HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-12-08, Page 31Stratford, tourism spot of the year
Graduation
Patricia LeAnn Daer,
daughter of Ed and Nancy
Daer of Wingham graduated
on Friday, November 5, 1993
from the Legal Assistant
Diploma Program at
Fanshawe College. In
attendance for the ceremony
were her parents as well as
her brother Terry of Barrie
and cousin Dianne Edgar of
London.
50 YEARS OF CELEBRATING TOGETHER
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SANTA IS ON HIS WAY!
to Blyth Memorial
Hall (Upstairs)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
3 Cartoon Matinee at 2 p.m.
Santa Claus will arrive after
the matinee with lots of treats
Sponsored by the Blyth Lions Club
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1993. PAGE 31.
E ntertainment Amos gets to work in Blyth
At the 16th Annual Canadian
Travel and Tourism Industry
Awards, held in Vancouver on
Friday, Nov. 26, the Stratford
Festival was recognized as the
Canadian Tourism Attraction/Event
of the year for 1993. Over 40
awards were presented at the
ceremony, honouring major travel
carriers and Tourist Boards, as well
as booking agents, hoteliers and
travel executives.
Attending the awards ceremony
were Stratford Festival Director of
Marketing and Communications
Janice Price, and Group
Sales/Tourism Manager Laurel
Armstrong. "This award
acknowledges the ongoing
commitment of the Festival to the
servicing of the Travel Trade
market, and we are proud to accept
it on behalf of the Stratford
Festival," Mrs. Armstrong said. She
added, "I would like to thank the
tour operators and agents who
support this important Theatre
Festival, and who send over 50,000
group visitors a year to Stratford to
experience all that this region has
to offer."
General Manager Gary Thomas
announced today the final revenue
figures for the Stratford Festival's
41st Season. The six-month season,
which encompassed a total of 521
performances of 12 products in
three theatres, earned gross box
office revenue of $16,563,442.
Despite the poor economic
climate that has persisted
throughout 1993 this figure
represents an increase of 9.8 per
cent over box office receipts from
the previous season. Total
attendance of the season's
productions was 447,838, up 4,088
from 1992. This attendance
increase is particularly encouraging
given that the Festival, in an effort
to reduce expenses, scheduled 44
fewer performances in 1993.
In analyzing the end-of-season
results, Mr. Thomas expressed his
pleasure with the marked increase
in revenue and attendance, and
credited the acting company,
production staff and departing
Artistic Director David William for
mounting a season which was such
an artistic and critical success. He
added that the improvement was
Happy Birthday
:JAVA
December 9
Wedding
Deception
Marshall - Martin
To8cllicr with their children
Marjorie %Wail!
of Clinton
and
David Martin
of QI.2 4 Lkowel
extend an invitation
to their wedding reception
Friday December 17, 1993
at the
Win8hum Legion.
Dancing 9 pm - I um
The Stratford Festival is North
America's largest classical
repertory theatre. Founded in 1953
by Stratford native Tom Patterson,
the Festival now operates a six-
month season, and in 1993
presented a total of 521
performances of 12 productions in
three theatres. Attendance in 1993
was close to 450,000 with patrons
from every province and every
state visiting this Southwestern
Ontario city of 28,000.
The Stratford Festival is the first
Ontario recipient of the prestigious
Event or Attraction of the Year
Award. Previous winners include
The Montreal Jazz Festival,
Klondike Days, Winnipeg's
Folklorama, and the Calgary
Stampede.
Also present at the awards
ceremony in Vancouver was
Stratford resident Jane Blowes, of
ITP Blowes Travel. Mrs. Blowes
was named Veteran Agent of the
Year by the awards committee, an
award which acknowledges the
superb work of ITP Blowes Travel,
on behalf of their suppliers and
clients, for over 44 years.
also due to discount programmes
such as the "Family Experience"
and the newly introduced "2 for 1
Tuesdays" and "$20 Student
Ticket", resulting in the theatre
posting a record number of
discounts in 1993.
Despite the positive reports of
increased revenue and attendance,
Mr. Thomas stated that "the gross
revenue figure fell short of the
budget required, and I expect a
substantial loss will be reported on
the season at the annual general
meeting on Dec. 11."
For a free catalogue, call:
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glappy Birthday.
Tante henna
The family of
FENNA HULZEBOSCH
invites you to a
COME-AND-GO-TEA
in honour of her
80TH BIRTHDAY
December 18
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Christian Reformed Church Hall
Blyth, Ontario.
By Bonnie Gropp
A familiar face could be spotted
on Blyth streets last week as Janet
Amos returned to begin her tenure
as Blyth Festival's Artistic Director.
This will be Ms Amos's second
time at the artistic helm of the the-
atre having previously been its
director from 1980 to 1984. She is
replacing Peter Smith.
Since arriving Nov. 30, Ms Amos
has been kept very busy attending
meetings, sorting through mail and
giving consideration to plays for
the upcoming season.
In the years since she left, Ms
Amos notes the Festival has under-
gone many changes. "I am finding
things much different than before.
We are laden now with computers
and I have an office," she says,
adding that when she arrived at the
beginning of the last decade she
worked in a long, empty room with
a makeshift stove and no help other
than an accountant.
"It is very interesting today that
although the budget is bigger, the
actual number of ticket sales is less
than in 1984 when I left. Actually
the attendance figure is the same as
1980's."
Ms Amos says she has two chief
goals for the theatre. "The first is to
refocus plays onto the main stage.
There has been an enormous
amount of activity at the Festival in
recent years, but I think it has got-
ten too big."
Also Ms Amos says she wants to
entice "our very own (local) audi-
ence to come back. If I achieve that
then I will be happy, because that's
my favourite audience."
Ms Amos is not certain when she
will be ready to announce the 1994
season, but is hoping to by Febru-
ary.
Stratford Fest. box office
receipts exceed $16,000,000
A STARTS DEC. 10
IN ASSOCEACION WITH CARAVAN PICTURES
n
This Saturday
a FRI. & SAT. 7-9 P.M. at 2:00 p.m.
FREE MATINEE a a SUN.-THURS. 8 P.M. "ROOKIE OF THE YEAR" a
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