The Citizen, 2013-06-20, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013. PAGE 19.
DWTS coming Oct. 5
‘Dear Johnny Deere’ returns to kick Festival off
This year’s Blyth Festival remount
of Dear Johnny Deere features some
practised actors, one new cast
member, a completely demolished
fourth wall and fantastic music set to
accompany the story.
The play focuses on Johnny “D”, a
farmer and mechanic with emotional
problems that could put a
psychiatrist’s three children through
post-secondary, and his trials and
tribulations not only as a farmer but
as a young man dealing with love,
loss and the harsh realities of
agriculture. J.D. Nicholsen brings
the role of Johnny to life.
The story is told by playwright
Ken Cameron predominantly
through the music of Canadian
alternative country singer-
songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, tailored
to fit the story.
The story begins with Johnny and
his wife, Carolyn, expertly played
by Rebecca Auerbach, wondering
when they became “White Trash” by
singing a duet of the Eaglesmith
tune by the same name.
The song’s lyrics provided ample
opportunity for some comedic
opportunities, especially when
referring to Johnny’s PhD (his post-
hole digger) and the fact that, in his
car, there was only one CD: Johnny
Cash.
The duet cites several examples of
behaviour attributed to white trash
and the duo play up the role quite
well.
Aided by the musical talents and
antics of Jeff Culbert as the local
newspaper man and neighbour
McAllister, the play seamlessly
blends the music with the action on
stage, however the real driving force
behind the entire story is false
expectations.
Between betrayals, broken
promises and broken vows, the story
spends half the time watching
people disappoint each other and theother half resolving it. Culbert’s McAllister, or Mack,
sets the tone talking about how the
farm that Johnny and Carolyn live on
was once owned by one of two
brothers who had a falling out,however that’s a story “for anotherday.”
The play continues with Carolyn
claiming that Johnny has broken a
Continued from page 6
Services Huron County. The
majority of people in Huron County
do not know Victim Services exists,
nor are they aware of any of the
services it offers until they find
themselves on the receiving end of
its support. The organization wants
to educate the community about all
the ways in which Victim Services
can offer assistance and in doing so
hopes to remove some of the stigma
that comes with asking for and
accepting help. It has been proven
that those who receive immediate
emotional support and referrals to
the appropriate community
resources are far quicker to recover
from trauma than those who are left
to work through the event on their
own.
The fifth annual Dancing with the
Stars gala fundraiser is taking place
on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Knights of
Columbus Hall in Goderich. As in
past years, tickets for this event are
expected to sell out quickly. Priced
at $70/each ($35 charitable tax
receipt given) they can be purchased
in person at Zehrs in Goderich on
July 18 from 4 p.m. -7 p.m. on a
first-come, first-serve basis. Cash or
cheque only.
For more information about
Dancing with the Stars 2013 and
Victim Services Huron County or to
donate to the silent auction please
join the “Fifth Annual Dancing with
the Stars” Facebook page, the
Victim Services Huron County
Facebook page or call 519-524-
4108.
The family of
Len & Betty Archambault
invite you to a
Come and Go Celebration
of their
65th Wedding Anniversary
on Sunday, June 30, 2013
at the
Auburn Community Centre
from 2-4 pm
Best Wishes Only
65th Wedding
Anniversary
Grey
Firefighters
Breakfast
At the Firehall
in Ethel
Sunday, June 23
8 am - 12 noon
By Donation
You may not even know
you have an STI...
FREE and PRIVATE testing
and treatment at the
Huron County Health Unit
Text or call:
519-440-1439
www.youthspark.ca
Buck & Doe
for
Carrie Cawndums
and
Will B. Careful
There comes a time when you
stop lying about your age
and start bragging.
Happy 90th
Birthday
on June 24
Dad & Grandpa
Howard Walker
Love from your family
Mary Ellen Foran and Gerald
Jefferson are proud to announce
the graduation of their daughter
Ellen Jefferson from McMaster
University’s School of Nursing,
where she received her Bachelor
of Science in Nursing (B.Sc.N.)
with distinction. She has
accepted a registered nurse
position on the Cardiology Unit
at St. Joseph’s Healthcare,
Hamilton. We wish her all the
best in her nursing career.
Graduation
Happy 60th
Anniversary
Lawrie & Pieta
Cousins
June 24, 1953~2013
Love and best wishes
from all your family
Happy 20th
Birthday
Morgan
Love Mom, Dad,
Tyler & Tiffany
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
A recurring theme
We’ve all done what Johnny did in Dear Johnny Deere – move important letters to the bottom
of the pile so we can deal with them later. Whether it’s bills or an eviction notice, a recurring
moment in the play is those letters coming back to haunt Johnny. Pictured are, from left,
Johnny played by J.D. Nicholsen, on-stage musician Capucine Onn, Mike played by Jason
Chesworth, McAllister played by Jeff Culbert, on-stage musician and musical director David
Archibald and Carolyn played by Rebecca Auerbach. (Sarrah Sholdice photo)
Continued on page 20