Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-19, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19,1992. Theatre review Originality, key to Young Company production BY CHRIS ROULSTON Originality certainly was the key factor of the Bly th Young Compa­ ny's self-written production of Ozone on Down, which the compa­ ny performed all this past week. The play was performed in Blyth at what is popularly called the Arch, on the outskirts of town where railroad tracks used to lie. A play put on outdoors is not an origi­ nal idea in its own, however, Ozone on Down did not keep its audience Gourmet dinner, a tradition The Blyth Festival's annual Gourmet Dinner, which has been referred to as 'the greatest of Huron County fare', was held Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Blyth Memorial Hall. An annual, the Gourmet Dinner began in 1979 when the Festival's board of directors decided to pick up on the regular country suppers that had previously been provided for the theatre. "We finally decided to do one ourselves," Lynda Lentz, of the Blyth Festival, said. For the first couple of years the dinner was held at the Londesboro Hall, but by the second year it had become much more than they had originally anticipated. "We decided that if we were going to do all that extra work," Ms Lentz says, "we might as well go bigger." By the third year the Gourmet Dinner had been moved to the Blyth and District Community Centre where they could accommo­ date the growing numbers. Since 1979, the board of directors has missed only one year, 1991, in pre­ senting their annual fundraiser. The menu is set up by the board of directors months in advance, and the recipes are distributed to the board members and auxiliary vol­ unteers for preparation. Members of the company and the board often perform as waiters and servers giving the diners a chance to meet and see the cast and the people behind the scenes outside of the theatre atmosphere. "It also provides the actors and actresses an opportunity to con­ tribute something back to the the­ atre and to the Festival Board," Ms Lentz says. "The Gourmet Dinner tends to reflect the theme behind most of our fundraisers, which often seems to revolve around food." Ms Lentz said. This year's buffet included Prime You can lose a lot more than your licence drinking and driving. ©Ministry of the Attorney Ontario General rooted to one spot. Spectators were led from one area to another by the players—the old tracks, and open lot, a wood lot and alongside the creek. Luckily the weather co­ operated more this week than it has previously! The message of Ozone on Down is a strongly stated environmental one. The premise of the story is that the dragon who controls the natural workings of the Earth has been killed and two young people, Rib of Beef au jus, Baked Salmon with chilled Dill Sauce, New White Potatoes with fresh Mint, and Honey Glazed Carrots, just to name a few of the tantalizing delicacies. Carol Irwin was the co-ordinator behind this year's Gourmet Dinner, which was held in the more inti­ mate setting of the Lower Hall of the Blyth Memorial Hall because of reduced ticket sales. Good seats still available The Blyth Festival has been so popular for so long that sometimes people take for granted there are no tickets available unless they’ve planned their night out weeks or months in advance. It isn't so! There are often tickets available for performances even on the day of the performance. So even if you haven’t planned ahead, you can still enjoy the hits of the season. The Puff ’n' Blow Boys by Valoreyne Brandt Jenkins "The celebrated southern Ontario institution whose dedication to new Canadian drama has made it one of the most important theatres in the country...It is genuinely committed to reflecting the history and culture of every region." Jamie Portman, The Toronto Star The Hometown Boy by Robert Clinton "The Hometown Boy is worth seeing. It is well paced, nicely executed by the cast, and offers a summer escape into Christmas." Rob Bundy, Goderich Signal-Star played by Rachel Thompson and Renee Devereaux, are given the mission to inform everyone and bring them together to aid the ailing planet. The two have been given a dragon's egg which holds the hope for the future. The crusaders meet many uncar­ ing, bizarre characters on their quest to save the world. The Tree people, who seem to have a love of nature, refuse to heed the warnings that Earth is in trouble since the dragon's death. They prefer to vote on things. Two rambling poets also ignore any pleas for help from Thompson and Devereaux, as they wrap themselves up in visions of monetary success. A group of her­ mits scream at the crusaders to leave them to do their own thing, not even listening to the news of the dragon's death. The goddess of the Earth and the god of the water are of no help either. They are only concerned with entertaining them­ selves. The strongest reaction the two crusaders meet comes from two environmentalists, played by Joanne Olson and Severn Thomp­ son, who call themselves the Green Liberators. The Liberators know how to save the Earth in theory, but fail to come through in the end. Finally, the extremely frustrated crusaders manage to gather the entire group together and there is mass brain-storming in an effort to resolve the Earth's plight. The dragon's egg is destroyed in the process. In a last desperate attempt, some of the group agree on ways to work together to heal the damage. The dragon is re-bom. The Young Company has suc­ cessfully portrayed the confusion and selfishness of the world through their original script and performances. The setting for the play served to further enforce the environmental message—surround­ ed by nature, it's hard to ignore the importance of a healthy planet. The group tried hard not to sound overly preachy in its play, and for the most part it wasn't. However, it is a difficult subject not to sound preachy on. Underneath the experi­ mental-theatre tendencies of the production, the ideas of the play­ wrights are sound and well- researched. A lpt of thought went into the script to convey the sides of the story from all groups involved—political, environmental, business, normal citizens, and peo­ ple trying to make a living off the earth. Strong performances were given by many of the company members. There are promising stars in the company with bright futures ahead of them. Rachel Thompson and Renee Devereaux provided many amusing moments throughout the performance. Other dramatic per­ formances came from Joanne Olson, Severn Thompson, Monica Walker-Bolton as the Tree Queen, Rachel Brophy and Shane McKin­ non a the goddess and god. Director Jennifer Brewin has done a marvelous job of guiding the company into an extremely original, entertaining production which packs a wallop of a message. Happy 39th Birthday to the fearless leader From the Quartet The Glorious 12th by Raymond Storey "The class act of the Blyth Festival is Raymond Storey's The Glorious 12th, a serious and elegantly executed drama ..." Liam Lacey, The Globe & Mail Yankee Notions by Anne Chislett "It is an interesting work, largely accurate in its account of the struggle that led to the establishment of responsible government in Canada" Doug Bale, London Free Press BLYTH FESTIVAL Reserve Today! Call 523-9300