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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-06-02, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011. Anti-turbine group brings hundreds to Seaforth rally Blyth Festival pulls offfirst-ever ‘Play in a Day’ Play in a Day The Blyth Festival hosted its first ever Play in a Day youth program starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 27. A group of young aspiring actors took to William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream to try and modernize, memorize and present the play at 8 p.m. on May 28. Shown is, from left, Rachel Bundy and Marlayna and Brennan Kolkman rehearsing for their big debut. (Denny Scott photo) HEAT head honchos Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) co-founders Rob Tetu, left, and Gerry Ryan took to the stage during an opposition rally in front of the Seaforth Community Centre on May 26. The two represent a group which hopes to see a moratorium put on wind turbine development and operation until research can be done regarding the effects the turbines have on nearby people’s health. (Denny Scott photo) William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream was given a youthful sheen during the Blyth Festival’s Play in a Day workshop on the weekend. The program, which was designed for youth 13 to 19 years old, dissected one of The Bard of Avon’s most outlandish plays. The group of youths had 24 hours to rework the play for a modern audience, memorize lines, create costumes and finally put the play on the Blyth Festival stage on Saturday, May 28. “The program gave the students an intense introduction into theatrical experience in a condensed time period,” Blyth Festival Education and Community Outreach co-ordinator Janine Plummer said. “For those with theatre experience, it taught them to work quickly and it taught those new to the experience how intense it can be.” Plummer stated that the program came about because the Festival wanted to provide youth with another opportunity to get involved in theatre programs beyond the Young Company program held at the end of the summer. “We had auditions for young people for [this season’s home- opening play] Hometown, which will feature a youth chorus,” Plummer said. “Eric [Coates, Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival] and I wanted something between those auditions and Young Company to showcase youth talent.” Plummer stated that the play showcased youth talent and provided support for students hoping to pursue a future in all aspects of the theatre. “We had one student pursuing an interest in technical direction,” she said. “He helped and received mentorship through the play.” “[The Blyth Festival] provides unique options for youth hoping to study and train for performance arts,” she said. “This is one more way we can do that.” The play was well received, according to Plummer, who said that the Festival program hit its target for actors and had more people than anticipated in the audience. “The kids did an amazing job memorizing all their lines in 24 hours,” she said. “We had 60 people in the audience, and the kids did great.” As for the play choice, Plummer said that, much to her surprise, the students picked the play. “The students are really interested in doing Shakespeare,” she said. “I thought they may want to try something else, but this provides us with a real challenge and opportunity for the adaptation.” Continued from page 1 will put a moratorium on new projects and stop existing ones to allow people to move back to their homes.” Davis also spoke out against the current government, stating that the turbines would remain as “a monument to government stupidity”. Davis stated that the government needed to pick “morality over money” and that a new government was needed to focus on the well- being of the people instead of “the width of their wallet”. Among Davis’ critiques of those involved with turbines, he stated the proponents of wind fall into one of two categories – those who are benefitting from turbines or those “who haven’t done their homework” and called upon the assembled audience to “train their friends” and show them “how stupid the McGuinty government is being”. During the rally a petition was passed around requesting that a moritorium be placed on wind turbine projects, stating that HEAT members, and those who signed, were unhappy with the public consultation methods used by St. Columban Energy. Following the speakers, members of the rally entered the arena to where information was presented regarding the project and where they could ask representatives of St. Columban Energy about green energy and wind turbines. NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGS Clinton Public Hospital St. Marys Memorial Hospital Seaforth Community Hospital Stratford General Hospital Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. to: 1. Receive Annual Reports of the Board of Directors, including Financial Statements, together with the Auditor’s Report thereon. The Financial Statements will be available after June 13, 2011 on the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance website - www.hpha.ca 2. Appoint Auditors. 3. Amend each of the Hospitals’ Corporate By-Laws.** 4. Receive the Ad Hoc Nominating Committee Report on New Directors. **The amendments to the Hospitals’ By-laws relate to the elimination of the annual membership class, the creation of a Local Advisory Committee membership class, broadening the indemnification and conflict of interest provisions, removing the ex-officio Directors voting rights on the Board and moving the public attendance guidelines into a Board Policy. Any Member interested in reviewing the specific amendments may obtain a copy from the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Administrative Offices. Please contact Sue Davey at susan.davey@hpha.ca or 519-272-8205. Members of the public are welcome to attend. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meetings of the Members of Clinton Public Hospital, St. Marys Memorial Hospital, Seaforth Community Hospital and Stratford General Hospital will be held at the Mitchell Golf & Country Club in Mitchell, Ontario, on: By Denny Scott The Citizen 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