HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-11-03, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011. PAGE 23.
The Blyth Festival unveiled its
2012 season to the delight of an
enthusiastic crowd of supporters at
the Blyth Community Centre during
the company’s Hometown Harvest
Gala Auction last Saturday.
On the heels of the artistic
successes of the 2011 season, the
Blyth Festival offers three world
premieres, a fringe presentation, and
an exciting creation by the Young
Company in 2012.
Artistic Director Eric Coates
describes the season as the ultimate
balancing act of styles and
excitement for theatre-goers of all
ages. “We are kicking things off with
the most exciting musical we have
ever tackled. Then we celebrate the
10th anniversary of one of the most
successful comedies to take flight in
Blyth. And we follow up with a
totally unexpected story of a
notorious gangster and finish with a
knockdown-drag’em-out thriller.
“The only hurdle in the planning, “is
that we are still wrestling over titles
for three of these new plays. But
that’s the nature of new play
development. I’d rather get the word
out now - People are definitely going
to be excited by the content of this
playbill, whether we’ve named the
plays or not.”
The season opens with a new
musical, built on the songs of
Canada’s folk sensation, Fred
Eaglesmith. The Fred Eaglesmith
Project is written by Calgary-based
playwright Ken Cameron, whose
2008 Blyth premiere, Harvest, was a
sold-out hit. Using the songs of Fred
Eaglesmith, the playwright explores
the life of a struggling farmer who
must decide if he can give it one
more try, or let the family farm get
paved over by a new highway. Fred
Eaglesmith’s music can be found at:
http://fredeaglesmith.com
Having Hope at Home by David S.
Craig premiered at the Blyth Festival
in 2003 and has since enjoyed a
string of successful runs at some of
Canada’s largest theatres. This
hilarious comedy takes place on a
winter’s night on a century farm
where a young woman is about to
host a family reunion. The trick is
that she’s nine months pregnant and
goes into labour moments before her
parents’ arrival. Another trick is that
she wants to hide the labour from her
folks. Mayhem ensues. Blyth
audiences will remember this as a
wild ride of laughter that captures all
the fury and hilarity of family life.
The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in
Euphemia Township is by festival
favourite Beverley Cooper
(Innocence Lost: a Play about
Steven Truscott and The Eyes of
Heaven). The year is 1927 and
thirsty Americans, tired of
prohibition, are drinking Canada
dry. On a quiet stretch of road in
Southern Ontario, a farmer and his
wife have given up agriculture to try
their hand at running a diner. When a
mysterious Italian-American man
shows up with a bodyguard and a lot
of questions, it seems that there
might be more to the diner than
meets the eye. This yet-to-be-named
play is an intriguing look at the night
that Al Capone came to Euphemia
Township.
The final play in the festival’s
repertory season is a thriller by
husband and wife duo, Clem Martini
and Cheryl Foggo. Inspired by
Foggo’s family history, the play is
set in Regina, circa 1944, in the
home of an African Canadian family
living on the edge of the white
society. When the family’s twin
teenage daughters are left home
alone overnight, they receive an
unexpected and dangerous guest.
Legend, fear, prejudice, and a
family’s pride all collide in this
thrilling world premiere.
Finally, the Blyth Festival’s Young
Company takes to the fields with a
re-imagined, updated version of the
play that started it all in the first
place. Inspired by the original Farm
Show, the Young Company will
explore Huron County’s unique
farming community by meeting,
working and talking with local
farming heroes. Like the original
show, the production will be created
by improvisations, based on the
young actors’ experiences on the
farms of the region.
In addition to the repertory season,
the Blyth Festival will present a
fringe production in the Phillips
Studio as a part of the popular
Bonanza weekend, which is
scheduled for the weekend of
August 3, 2012.
Passes for the 2012 season are
available now at the Blyth Festival
Box Office at 1-877-862-5984 or
519-523-9300 or online at
www.blythfestival.com
Festival season to focus on farmers in 2012
Dreadful (face) decorations
Amelia Pletch, left, was one of several East Wawanosh
Public School students who helped younger students enjoy
the Halloween activities at the school on Oct. 28. Here
Pletch is painting Eden Goodall’s face in a ghoulishly good
way. (Denny Scott photo)Happy 65th Anniversary
Bill & Gertie Kellington
Come & Go Tea
Sunday, November 13 ~ 2-4 pm
Brussels United Church Auditorium
Best Wishes only please
Happy 90th Birthday
Graham
Love Margaret
Happy 65th
Birthday
Bruce Hamilton
November 4th
Love your family
Howick Skating Club Presents
a Christmas Home Tour
in Wroxeter
November 11th 6:30 - 10:00 pm
November 12th 1:00 - 4:30 pm
Tickets $15.00
Six homes and the Wroxeter United Church decorated by:
Primitive Wares, The Plant Master, Surroundings, Fletcher’s
Landscaping, Zehrs, Life’s a Party, Listowel Greenhouses,
Best is Yet to be...by Samantha Gibson.
Tour day tickets at the Wroxeter United Church
or call 519-335-3285 .
WANTED:
Vendors for Seaforth Legion
Sunday Market (coming soon)
Sundays 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Table rental - $15.00 each
Quality items only please
Contact Mary at qbmary45@hotmail.com with any questions or
to book your table. Space is limited, so respond quickly.
Happy 60th
Anniversary
November 4
Glenn and Eileen
Sellers
Tickets Available at McGavins - Walton
Hyde Brothers Equipment, Hensall
Lucknow Co-op.
For more details email
emmajordan88@hotmail.com
or Call David Haney at 519-522-0011
JUNIOR FARMER
Blyth Community Centre
Sat. Nov. 19
th
ALUMNI
DINNER
& DANCE
$30 BEFORENOV5TH
AFTERNOV5TH$35Ti
c
k
e
t
s
$$$
John Brown
is turning 80
Please come and help
celebrate
Saturday,
November 5
2-4 pm
Blyth United Church
Entertainment Leisure&