Interview with Walter Learning

[appledor@sympatico.ca]

Yes Michael, a little known but very interesting part of Walter's theatre life was when he was almost successful starting a professional theatre company in Nfld (using the model he later developed as TNB so successfully for Beaverbrook and Hatfield in New Brunswick)...ask him to discuss his thwarted vision and efforts with Smallwood, the Perlins and the Extension department at Memorial.

I touch on this episode in an article I wrote for Theatre Research in Canada(http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/tric/article/view/5914/6951) but Walter's raconteur self tells the story so much better:

"In the mid 1960s Walter Learning (who hailed from Quidi Vidi, a tiny fishing community just outside St. John’s) had recently returned from studying theatre in Australia and taken up a position teaching philosophy at MUN. He approached Smallwood with the idea of starting a professional Equity company based at the new St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, and subsequently met with Premier Smallwood, Jim Channing, and Ed Roberts in late 1966. 

MUN had its sights set on running the new Centre as part of the Extension Service. According to Learning, however, at the meeting Smallwood tersely commented on the MUN plan: "No way Mose Morgan10and that bunch of elitists at Memorial are gonna get their ’ands on that Centre" (Learning). Still, Smallwood was open to the idea of Learning pursuing his plans—with the province as employer—and Learning thought the deal was done. However a short while later he was sent to a meeting with A.B. Perlin. At this meeting Perlin announced that his son John was slated to become the Director General for the Arts Centre, but that Learning could become the Artistic Director reporting to John Perlin. Learning declined, as he was convinced that would result in "a two headed monster." For it to work, both he and Perlin would have to report separately to the Deputy Minister (Learning). Learning was later quoted in the Evening Telegram: "[T]o get a job, you either speak to Joey and his pals directly, or you speak to noone" (Learning). Shortly thereafter, he left Newfoundland and soon sold his vision for a provincial touring company to the Beaverbrooks, Irvings, and Richard Hatfield, which led to the establishment of Theatre New Brunswick."

David Ferry
Appledore Productions
416 433 5826
www.davidferryactor.com

On Mar 1, 2013, at 9:24 AM, Michael Wallace <mwallace at theatremuseumcanada.ca> wrote:

> Me again...
> Today we will be interviewing Walter Learning.
> Any questions/themes you'd like addressed?
> 
> Thanks
> -Mike
> 
> Theatre Museum Canada
> www.theatremuseumcanada.ca
> Michael Wallace
> Executive Director
> Theatre Museum Canada
> 
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