Image

July 29, 2015

 

David Hogan was on vacation when he heard a voice from his past on his voice mail.

“I said, I hear you’re doing Outlaw and if you haven’t cast the old fart yet, I’d like to do it.”

It was renowned Canadian actor and director Walter Learning – the man who gave Hogan, co-artistic director at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia,  his first role in the theatre after he finished school.

Hogan jumped at the opportunity to work with his mentor but then began thinking about it. “I said to (David) Rogers ‘How am I going to direct the great Walter Learning?’ and Rogge said ‘Moment by moment.’”

While they have remained in contact and Hogan considers Learning one of the members of his theatre family, it is easy to see why it might be daunting to direct him. Learning’s resume is impressive.

His first love is the theatre – Learning founded Theatre New Brunswick in 1968, was the head of the theatre division at the Canada Council for the Arts and has appeared in countless plays from Shakespeare to his current role at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, in Outlaw, by Norm Foster.

Learning reprises the role of Roland Keets – he was in the premier production of it.

Learning has also directed across the country, including at the VPP in the past.

But it was as head of the Charlottetown Festival Theatre that  Learning gave Hogan the role of Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables.

Learning recalls meeting Hogan at the Simpson Avenue United Church in Toronto where he was in the middle of auditions for the play. Hogan’s brash attitude caught Learning’s attention.

It also caught the attention of his co-star who, after being on stage with five different Gilberts, said “I always liked David Hogan because he was a bad boy.”

Hogan says at the time, he had no idea how fortunate he was to work with Learning, who allowed actors to voice their opinions and preferred working collaboratively.

It’s the style that Hogan now uses at the VPP.

The pair are clearly happy to be working together in Outlaw, which takes the stage August 4. And Hogan says it is fantastic that Learning, now 77, leaves the director’s chair and returns to the stage with such ease.

“It’s easy for him to sit back and say go there and go there, but for a man – an artist – to say I want to get back into it… you get my applause…He throws himself into it.”

For Learning, it’s the natural thing to do. “It’s hard work but it is what I do,” he says.

“As actors it’s not something we chose to do, it is something we have to do.”

Share This

Image
Front Page

Temporary 402 fix likely to be done “later this week” MTO says

June 23, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Ministry of Transportation officials say it will take some time to fix the buckled concrete on the westbound lanes of Highway 402. Late last night, the OPP closed the road down saying the conditions were unsafe. An OPP post on social media said it appears the extreme heat was part of the problem. An unverified photo circulating

Read More

Image
Front Page

FROM LAMBTON PUBLIC HEALTH: Heat warning extended

June 23, 2025

FROM LAMBTON PUBLIC HEALTH With the hot and humid weather expected to continue throughTuesday, an Extended Heat Warning has been issued for Lambton County by theMedical Officer of Health, Dr. Karalyn Dueck.Extended Heat Warnings are issued when a heat warning continues beyond two days.This is also when vulnerable populations, including older adults, young children, peoplewith chronic illnesses, pregnant individuals, people

Read More

Image
Front Page

Cattlebarons win Dave Leach tournament

June 23, 2025

The Wyoming Cattlebarons bats were in full swing on Sunday winning pair of games and capturing the Dave Leach Memorial baseball tournament in Port Lambton. The Barons avenged an earlier tournament loss to Tecumseh with a 15-5 victory over the Thunder in the semi-finals and then bounced Chatham, 11-1 in the championship contest. In the semi-final, Daniel Gibson had four

Read More

Image
Front Page

Long line ups at Reeces Corners after 402 west bound closes

June 23, 2025

Good luck getting around all the road construction in Central Lambton in the next few weeks. Traffic is extremely heavy in Reeces Corners today as drivers are being diverted off Highway 402 between Oil Heritage Road and Mandaumin Road. Late last night, the OPP closed the road down saying the conditions were unsafe. An OPP post on social media said

Read More