HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-04-13, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13,1994.
Grand Theatre announces 1994-95 season
Artistic Director Martha Henry
recently announced The Grand
Theatre's 1994-95 season playbill.
Commencing Oct. 4, the season
opens Friday Oct. 7 and will
Theatres, select
writing finalists
Martha Henry, artistic director of
The Grand Theatre and Charlie
Tomlinson, artistic associate in
charge of the McManus, announced
recently the finalists in the "Stage
Presence: A Competition for New
Playwrights." A finalist was
selected in each of the three
categories, College/University,
Senior (grades 11 through OAC)
and Intermediate (Grades 7 to 10),
from all scripts submitted by
contestants.
The finalist in the College/
University Division is 22-year-old
University of Western Ontario
student Nelson Couto, for his script
The Mushroom Farmers. The
Senior Division finalist is 18-year-
old Oakridge Secondary School
student Kimberly McNorgan from
London, for When my Ship Leaves
the Harbour. The Intermediate
Division finalist is 16-year-old
David Polera from Northern
Secondary School in Toronto, who
submitted Separate Rooms.
In addition, the Senior Division
submission by 18-year-old Naomi
Brinkhof, who attends Huron Park
Secondary School in Woodstock,
has been awarded an honourable
mention by the judges for her script
Jerry and Jack.
Festival training program ends
The first annual John Sullivan
Hayes Programme for Theatre
Training, known within the
Festival as "The Shakespeare
Gymnasium", came to a close on
Saturday, April 2. Participants in
the programme completed an
intensive month-long curriculum.
The trainees, all Stratford Festival
company members, were welcomed
to the programme on March 7 by
Young Company Artistic Director
Richard Rose, who stated, "The
continual question before us is how
to do Shakespeare today, how to
make the plays relevant, visceral,
passionate and intelligible to the
audience today. We're here at the
Shakespeare Gym to acquire the
basics, grapple with discovering
styles and acting approaches, and
putting Shakespeare into our voice
and our voice into Shakespeare."
The comerstone of the training
programme was the daily session
taught by senior company member
Michael Mawson, dubbed the
"Shakespeare Bath". These sessions
consisted of total immersion in the
texts of Shakespeare, using Richard
111, The Merchant of Venice,
Othello and The Taming of the
Shrew to explore selected scenes
and learn to recognize common
elements in the plays.
Integrated into these sessions
were seminars and lectures on the
Elizabethan period, the day-to-day
lives of the people Shakespeare
wrote for and information about
Shakespeare's own acting
company. These seminars were led
by the Festival's text analysis coach
Leslie O'Dell.
Daily sessions were also pro
vided in movement and dance by
guest coach Susan McKenzie, and
voice and text work was led by
Festival voice coach Ann Skinner.
Other sessions were taught by
guest coaches Mark Chnstmann,
who led three weekends of neutral
mask work, former Festival Artistic
Director Michael Langham, who
continue through April of 1995.
The Grand's 1994-95 season
playbill begins with Hay Fever by
Noel Coward. Judith Bliss is a
recently retired actress with a
Judges for this year's competition
were artistic associate Charlie
Tomlinson, playwright James
Reaney and actors Brooke Johnson
and Alisa Palmer, who recently
starred in Undergrand production
of A Fertile Imagination.
The three finalists will spend the
week of April 11 through 16 at The
Grand where they will participate
in the workshop process as their
scripts are rehearsed by
professionals, including director
Charlie Tomlinson, playwright
Deborah Porter, dramaturge Jason
Sherman and actors Natalie Breton,
Mary Lewis, Jody Richardson and
Eric Woolfe. The finalists will
each receive tickets to The Grand's
1994-95 season, as well as a cash
award.
The prizes will be awarded
during the public readings which
will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the
McManus Studio Theatre, Friday,
April 15 (Intermediate and Senior
Finalists) and Saturday, April 16
(College/University Finalist and
Senior Honourable Mention).
Tickets are free but reservations are
required. To reserve tickets, visit
The Grand Theatre Box Office at
471 Richmond Street, or call (519)
672-8800. Toll Free from area
code 519 at 1-800-265-1593.
gave a master class on Shakes
pearean text, Neil Freeman, who
taught text classes based on use of
the original folio editions and Patsy
Rodenburg, who led voice and text
classes in conjunction with
movement classes by Alexander
Technique coach Kelly McEvenue.
Artistic Director Richard
Monette, who first conceived the
idea of a Shakespeare Gymnasium
over 10 years ago, is gratified by
the successful launch of the
programme. "I fought for the
launch of this programme, as I
considered it crucial to the success
of my first season" he said, adding
"Theatre schools are not able to
leach in such an intensive and in-
depth fashion, the study and
techniques of classical theatre. I
feel very strongly that the burden of
training rests with us, and I hope
that the 12 apostles who have
completed their training will spread
the word throughout the theatre
community. My dream is that from
this beginning, the John Sullivan
Continued on page 23
Brussels, Morris & Grey Recreation
BLUE JAYS
DANCE & DRAW
at the Brussels, Morris & Grey Community Centre
Sat. April 23
Dancing 9-1
Lunch by B.M. & G Catering Group
Tickets $5.00 per person
GRAND PRIZE
Drawn at Midnight
Tickets for Two
to June 25 Blue Jays vs Baltimore
Accommodation at Holiday Inn,
including breakfast
Several other prizes to be drawn.
Proceeds to Ice resurfacer & dishwasher.
penchant for lapsing into fragments
of old successes. David, her
husband, is a successful novelist.
Their son and daughter are rude
chips off parental blockheadedness,
adept at cuing their mother for her
most memorable lines. One wacky
weekend this self-centred quartet
entertains--or fails to entertain--
their bewildered guests.
The next offering is The Search
for Signs of Intelligent Life in the
Universe by Jane Wagner.
Trudy, a bag lady, waits on the
comer of Walk, Don't Walk for her
alien space chums who are on a
cosmic fact-finding mission to
discover signs of intelligent life.
As their guide to earth, Trudy
introduces a host of characters who
typify the dreams, obsessions and
neuroses of modem culture. Meet
Judith who sells marital aids to
bored housewives, Kate the victim
of a hairdressing trend, and Angus
Angst the teenage punk
performance artist.
The third play is Frances
Hodgson Burnett's The Secret
Garden adapted by Paul Ledoux.
Mary, an orphan, travels from India
to England to live with gloomy
uncle Archibald, a recluse since the
tragic death of his wife.
Befriended by the chambermaid
Martha and her brother Dickon,
Mary learns of the existence of a
hidden garden. Then, while
exploring the house, Mary
encounters her cousin Colin, a
sickly, bedridden boy. Now more
determined than ever, Mary sets out
to discover the door to the secret
garden.
The first play of 1995 is Oleana
by David Mamet. A college
professor, preoccupied with
purchasing a new home in
conjunction with his upcoming
tenure, has a session in his office
with a failing student. She
expresses the difficulty she has
understanding the material as
presented in class. Inexplicably to
the professor, she proceeds to file a
sexual harassment complaint. With
his plans suddenly collapsing
around him, he attempts a
reconciliation.
The Rez Sisters is by Tomson
Highway. It's Toronto or bust for
seven flamboyant women of the
Wasaychigan Hill Indian Hill
Reserve (The Rez) determined to
beat the odds at The Biggest Bingo
In The World. It's a chance to win
a way out of a tortured life, if only
they can raise the money for the
trip. After a series of impromptu
garage sales, babysitting sessions,
bake sales and bottle drives, the
seven pile into a beaten up van and
head out to meet their destiny.
Next is Broadway Bound by Neil
Simon. From Brighton Beach
Memoirs to Biloxi Blues to
Broadway Bound...from wise
cracking adolescent to wide-eyed
Army recruit to fledgling comedy
writer...the year is 1948. For
Eugene and his brother, life as a
comedy-writing team is about to
begin, if they can only finish the
sketch for CBS radio by morning.
But their close-to-the-bone, wry
observations are not quite so funny
to the family members who inspire
them.
Forever Plaid by Stuart Ross is a
hilarious tribute to the guy groups
of the 50s and 60s, following the
journey of the Four Plaids on then
way to their first gig. Alas, their
dream of super-stardom was cut
short in a collision with a school
bus full of girls on their way to see
the Beatles debut on the Ed
Sullivan Show. But now through a
hole in the ozone layer, they're
back to do the show they never
gave in real life. And what a show
it is! Forever Plaid features a hit
parade of famous songs including
"Heart and Soul", "Chain Gang",
"Three Coins in a Fountain",
"Catch a Falling Star", plus the
entire Ed Sullivan Show in 3 1/2
BLUEWATER I
KENNEL CLUB
Experienced Instructors
Serving Huron County for over 18 years
presents its
ANN UAL X1
DOG
OBEDIENCE
COURSE
For dogs over 5 months
10 week course...only $££^
to be held at'. V V
BLYTH COMMUNITY
CENTRE
Starting: Tuesday, April 26,1994
7:00 p.m.
NO DOGS FIRST NIGHT
HEALTH & RABIES CERTIFICATE REQUIRED
Pre-Register by calling:
JANET LOBB
233-3372 (after 5 p.m.)
LYNN NISBETT
524-4963
DEBBIE STEPHEN
527-2430
WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL f a A
1879 INSURANCE COMPANY 1994 xiy
"Jfeigfibour fidping Qfeigfifour"
YOUR LOCAL AGENTS
Frank Foran, Lucknow 528-3824
Lyons & Mulhern, Goderich
524-2664
Donald R. Simpson, Ripley
395-5362
Delmar Sproul, Auburn 529-7273
Clinton 482-3434
Chapman-Graham & Assoc.
Insurance Brokers Inc.
Owen Sound 376-1774
City Insurance Offices Limited
Kincardine 396-9513
"INSURANCE FOR FARM, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND AUTO"
minutes!
Although not part of the
subscription package this year,
subscribers can order Forever Plaid
tickets in advance of the general
public.
All programming and dates are
subject to change.
Plan to Attend
the Blyth Business
Meeting, April 19,1994
7 p.m. at the Blyth Inn
see page 3 for details
Community-Living
Central Huron
invites Applications for the
position of
Acting Executive
Director
This is a 35 week contract position,
commencing June 13, 1994 and
terminating February 10, 1995.
The Acting Executive Director will
be responsible Io a volunteer
Board of Directors for the direction
and management of all affairs of
the Association.
Community-Living Central Huron
operates a range of residential,
employment and day alternative
programs for adults with develop
mental disabilities, as well as
Children's Programs
Applicants must possess a post
secondary diplorna/degree and
have highly developed written,
verbal, and interpersonal commu
nication skills. The successful candi
date will have previous human
resources, budgeting supervisory,
and labour management experi
ence Closing Date' April 28, 1994.
Please forward a detailed resume
to :
Ellen Connelly,
President, Community-Living
Central Huron,
P.O. Box 527,
Goderich, Ontario
N7A 4C7.
Only candidates to be interviewed
will be contacted by May 6, 1994
P.A. Roy Insurance Broker Inc.
Clinton 482-9357
Banter, MacEwan, Feagan Insurance Brokers
Umited, Goderich 524-8376
Kenneth MacLean, Paisley
368-7537
McMaster Siemon Insurance
Brokers Inc. Mitchell 348-9150
John Nixon, Brussels887-9417
Chapman Graham Lawrence
Insurance Brokers
Walkerton 881-0611