The Cow Head resident certainly loved his New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens.
Colin Furlong, an actor who spent his summers working at the festival until 2022, recalled his first season in Gros Morne in 2007. At the time, Payne was teaching in Hall Beach, Iqaluit and wouldn’t be back in Cow Head until around July, well into the season. Even during the off-season, Payne sought out current and former festival players to see what they were up to and go watch them perform if he got the chance. Furlong accompanied Payne on several such occasions whenever Payne visited him in St. John’s, where Furlong hails from and currently resides.
One of the main events of each season was the cocktail party Payne hosted in his shed toward the end of the season, with guests dressed in their finest attire and each expected to bring their own special cocktail to share with others.