HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-08-29, Page 22I
PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1990.
‘Perils’ - political comedy for political times
It’s election time in Ontario and
the Blyth Festival’s final theatre
presentation of the season has
some special words of advice to
aspiring politicians. “The Perils of
Persephone’’ by Dan Needles with
its environmental themes and com
ic adventures opens at Blyth Mem
orial Hall on August 29 with 16
performances.
I
On September 18 the show hits
the road for a seven week tour of
Ontario communities. Since its
premier at Blyth in June, 1989,
over 13,400 people and millions of
Morningside radio listeners have
enjoyed the story of Eldon Currie -
the man-who-would-be-Reeve, who
hankers for the fame and glory of
political life ... until the night a
truck carrying atomic waste comes
hurtling into his ditch.
Ron Gabriel, a popular perform
er at Blyth, directs a talented
company of comic performers:
Shawna Lori Burnett, Sharon Dyer,
Dennis Fitzgerald, Jerry Franken,
Fran Gebhard, Alan Nashman and
Bruce Parkhouse. Jerry Franken
who appeared in Perils last year as
Eldon Currie returns in the role of
Orval, whose one-liners keep the
audience roaring with laughter. Set
design is by Pat Flood with
costume design by Mary Fulford
and lighting design by James
Milburn.
“The idea for The Perils of
Persephone came to me in 1981’’
says author Dan Needles, “when I
was having dinner with a friend
who worked in the field of emer
gency planning. I had just complet
ed a five year term at Queen’s Park
including a stint as assistant to the
Minister of the Environment and I
was interested in my friend’s
assessment of the Mississauga
Derailment, a rail accident in a
Toronto suburb that led to the
evacuation of thousands of resi
dents. His view of the Mississauga
incident was that everything went
smoothly because the accident
happened at exactly the right place
and at the right time: right next to
an international airport where
emergency planning was very high
ly developed, and at night when
everybody was home.”
J
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Your Libera!
candidate in Huron.
Let Jim Fitzgerald's experience
work for you.
•learned to serve all Huron county people as Jack Riddell's assistant
for four years
•ran a successful small business in Clinton for eight years
•managing editor, Clinton News Record for 10 years
•covered municipal politics for 10 years
•believes in strong, local economy based on small industries and
businesses
•plant manager for small manufacturing firm
•graduate of the University of Western Ontario, B.A.
"A prime commitment of mine is to agriculture and to the
continued success of the family farm. The Premier's
commitment to agriculture prides the means to deliver
on this commitment. His $19 million Rural Ventures
Program^ announced recently here In Huron (Exeter
area), Is solid proof of this commitment."
“It was tempting” says Needles
“to speculate what might have
happened if the wrong thing happ
ened at the wrong time in a place
where the margin for human error
was more generous. Before the
evening was over, we had worked
out the first act of a play in which a
mysterious truck runs off the road
onto a dairy farm. I actually wrote a
few scenes, but they went into a
drawer for six years until Rod and
Douglas Beattie persuaded me to
dust them off and try again.”
Together they prepared a draft
for the Blyth stage in 1989,
populating the play with characters
from the same Persephone Town
ship that made Walt Wingfield
famous, and a few from the
hallways of Queen’s Park. Needles
adeptly weaves humour with con
temporary issues as illustrated in
his others plays starring Walt
Wingfield. “The Wingfield trilogy
starring Rod Beattie “Letter from
Wingfield Farm”, “Wingfield’s
Progress” and ‘‘Wingfield’s
Folly” have toured across Canada.
Needles’ book, “Letters From
Wingfield Farm”, soon issued in
paperback was nominated for the
Leacock Award for Humour.
Jim knows agriculture
•general manager, writer, photographer for
The Rural Voice magazine serving 28,000
food producers in Huron, Perth, Grey,
Bruce, Duffering, and Rainy River District
•award-winning agricultural journalist
•chief of staff to the Minister of Agriculture
and Food for four years
•believes in strong, viable agriculture
industry based on the family farm, and
strengthened marketing board system
•believes Canadian food production must be
recognized as important to national security
Jim watches as Pat Down weighs a
market hog.■
The Perils of Persephone is
performed in Blyth Memorial Hall
from August 29 to September 15.
Also on stage until September 8th,
is the Colleen Curran comedy -
Local Talent. A good selection of
tickets is available for most
performances. Call the Blyth Festi
val Box office for more information:
(519) 523-9300.
'lit' ■
FOR INFORMATION CALL THE
CAMPAIGN OFFICE IN YOUR AREA
74 Victoria Street
CLINTON...................................482-5012
430 Main Street
EXETER....................................235-3179
59A Hamilton Street
GODERICH...............................524-1163
5 Diagonal Road
WINGHAM.................................357-4040
24 Main Street
SEAFORTH...............................527-2857
Jim believes in
community involvement
•member, board of directors, Blyth Centre for the Arts
•trustee, Clinton Public Hospital Board of Governors
•member, Wesley-Willis United Church, Clinton, also
choir member
•community co-ordinator, Maplehill Senior Citizens'
village, Clinton
•former leader in Scouting movement in Clinton
r
Education is the topic with principal Jim Steffler and
students at Sacred Heart Separate School In
Wingham.
AUTHORIZED BY THE
HURON PROVINCIAL LIBERAL ASSOCIATION
SEPTEMBER 6
ELECT JIM
FITZGERALD
Your Liberal Candidate in Huron /