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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-07-19, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012. The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township by Beverley Cooper, the second of three world premieres to hit the stage as part of Blyth Festival’s 2012 season, opens July 20. The Lonely Diner is expected to build on the momentum enjoyed by the Festival that has resulted from the tremendous response received for the first two productions of the season: Dear Johnny Deere by Ken Cameron based on the songs of Fred Eaglesmith and Having Hope at Home by David S. Craig. Playwright Beverley Cooper is still receiving accolades for her last play developed and premiered at Blyth, Innocence Lost: A Play About Steven Truscott. Canada’s National Arts Centre in Ottawa announced earlier this year that they will be staging Innocence Lost early in 2013 in partnership with Montreal based Centaur Theatre Company. Audiences will be thrilled, literally, by The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township. The play starts with an innocent setting, a little country diner by the side of the road and turns it into something that is much more sensational. As The Lonely Diner progresses, a winding and twisted set of clues is unleashed that suggest this diner is much, much more than it appears. Artistic Director Eric Coates says “Gangster stories have always been popular because they tap into the sinister part of our curiosity. This play grabbed me from the first time I read it – I had no idea where the path would lead and I relished that feeling of intrigue. Seeing it come to life has been very, very gratifying.” The play features Lucy and Ron, along with their daughter Sylvia, who have transformed their failing farm into a diner in an effort to achieve financial stability. It seems simple enough until Lucy unwittingly welcomes a mysterious, wayward traveller into the diner after hours. What unfolds is a masterful work of fiction that will entertain audiences as well as any Hollywood thriller would. While The Lonely Diner is not real, many in the audience will be able to forget it is a work of fiction. Calls to the Blyth Festival Box Office for seats to The Lonely Diner have included stories about local “Capone” legends. Audience Services Manager Sharon Thompson adds, “A lot of our patrons have offered their tidbits…how Al Capone once stayed at the cottage next door to them, or how their third cousin once owned a dock he used to smuggle his whiskey.” The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township is directed by Ann Hodges and features Michael Spencer Davis When the Reaper Calls, Catherine Fitch Pearl Gidley, A Killing Snow, Duval Lang Having Hope at Home, Haley McGee Early August, Having Hope at Home and Rylan Wilkie Having Hope at Home. Preview performances of The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township are July 18 and 19, prior to the official opening on July 20. The show will play at the Blyth Festival until Aug. 25. The Blyth Festival’s 2012 season also features Having Hope at Home by David S. Craig and The Devil We Know by Cheryl Foggo and Clem Martini. For more information visit www.blythfestival.com or call 1- 877-862-5984. The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township is sponsored by the Blyth Legion and the Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary. The media sponsor is The Rural Voice. The 2012 Season Sponsor is Sparling’s Propane Company Limited and the Season Media Sponsor is CTV. Central Huron Councillor Brian Barnim feels council has been dragging its heels on an important issue that he wants to get moving on: making golf carts street legal in Clinton. “We’ve been sitting still on this for a while,” Barnim said. “We need to pass a resolution that goes to the province so we can speed this thing along.” Barnim had actually prepared a bit of a “show and tell” for the July 9 council meeting, where he raised the issue, bringing along a luxury golf cart made to look like a Cadillac Escalade. Barnim told councillors that the machine he brought to the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) that night was not street legal in Ontario, but that it is in three provinces of Canada and 45 states in the U.S. “These make sense, they’re about economic development,” Barnim said. “It’s great for people getting to know their neighbours again.” Barnim said golf carts are more visible than most cars on the road. He also made the point that golf carts, if equipped with all the proper safety equipment, are safer than scooters, which are currently allowed on streets in Ontario. Councillor Alison Lobb cited an incident in Seaforth where a woman was struck by a car while travelling on a scooter. Lobb said that had the woman been driving the golf cart Barnim brought to the meeting she “would have been a heck of a lot safer”. Barnim said he was confident that allowing golf carts on Clinton roads would help set Central Huron apart from the pack when it came to attracting residents and businesses, that is until word got out. “This is economic development,” Barnim said. “It’s something that makes us different until everyone else jumps on board. “Why in the heck can’t Ontario get it together?” Barnim suggested that Central Huron adopt a resolution and circulate it throughout the province. He said the government is currently testing other low-speed vehicles (LSVs) in Quebec, but they are completely ignoring golf carts, leaving them out of the study. “We need to define a golf cart,” Barnim said. Barnim said implementing golf carts is something that Central Huron is missing out on. Logistically, he said, there could be a tag system designed that would keep registration simple and easy for both the municipality and users. After the discussion, council decided not to draft a resolution, but a letter to Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson to further consider the issue. The municipality would then also apply for a delegation at the Associated Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa in August where representatives from the municipality would talk to representatives from the Ministry of Transportation about the issue. Councillor fightsfor golf cart law ‘Beal Art’ opens Friday at gallery The teenage yodelling sensation As part of Campvention, and acting as a fundraiser for the tornado-stricken areas of Goderich, the travelling Barn Dance held a special concert on July 12. Shown performing Carrie Underwood’s Grand Ole Opry version of Randy Travis’ I Told You So is 14-year-old yodeller Naomi Bristow. (Denny Scott photo) Beverley Cooper returns to Festival with Capone story 519-524-4108 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen See histories and historic photographs on the Huron History section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca The Citizen Continued from page 18 “demonstrating the continuum” of teacher-to-student-to-artist-to- teacher. He says that this exhibition puts a lie to the phrase ”Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” In contrast, this is more than ample proof that these teachers can do, and they also can teach. “Beal Art” is sponsored by Bruce Stainton and Anne Procter Stainton and will open with a public reception, with some of the artists in attendance, at 6 pm. on July 20. The Gallery’s final exhibition, from Aug. 17, will focus on the work of a young Seaforth artist, Monica Eckert. “While I was Waiting”. She is inspired by the stripped-down simplicity of animation stills. Her paintings avoid detail and have a soft dream-like quality while depicting scenes of everyday rural life. All shows will be mounted in the Bainton Gallery, located in the Blyth Memorial Hall and offer free admission to the public. The Blyth Festival Art Gallery committee is made up of a group of enthusiastic volunteers who are always on the lookout for new art talent. For further information, please e-mail Robert Tetu at beechwood@cyg.net or call 519-345-2184. ON $6.00 THURSDAYS Drop into either of our offices any Thursday with your word classified (maximum 20 words) and pay only $6.00 + HST (paid in advance). That’s $1.00 off regular rates. The Citizen