HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-07-22, Page 27E ntertainment
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 22,1992. PAGE 27.
Theatre review
Play combines fiction with fact
Standing firm
Dan Lett as John MacDonald and Deborah Drakeford as
Sarah Chandler don't see eye to eye in there discussion
regarding Sarah's father's imprisonment, in this scene from
Anne Chislett's Yankee Notions, which opened at Blyth
Festival on Friday evening.
The GallerylStratford seeks
marketing development officer
The Gallery/Stratford's Board of
Trustees recently voted unani
mously to begin a search for a full
time marketing/development offi
cer to organize and promote exist
ing and new initiatives in
fundraising, marketing, and
memberships.
“This is a major step forward for
the Gallery and we hope that it will
prepare us to more adequately meet
the needs of our community” said
Gallery/Stratford's President John
Banks.
As with many cultural organiz
ations, the Gallery/Stratford has
reached a crossroads. Signals from
government agencies indicate the
need for galleries to become more
self-sufficient, depending less on
government funding and more on
corporate and private support.
The Gallery/Stratford has been
very successful in fundraising,
Happy 40th
Uncle Gary
From all his
nieces & nephews
mainly through the energy and
commitment of many dedicated
volunteers from the Board of
Trustees and our membership. This
new position should consolidate
our energies and improve our
effectiveness in generating
revenues.
“It is becoming increasingly
obvious that the Gallery needs to
become more effective in fulfilling
our role of exposing the visual arts
to the public. This can not be
accomplished without additional
revenue to our operating budget,”,
said Gallery Director Rob Freeman.
“I am excited about the prospects
of increasing our efforts in the area
of marketing/development.”
HONEY!
THE KID week
Fri. • Thurs. July 24 - 30
Fri. & Sat. 7 & 9 pm
Sun. - Thurs. 8 pm
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-
BY BONNIE GROPP
Yankee Notions, a new play by
well-known playwright Anne
Chislett, opened at Blyth Festival
on Friday evening.
Recognized for the quality of her
work, Ms Chislett has penned such
successful plays as The Tomorrow
Box, Quiet in the Land and Anoth
er Season's Promise, written with
Keith Roulston.
Yankee Notions is the story of
two very different but strong
women who fight for family and
country following the Mackenzie
Rebellion in 1837 Canada. Though
a fictional work, the play is based
on fact. Ms Chislett first became
interested in the two heroines when
she had been given a copy of "The
Wait Letters", published in 1842.
Sarah Chandler (Deborah Drake -
ford), is a well-bom young lady,
who as the eldest in her family has
been given the task of trying to
prove the innocence of her father
who is awaiting trial on charges of
treason. Sarah argues that her
father is a Loyalist, thus his arrest
must be a misunderstanding.
Unbeknownst to her, however, is
that a singular act of charity - giv
ing Mackenzie a ride across the
river - led to his sympathy for the
rebel's cause. He is, they said, a
well-to-do man who fell prey to
Yankee notions. Chief Justice
Robinson (David Francis) is con
cerned with how the rebellion
appears to the Governor of Lower
Canada (Alan Williams), so rather
than have the rebels stand trial he
gives them an alternative route to
freedom. He tells them they will go
free they if sign a document stating
they were misled. Mr. Chandler at
first refuses to sign his name to a
lie, until Sarah and her lawyer John
MacDonald (Dan Lett) convince
him that his family will lose all
they have if he is found guilty.
Then Robinson enlists the help of
his son Lukin (Oliver Dennis), an
acquaintance of Sarah's, to get her
to convince her father to admit to
being a lunatic.
Conversely, Maria Wait
(Stephanie Morgenstern) is an
impassioned young mother whose
loyalties lie with the Reformers and
whose onjy regret is that she could
not join in the battle. Her husband,
Ben, (John Jarvis) also faces the
gallows, but Maria convinces him
not to turn his back on his princi
ples by signing Robinson's state
ment.
When Robinson's promises are
found to be false, Sarah and Maria
unite to try and save the men.
Maria leaves her child with her
landlady (Barbara Worthy) and her
daughter, the simple "I don't know
my arse from my elbow" Lizzie
(Severn Thompson). As the pair
set out for Upper Canada to plead
to Lord Durham (John Jarvis) the
passion behind their animosity
soon welds in a united fight, while
at the same time their ordeal begins
to spark grudging respect.
A large production, Yankee
Notions has 30 characters so
actors are required to take on sever
al roles. Under the direction of
Damir Andrei, the talented per
formers slide smoothly from one
role to another, making each dis
tinct, particularly John Jarvis who
plays not only the rebel but the fop
pish Lord Durham. The portrayals
of the two female leads are perhaps
not as strong as the characters of
the women they play, but they do a
worthy job with the demanding
the
Blyth Ipp
523-9381
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
WING NIGHT
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS 350 EACH
MINIMUM ORDER 10
a variety of sauces available
Wings available for take out at
regular price of 50c each.
THURS., FRI., & SAT.
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS & CHIPS
$5.45
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
THURS., FRI. & SAT. NITES
PIZZA
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
ENTERTAINMENT
"Tumbleweed North"
July 24 & 25
THE ROTARY CLUB OF LISTOWEL
presents
z-
JULY 31
Featuring
★ Ernie King*
★ Debbie Meyers*
★ Dave Chittick*
★ Chuck Joyce*
(Shelburne Fiddle Champion)
★ Mathew Johnson*
(Young (tapdancer/tlddUr)
Fun for the
Entlr* Fimlty
Concert Time 8 p.m.
Dance to Follow
FOR TICKETS CALL
291-3791
TICKETS
$10 00 in advance; $12 00 at door
Children under 12:
$4 00 in advance: $5 00 at door
LISTOWEL MEMORIAL ARENA
proceeds for Community Betterment
xio imw r>* nmomvr or * sntew. occasoh wn ™
-------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
roles.
Mention must go as well to Chris
Royal and Kate Lynch who
appeared in secondary roles.
The set design by Brian Pcr-
chaluk is simple yet effective. Il
required only minimal changes to
accommodate the script and when
these couldn't be done subtly, it
was played up to the amusement of
the audience. The costumes, also
by Mr. Perchaluk, deserve hon
ourable mention for detailed accu
racy.
Based as it is in historical fact
Yankee Notions can be a little
weighty at times, particularly in the
first act as the characters and the
story develop. By the second act
however the pace picks up and the
actors come alive. It is what the
atre-goers have come to expect
when they visit Blyth Festival -
quality entertainment.
Open House
Mrs. Hanna TenPas
The children of Mrs. Hanna
TenPas of Llstowel (formerly
of Brussels) would like to
invite family and friends to
her 80th Birthday "Open
House" at 384 Davidson
Ave. North Llstowel
Saturday July 25th 1992
from 2-4:30 p.m.
Best Wishes Only.
ROADSHOW
★ Archie Mann*
(with Lawrence & Anne Edger)
★ Al Crawford*
★ Richard Knechtel*
he Roadshow Houseband*
★ Matt Miller, M.C.*