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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-07-19, Page 27The view from here Dear Dad: Thanks for driving out here and seeing the show. I remember being a kid and going into the office with you on a Sunday. I wandered all over the building, poking through the empty offices, sitting at all the desks, running through the warehouse (rows and rows. of towering shelves filled with shoes in boxes), playing with the adding machines and water coolers and typewriters and telephones. And I remember trying to fill it all in: how noisy the place was with people in it, all the movement and ringing and clicking and talking, and you in the middle of it all. I tried to figure out what it was like for you. What you did all day. You handling coffee cups and sample shoes and paper. You on the phone to Montreal or Taiwan. You talking to your co-workers. I imagined I knew more about you, who you were, what you were like, by guessing what it was like for you at work. Here's what it's like for me: The rules say I must be at the theatre a half hour before curtain. Usually I'll get there earlier: how much earlier depends on how much preparation I think I'll need. Here in Blyth, with a couple of shows running in rep, the amount of preparation I need has a lot to do with how long ago the last performance of this show was. If it was a while ago, I'll need to say most of it out loud, just to make sure it'll all come back to me when I'm in front of people. I'll get dressed and fool around with my hair a bit. Some of the male actors wear makeup, but I don't for Ballad (except for the white shoe polish in my hair for when I'm playing the old guy). The real singers in the cast (and I assure you, this does not include your fourth born) will warm up their voices. The lighting operator will check all the lights. He accomplishes this difficult task in an extremely simple manner: he turns them all on, one at a time. The assistant stage manager and production assistants make sure the set and props are in order, the sound operator checks the sound levels. God knows how the musicians prepare. The stage manager, meanwhile, walks around the whole building announcing what time it is to anyone she meets. She tells us (and the front of house people) when we've got a half hour, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, or five minutes to go. Depending on how eager you are to get on stage, you will either find this to be welcome information or a not terribly subtle form of torture. Oops. I've got to go. But I haven't even got on stage yet. I'll fmish this next week. Yours, Michael. Blyth Fest. premieres `This Year, Next Year' ENGAGEMENT Mr. Bryan Black, Belgrave and Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Tardiff, Mississauga are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal Ann Black to Trevor Wayne Agombar son of Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Agombar, Wingham and Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Gadke, Walkerton The wedding will take place on Friday, July 28, 1995, 3:00 p.m. at the Walkerton Court House. Friends and family are welcome to attend an open coffee and tea reception on Saturday, July 29, 1995 at the W.I. Hall, Belgrave, 2 - 4 p.m. Fri.-Thur. July 21-27; Fri. & Sat. 7 & 9 PM Sun.-Thur. 8 PM; Sun. Mat. 2 PM FAMI LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO -HE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1995. PAGE 27. This Year, Next Year the third production in the Blyth Festival season of Canadian plays has its world premier on July 19. Written by London, ON resident Norah Harding, This Year, Next Year is an autobiographical story of. her family's survival during the last days of the war in Bournemouth, England. This is a romantic comedy involving a mother and her three daughters, each dealing with the uncertainties and dark days of the war in her own way. Tragic loss, wartime romance, and youth- ful exuberance are interwoven into this story with popular war songs and big band tunes. Norah Harding has lent her special insight into the rehearsal process as she watches the events that brought her to Canada as a War Bride unfold. "Watching This Year, Next Year come together has Continued from page 26 will be a wide selection of salads and dessert is a bumbleberry crisp and ice cream. Tickets to the barbe- cue (which includes admission to the food fair) are $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Tickets for the food fair only are $2 for Buck & Doe for Grace Cassidy & Wayne Gordon Saturday, July 22nd 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Teeswater, Culross Community Centre Age of Majority $5.00 per person at door reminded me of just how extra- ordinary the events of everyday life became during the war years. The cast has been tremendously successful in capturing the feeling and spirit of my own family." The role of Norah is being played by Jacklyn Francis, Trish O'Reilly portrays Sheilah and Deborah Drakeford creates the role of Ivy. The rest of the cast is rounded out with Barbara Worthy as Mum, Harry Booker as Uncle Harry and Tedde Moore as Aunt Girlie. This Year, Next Year is directed by Terry Tweed with set and costume design by Victoria Wallace and lighting design by Lesley Wilkinson. The production opens on July 19 and runs until Aug. 25. Tickets are available by calling the Blyth Festival box office at (519) 523- 9300. adults, $1 for children and $5 for families. Buck & Doe for BRYAN KELSO HEATHER McGAVIN on Friday July 21 For info call 522-0225 or 527-2394 or 887-9996 By Bonnie Gropp It's bawdy, lusty and perhaps a bit offensive at times, but Stratford Festival's production of William Wyncherley's Restoration comedy The Country Wife has a lot of fun with its dark humour. The lusty Mr. Homer, portrayed with shameful alacrity by Tom McCamus, has devised a plan to have his women, who are usually other men's. He persuades Dr. Quack to spread the rumour that he is now a eunuch, and therefore no longer a threat to the jealous hus- bands. With the source of their con- cern "removed" the husbands eagerly select Homer to escort their wives, who are then told his secret, but have no fear that he would betray their honour as none would believe him. "'Tis scandal they would avoid, not men," Horner says when he explains why women will now flock to him. As a eunuch, he says, he will be able to "kiss virgins before their parents." Mr. Pinchwife, wonderfully por- trayed by Scott Wentworth, has been out of the city, however, and has not heard the lie. He tries his best to protect his hopelessly ingen- uous young country bride from Homer's flirtations which, through a series of amusing events, eventu- ally leads her to his arms. Meanwhile Pinchwife's sister Alithea, is awaiting her wedding to the self-absorbed fop, Mr. Spark- ish, by fighting off the advances of Mr. Harcourt, who has fallen in love with her. Sparkish is so pleased to possess someone that another adores that he literally shoves her into his arms. It was- likely a wise idea that director Douglas Campbell opted to keep the piece in its time period, rather than follow the penchant to update plays through costume and design, to make them more popu- lar. In this .case with characters in modern dress there may have been a tendency among some to have been less forgiving regarding some comments. This play scoffs not only at mar- riage, but at the people who marry. Most of Wycherley's women are at best, naive, at worst, unfaithful, while the men are jealous cuckolds, who ignore their wives, to find greater pleasure in business. The idea of marriage is treated as a source of discontent, a malady rather than a pleasurable union of two people. Horner compares women to Leonard & Marie Phillips and their family wish to invite you to A Come & Go Tea at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Wingham on Saturday, July 22, 1995 from 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. spaniels, noting all the negative aspects, then finishing it by saying that the spaniel however is faithful and performs for only one master. He tells one woman that virtue is her greatest affectation. Pinchwife's views are also detestable. "Good wives are like soldiers. They should be ignorant," he says. Quite frankly, in this politically correct world, there may be some who fail to see humour in any of this, irregardless of the fact that that was the attitude of the times. Campbell has eased the ugliness, however, directing in tongue -in- cheek manner, which makes it dif- ficult to take any of it too seriously. The actors milk each line for every laugh possible, with pregnant pauses and off-side glances. The audience is drawn into the goings- on in such a way that to not lighten up and have fun would leave you an outsider. The cast is excellent. McCamus as Horner is a likeable rogue, while Wentworth, whose other Stratford credit this year is as Macbeth, shows a wonderful comedic flair as Pinchwife. Other noteworthy cast members are former Blyth alumni Seana McKenna and Michelle Fisk, Stephen Ouimette, Benedict Camp- bell and Marion Day. While relationships between men and women have come a long way since this comedy was written it is interesting to note that some aspects are familiar, such as the women's concern that a man will kiss and tell. Also while many men find marriage a satisfying arrange- ment, there are still some who, as Alithea says to Mr. Harcourt, see marriage as robbing them of a friend and consider the groom as "dead to the world". Buck & Doe for Mark Verburg & Dianne Dykman on Friday, July 28, 1995 at Blyth Community Centre Music by Sound Proof (9 to 1) Age of Majority Required The men in this play are the most verbally vindictive in their assess- ment. Even when a female charac- ter makes a disparaging remark, such as Lady Fidgetes, comment that "Money makes up for all other wants in men," it casts a negative light on themselves. However, it is interesting to note that by its conclusion it is the men who ultimately appear the fools. It was equally interesting to note that most of the audience, men includ- ed, was glad to see that. The state- ment that women love the men who trust them resulted in an over- whelming display of affirmation from the audience. E ntertainment Theatre review Stratford's lusty 'Wife' Bumbleberry crisp for dessert