The Citizen, 2013-03-21, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013. PAGE 19.
Festival welcomes de Vries
Clinton Kinettes, Old Mill to host fashion show
Pay attention
Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church held a March Break party last week they
deemed to be “Out of This World” and the large group of students on a week-long break from
school agreed. Here, Helen Lindsay, left, and Titus Buttar, right, were busy at the craft table
while others spent time in the church’s gymnasium as well. (Denny Scott photo)
The Clinton Kinettes Club andBlyth’s The Old Mill are teaming upfor a fashion show fundraiser
that will include a makeover for one
lucky member of the audience.
The fashion show, which will take
place at the Central Huron
Community Complex on April 25,
will feature fashions from The
Old Mill in Blyth to help raise
money for the Kinettes. The Club,
however, is attempting to give back
as well, in the form of a full
makeover.
Stacey Middleton-Lyons, of the
Kinettes, says that nominations are
now open for those in the
community to nominate someone
for the makeover. She says the Club
is hoping to hear stories about why
the nominees deserve a makeover,whether they wouldn’t normallypamper themselves in that manner,
or if they’ve have a tough few
months.
“We want to hear about someone
who deserves this makeover,”
Middleton-Lyons says.
An e-mail address has been set up
for nominations and nominators are
asked to write a paragraph or two
explaining why their nominee
deserves the makeover.
Nominations can be sent to the
Kinettes Club at kin.nominations
@hotmail.ca
“We’re looking for a community
member who needs a ‘lift-me-up’,
Middleton-Lyons says, adding that
she feels this makeover can be that
lift-me-up.As far as the fashion show isconcerned, Middleton-Lyons says, it
is a fundraiser that was used by the
Kinettes Club in years past, but has
been resurrected for this year. When
The Old Mill decided to partner with
the organization, she said, the
project continued to snowball from
there.
She says that the nomination
process for the head-to-toe
makeover has been set up because
simply picking someone out of the
crowd has proven to be troublesome
in the past, whether it be someone
who doesn’t want a makeover, or
another issue, Middleton-Lyons said
that she felt the nomination process
would be better for the event. In
addition, she says, it ensures thatsomeone who truly deserves amakeover will receive one.
A committee comprised of
members of the Kinettes Club has
already been formed and will decide
who the lucky winner is from the list
of nominees.
Nominations are due April 8.The fashion show, on April 25,kicks off at 6:30 p.m. when the
doors open. The show begins at 7
p.m. Tickets are $15 and are
available at The Old Mill or from
Middleton-Lyons herself, who can
be reached at 519-523-9641.
Continued from page 18
County communities. She says she
has felt that connection with the
Festival since she first came to the
community.
“I identify with rural life and with
farm community life,” she says. “I
have always drawn inspiration from
those communities and Blyth
Festival plays have always really
spoke to me.”
She says that the characters in
many of the Festival plays are
people she can identify with.
First in Blyth as an assistant
director on The Stone Angel, de
Vries returned in 1998 to direct
Andrew Moodie’s Wilbur County
Blues. She has also spent several
seasons in Blyth as the Festival’s
playwright in residence, a position
funded by the Ontario Arts Council
and Canada Council.
When asked about her work
schedule, de Vries says that her
work has already started, despite her
official Aug. 1 start date.
She says that she has been trying
to not let the pressure get to her, but
she is well aware that her first
season, in 2014, will be the
Festival’s 40th, a milestone for any
Canadian theatre.
“I have certainly factored that in,”
de Vries says. “I’m already thinking
about themes and I’m really excited
with the possibilities.”
One thing she has been spending a
lot of time on is the idea of
resurrecting hits from the past,
although de Vries would not go into
detail. She has also considered the
idea of staging plays that have been
successful in other parts of Canada,
but that have never graced the Blyth
Festival stage.
“Why not? If it’s been a hit in
Canada, why not put a Blyth spin on
it?” she asked.
While she will soon be spending
the vast majority of her days
nurturing new plays on their way to
the Blyth Festival stage, de Vries
also has her own project to consider.
When it’s ready for the Festival
stage, Kitchen Radio will follow a
banker’s wife in the 1960s whose
friends, because of her transient life,
are the female country music stars
she hears on her radio while
working away in the kitchen.
When ready, the play will feature
music written by de Vries and her
musical partner David Archibauld,
who worked closely with Coates on
last year’s smash hit Dear Johnny
Deere.
De Vries has spent most of her life
in the world of Canadian theatre.
She is a director, playwright,
dramaturge and producer.
She is the former artistic director
of Cahoots Theatre and the former
interim artistic director of Native
Earth Performing Arts. She has
directed award-winning productions
at Theatre Passe Muraille, the Blyth
Festival, Festival Players of Prince
Edward County, the SummerWorks
Festival, the Toronto Fringe Festival,
the Centre for Indigeneous Theatre
and the Factory Theatre.
Over her years of directing,
several of de Vries’ plays have been
nominated for Dora Awards,
including The Yoko Ono Project,
Little Dragon and Jumping Mouse.
De Vries is the recipient of the
OAC Chalmers Arts Fellowship and
the Harold Award. She is a member
of the Playwrights Guild of Canada
and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts:
Theatre from York University and a
Bachelor of Environmental Studies:
Honours Geography from the
University of Waterloo.
The Alzheimer Society of Huron
County is preparing for its annual
dinner auction, which will be held
Saturday, June 8 at the My United
Community Hall at the Central
Huron Community Complex.
Donations and ticket sales for the
annual fundraiser have brought in
over $35,000 over the past three
years for the local programs and
services assisting those affected by
Alzheimer’s disease. The incredible
support has contributed towards the
new “iPods for Memories” program
providing people with dementia
music therapy with the personal
devices stimulating incredible
responses from those often
introverted and seemingly unaware
of their surroundings.
This year’s dinner auction with its
Roaring ’20s theme will make for an
entertaining evening with a prize for
best costume. The society is rolling
out the red carpet with
complimentary silent era photos for
each guest. Acting Events Co-
ordinator Brittany Williams expects
the dinner will be another sell-out
by May so don’t wait to buy tickets.
They’re available at the Alzheimer
Society of Huron County office or
by calling 519-482-1482.
“This event is an evening of great
fun, fabulous food and a great way
to support your local Society,” says
Cathy Ritsema, Executive Director
at Alzheimer Society of Huron
County. “It is going to be the event
of the year that you will not want to
miss.”
The auction is host to a number of
hot ticket auction items, “Like” the
Alzheimer Huron Facebook page
www.facebook.com/
AlzheimerHuron to get a glimpse of
the auction items as they come in.
“The event committee is also
seeking volunteers,” says Brittany
Williams. “We need people to assist
us in collecting donations for the
auction. We’ll need help with set up
before and people to work the night
of the event. This is a great
opportunity for students to get
community hours and practical
experience for those interested in a
career in the communications/
marketing field.” Volunteers should
contact Brittany at 519-482-1482 or
brittany@alzheimerhuron.on.ca
The Alzheimer Society of Huron
County provides information,
education and support through
individual counselling and support
groups to persons with Alzheimer's
disease and other dementias, their
caregivers, families, health
professionals and the general public.
Stag & Doe
forJudy Bondi
and Rob Moffat
Saturday, March 30th
9 pm - 1 am
Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre
Prizes, DJ, Late Lunch,
Age of Majority
Tickets are available from:
Janelle Bondi 519-357-9766 or
Ron Baird 519-357-8142
Happy 40th
Anniversary
Neil & Joan
March 30
With love,
from your family
Alzheimer Society
hosts dinner auction