by Mustakas Open Daily Noon- 1 am Waterloo’s NETWORK 579 King St. N., Waterloc 746-5209 M 20 1991 _ was Lily