Blind actor graces Blyth, Ont. outdoor stage with 'Assassinating Thomson'
Bruce Horak has been legally blind since birth, but that hasn’t stopped him from carving out a career in the visual arts.
“I’m legally blind. I have about nine per cent vision. It’s been my normal my whole life. And I have been very fortunate to have a number of mentors and teachers who have just kept encouraging me to keep writing and painting. If I can, through this show, and getting out here on stage, inspire people to nurture their budding artist, then I feel as though this show has done its job,” he says.
That show is 'Assassinating Thomson,' a one-man play, written and performed by Horak, about the mysterious death of one of Canada’s most beloved artists.
“In 'Assassinating Thomson,' I paint a portrait of the audience, while I tell the story of how I became a visually impaired, visual artist, and I solve the mystery of who killed Tom Thomson,” says Horak.
Thomson, one of Canada’s most successful artists, died in a mysterious “accidental drowning” in July of 1917.
'Assassinating Thomson' opens on the Blyth Festival’s new outdoor Harvest Stage on Wednesday, and runs until October 2. After that, you can see Horak in Star Trek-Strange New Worlds, as a new Star Trek character, Hemmer.
“I grew up watching and loving Star Trek. It’s in my blood, so to get to be a part of that is really special,” he says.
But until then, Horak is excited to grace Blyth’s new outdoor stage.
“As a performer, to be back in front of people again, and to be outdoors, well it’s beautiful,” he says.
You can learn more about Horak at www.brucehorak.com and more about his play at www.blythfestival.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.