HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-09-25, Page 27THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,1991. PAGE 27.
New audience attracted
Festival officials feel
Mystery dinner to raise theatre funds
It'll be a dark and stormy night
when the lights go out at the Stilton
Public Library. A crack of light
ning, the crash of heavy books and
a murder to solve.
Blyth's annual murder mystery
dinner theatre has become an
increasingly popular fund raising
event and this year's offering, The
Last Chapter, should have audi
ences flipping to the back page to
find out whodunit. Written by Rob
Bundy, Murder at the Stilton Pub
lic Library - The Last Chapter will
be performed at Blyth Memorial
Hall on Friday, October 25 and Sat
urday, October 26 with dinner
included in the $25.00 ticket. All
proceeds go to the Blyth Festival
Capital Campaign.
The play centers around the
shelves of books at the Stilton Pub
lic Library, watched over lovingly
by head librarian Thelma Shuster.
The cast of characters who frequent
Thelma's library include Polly Pid-
dlewhip and her son Paul - the ado
lescent Einstein, grumpy old
Gomer Benderknob, romance novel
expert Maude Hackerty, Police
Chief Buford Niggly, library board
chairman Dewey Dewitt, town psy
chic Levine Pan and a member of
the town's founding family, Mayor
Ab Shiftly.
Featured in this library mystery
are Blyth residents Laurel Paetz as
the Stilton Librarian, and Duncan
McGregor as the police chief. From
Clinton, Bernie Pugh plays the
Hardlycan romance writer, with
Sandy Stuart as the library board
chairman, Marian Doucette as Pid-
dlewhip's fretful mother and Gary
Haist as the former councillor who
is accused of expropriating library
funds. Writer Rob Bundy from
Holmesville, plays the town psy
chic and the Blyth Festival's Writ-
er-In-Residence, Sean Dixon
(author of Blyth's successful pro
duction of The End of the World
Romance) plays young Paul Piddle-
whip.
Continue from page 1
nomic circumstance, she said, "it's
remarkable we're still coming up
with these statistics."
Overall, the Festival filled more
than 74 per cent of all available
seats for the summer, compared to
84.9 per cent last year and 91.45
per cent in 1989. Still, Ms Gardner
said, it's expected the Festival will
be at or near its break-even point
for the season. The Festival's
$530,000 in ticket sales was the
highest ever.
Most popular show in terms of
total attendance was Ted Johns'
Two Brothers, a satire on free trade
and the current federal government.
In terms of filling the highest per
centage of available seats, however,
the most popular show was Barber
shop Quartet by Layne Coleman
which sold 90 per cent of its seats
for a total audience of 9,920. Corn
flower Blue by Kelly Rebar filled
78.4 per cent of its seats while
James Nichol's adaptation of The
Stone Angel played to 76.9 per
cent of capacity.
End of the World Romance
played to 57 per cent of capacity on
12 performances, totalling 6000
people.
"It's the end of my first season as
Artistic Director and I'd say it was
a great success," said Peter Smith
of his season that, for the first time,
featured five entirely new plays. As
well as the success on the main
stage he referred to the production
of the Young Company under Jen
nifer Brewin. "It was a beautiful
show. Every so often a happening
occurs- by that I mean an experi
ence that touches an audience as
deeply as the performers. This sum
mer it happened here."
(Best Wishes on your
SOtfi Anniversary
SEPTEMBER 30th
NED & KAY RUTLEDGE
Love from your
family & friends
Retiring
After many years in business, Luella and Jack Mitchell have closed their store in Brussels and
are looking forward to retirement. The pair operated the Brussels 50 to $1 Store, which will
now be the site of the new community Thrift Shop. For a number of years, Luella taught at
Brussels Public School, and came in to work at the store when the school day was over. After
she retired from teaching in the early 80's, she continued working at the store.
Engagement
Piet and Helena Albers of
Bluevale, and Ken and Betty
Glanville of Walton are
pleased to announce the
forthcoming marriage of their
children, Marlene Marie Helen
and Dean Kenneth Edward.
The wedding will take place
on Saturday, October 5, 1991
at 1:00 p.m. in Seaforth St.
James Catholic Church.
Blyth Iw
523-9381
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
WING NIGHT
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS 35c EACH
MINIMUM ORDER 10
a variety of sauces available
SORRY NO TAKE-OUTS
Mon., Tues., Wed. 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thurs., Frl., 4 Sat.
5 p.m. - midnight
CHICKEN WINGS &
CHIPS $5.45
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
Historic Brussels store closes
THURS., FRI. & SAT. NITES
PIZZA
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
After close to 60 years of busi
ness in the village, the Brussels 50
to $1 store closed on September 12.
For many years now, the store
has been run by John and Luella
Mitchell, but many still refer to it
as Dickson's Store, in recognition
of the Mitchell's predecessors and
the store originators. Misses C. and
E. Dickson, both school teachers
opened the store on November 16,
1935.
John Mitchell, was a farm
labourer, who served in World War
II in Europe. Upon his return he
joined the staff of the Dicksons'
business. Following the death of
the Dicksons, the business was car-
Happy 30th
Anniversary
ried on by John and Luella
Mitchell, another former teacher,
who taught in Brussels from 1951
to 1982. Luella juggled her time
between the school and the store
before her retirement from the
teaching profession.
Throughout the store's history,
Luella notes, there have been njany
changes. Bills sent out at the open
ing of the store were $15.86. Rent
for the building was $20 a month
while the upstairs apartment was
rented for $3.30.
Luella remembers that carting a
truck load of things to the dump
cost $2.
You could buy dinner in the mid-
Happy 60th
Anniversary
ROY & GRACE EASOM
Sept. 30/91
thirties for 500 and your car could
be licensed for $9.17.
The Mitchells have made no
plans as yet for their retirment, just
taking the spare time now to catch
up on things.
This month the new Brussels
Thrift Shop begins its move into
the former 50 to $1 store and Luel
la and John wish to express their
congratulations to the committee
and wish them the best of luck in
this worthwhile community
endeavor.
ENTERTAINMENT
Sept. 27 - 28
The Clamps
L.L.B.O.
Happy 50th
Carol
Love
your family