HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-11-04, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4,1992.
Harron and ‘friends’give Festival big boost
Uptight and virginal
Famous Canadian comedian Don Harron does his
impression of Valerie Rosedale who he describes as
uptight and virginal. The 68-year-old Torontonian did a
benefit concert for the Blyth Festival Friday night and
featured Valerie and his infamous character, Charlie
Farquharson.
W. Hutt
gets
achievement
award
Mr. William Hutt, the recipient
of the first annual Governor
General's Award for Lifetime
Achievement in the Performing
Arts, English language theatre
category, filmed a brief segment at
The Grand Theatre on Tuesday,
Nov. 3. The filming will take place
on stage immediately following the
evening performance of The
Grand's production of The Dining
Room, starring Mr. Hutt. The
audience in attendance for the
performance that evening will be
invited to remain and participate in
this historic moment.
This advance film segment will
be shown as part of the Governor
General's Awards ceremony which
will take place at the National Arts
Centre in Ottawa on Saturday,
Nov. 7; the awards evening will be
filmed by CBC television and
broadcast at a later date. Mr. Hutt
has two performances of The
Dining Room at The Grand Theatre
on Nov. 7 which precludes his
attendance in Ottawa.
> ■ --------------------
Graduation
RUTH ANNE HIGGINS
Jack and Bernice Higgins of
R.R. #5, Brussels are
pleased to announce the
graduation of their daughter
Ruth from Sir Wilfred
Laurier University, Waterloo
with an Honours Degree in
Business Administra
tion.The convocation cer
emony was held October
25, 1992 at the Kitchener
Memorial Auditorium.
Those attending besides
her parents were Tony Des
Bottes, Cindy Stute, Gerry
and Joanne Doyle, Roy,
Betty, Lome and Al
Pennington and Vai Brown.
Ruth is presently employed
at the head office of
"Pharma-Plus” Drug Stores.
Congratulations Ruth!
By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot
Don Harron sleeps with other
people besides his wife.
The 68-year-old comedian, actor,
writer, broadcaster and producer
admits he has another bedmate—
Charlie Farquharson.
Charlie, is of course, Mr. Har-
ron's alter-ego and the character
he's best known for.
Charlie, Mr. Harron and his other
character, Valerie Rosedale gave a
sold-out benefit concert for the
Blyth Festival Friday night. Earlier,
he spoke with The Citizen about
his characters, his career and the
Blyth Festival.
"Valerie is my big favorite," he
admitted. "It's just so outrageous,
teetering in high heels out there."
He describes Valerie as uptight
and virginal who discusses any
thing from morals and manners to
smoking and condoms.
"She thinks Canada is becoming
a condom nation," he jokes.
Charlie is also a dear character to
him and Mr. Harron says he's never
had a need for other characters.
'Two are enough for what I have
to say," he admits.
This is only the third time Mr.
Harron has done a one-man show,
he usually performs with his wife,
performer Catherine McKinnon.
r Even Santa Knows The
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i From.
"It's difficult because I can't sing
or dance," he says. 'All I can do is
open my yap."
But he's happy to help the theatre
strengthen its shaky financial situa
tion.
He says the Blyth Festival is a
"wonderful theatre."
He remembers the first time he
came to Blyth in February 1976, he
was playing the Reverend in the
play The llorsburgh Scandal. At
that time, the theatre didn't have
any washrooms for actors only and
the cast had to make use of the
audience washrooms. "During the
play, there was only one time 1
could get to the washroom so I
dashed out and there were no uri
nals," he remembers. "So I went
into one of the stalls and by listen
ing to the voices coming from
another stall, I discovered I was in
the ladies' washroom. So I had tc
wait to exit worrying all the while I
was going to be late on stage."
Yet theatre continues to be his
favourite entertaining medium.
"I like the theatre where I can see
the audience and hear their reac
tion," he says. "The reaction allows
me to time my routine."
He says doing film and radio is
too "nebulous" for him and doesn't
give him the same sense of timing.
Postal Code
He also loves hearing the audi
ence's laughter.
"Making people laugh is good
therapy for me," he says.
Certainly, Blyth Festival staff are
a lot happier thanks to Mr. Harron's
generosity in giving a benefit con
cert.
The Festival sold 486 tickets at
$20 apiece giving the theatre a
$9720 boost.
"Il's like a blessing for us to have
a leading Canadian artist like Mr.
Harron do this for us," said Lynda
Lentz, a member of the Festival's
board of directors who is actively
involved in fundraising. "His pres
ence is like an affirmation of our
mandate and what we're committed
to doing."
She describes Mr. Harron as a
consummate Canadian.
"He has been a front-runner in
promoting our culture," she says.
Mr. Harron has been involved
with several Canadian institutions
such as CBC radio in 1936—the
same year it commenced broadcast
ing, and the Stratford Festival the
same year it began operation.
He's spent his lifetime entertain
ing people. Some may call him a
workaholic but as Mr. Harron puls
it, "I'm a playaholic."
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