In his former life, Len Cuthbert was a commercial pilot and aircraft mechanic.
And over the past couple of years, Cuthbert has brought to life the history of Southwold Township with a pair of theatrical productions, Snapshots and Lawrence Station: The Crash of American Airlines Flagship Erie.
Cuthbert returns to Shedden with Blue Side Up.
Originally titled delilah, it debuted in 2011 as a 10-minute production at the London One Act Festival.
We talked to Cuthbert about this heartwarming and humorous story.
Snapshots focused on the Second World War and the RCAF Bombing and Gunnery School near Fingal.
One of the acts mirrored the philosophy of long-time area resident Lorne Spicer, one of the founders of the Rosy Rhubarb Festival, a member of the Elgin Stewardship Council and the St. Thomas Field Naturalists.
He believed life is the train, not the station.
Lawrence Station: The Crash of American Airlines Flagship Erie documented how, on October 30, 1941, American Airlines Flight 1 lost its struggle to remain airborne, hurtling into a field at Lawrence Station in Southwold Township.
Twenty died in what was Elgin county’s worst disaster.
Aviation is the backdrop to Blue Side Up, rooted in Cuthbert’s old stomping ground at the airport in Welland, Ontario.
Mick is a pilot and aircraft mechanic who manages a small airport in exchange for accommodation above a hangar. He is also the guardian of his 13-year-old sister. That relationship makes Blue Side Up such a powerful and relatable story.
myFM asked Cuthbert why he enjoys hosting his productions in smaller communities.
And he had nothing but praise for the Keystone Complex which will again host a Cuthbert production.
Blue Side Up runs June 4th and 5th at the Keystone Complex in Shedden.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They can be purchased online at http://www.lencuthbert.com/FridgeDoorLive/Productions/Productions.htm
