HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-03-19, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1997
A sneak preview
At a preview evening last Thursday, guests and media were given a sneak peak at this
season's Blyth Festival line-up. Performing a scene from Quiet in the Land, are, from left:
Erin Roulston, Artistic Director Janet Amos and Floyd Herman.
Amos excited about season
Wedding adventure at Blyth
The Blyth Festival cordially
invites you to the wedding of Gail
Gunderson and Brad Underwood
on the Blyth Memorial Community
Hall stage May 2 and 3. And you
can bet theirs will be no ordinary
ceremony!
The happy couple's big day is the
theme for Gail and Brad's
Marvellous Wedding Adventure,
the Festival's latest mystery
dinner/theatre offering brought to
you by the same zany folks who
staged last year's popular
production Come Back to the Gym
Mary Lou, Mary Lou.
Under the watchful eye of Rev.
Father Doug Gravely, the anxious
bride and groom gather together
with the strangest cast of wedding
characters ever assembled. There's
a wedding gift nobody can afford, a
cellular phone that can't be put on
hold, and a family lawyer with a
briefcase full of trouble. Guests can
enjoy the tunes of hearing impaired
organist Mabel Mirshum and the
musical antics of Blyth's very own
Nasty Habits, who also act as
ushers.
Written by Rob Bundy, with
musical arrangements by Arlene
Darnbrough, Gail and Brad's
Marvellous Wedding Adventure
combines the talents of the Mary
Lou cast and crew with a few
newcomers. Duncan McGregor
does double duty as director and
troubled father of the bride, Floyd
Herman is Father Gravely, Anne
Elliott is the incontinent Granny
Greta Metro, Kira Stuckey is
beautiful bride Gail, Paul Ciufo is
her handsome groom Brad, Gary
Haist is the bumbling best man,
Kathleen Babcock is the high
strung maid of honor, Carol Oriold
is the oft-married, soon-to-be
mother-in-law, Kim Souch is the
church choir’s pride and joy, David
Scott is a very inexpensive
photographer, and Arlene
Darnbrough is Mabel, the organist
whose eclectic music includes
everything from gospel to rock.
It's a matrimonial "marry-go-
round" of ringing proportions. Will
they tie the knot? Will they live
happily ever after? Come and find
out for yourself. The wedding
dinner commences at 6 p.m. with
show (ceremony) at 8 p.m.
Tickets for the dinner and show are
$25; show only $15. They can be
purchased through the Blyth
Festival Box Office (523-9300) or
at one of the following ticket
outlets: Bluewater Office Equip
ment (Wingham), Campbell's
Photography (Goderich), Carol's
Candies and Collectables (Blyth),
or Crossroads Gifts (Clinton).
Saying she had mixed feelings
about leaving the Blyth Festival
after this summer's season, Janet
Amos told a group of theatre
friends and the media, Thursday
night, about the six plays she has
selected for her final season.
"I'm very excited about the sea
son, excited about the plays, excit
ed about the tour (of Barndance
Live! in September)," said Amos,
"and I'm sorry to be leaving."
Amos is entering her fourth season
since her return to Blyth to help
take the Festival out of danger after
it nearly sank under an accumulat
ed $229,000 operating deficit after
the 1993 season.
About 40 people attended the
season kick-off at the Bainton
Gallery. They were treated to read
ings from several of the plays, per
formed by Amos and some actors
from the community.
Anne Elliott of Blyth and former
Blyth resident Floyd Herman, per
formed a scene from the season's
fourth play, The Melville Boys. "It's
a play I have a great deal of love
for," said Amos, recalling she
directed the world premiere of the
Norm Foster play at Theatre New
Brunswick (TNB) when she left
Blyth. after serving for five years as
artistic director from 1980 through
1984.
She recalled how outgoing TNB
artistic director Malcolm Black had
discovered Foster, a local radio per
Tickets available by phone
Continued from page 1
prizes, and recognition in the event
program, are also available. Ticket
and donation information is
available by contacting the MCF at
335-3557.
The Wawanosh Nature Centre
provides opportunities for visitors
to learn about the environment
through hands-on education and
recreation programs. Over 5,000
visitors participate in activities al
the Nature Centre annually.
The Nature Centre is located on
Cone. 6-7 (Nature Centre Road) of
sonality and produced his first play.
He gave Amos the newest Foster
script and she loved it, using three
actors familiar to Blyth audiences,
Robert King, Deborah Kimmctt
and Patricia Vanstone. The play
went on to tremendous internation
al success, winning an award for
the best play of the year in Los
Angeles in 1988.
The comedy deals with the rela
tionship between two brothers and
the two sisters they meet at a cot
tage.
Amos performed a scene from
Deborah Kimmett's one-woman
show Overboard. The comedy is
the story of a woman who wins a
Caribbean cruise vacation but
spends it thinking about her busy
life as career woman and mother.
This play will be performed in the
"Garage" theatre space.
Elliott and Herman performed a
scene from David Scott's There's
Nothing in the Paper, the comic
tale of the tribulations of a small
town newspaper editor and his bat
tle with a new rival, a sensational
tabloid-style rag that proceeds to
ruin the lives of local residents. Il
will be the third show of the sea
son.
There will be two collective cre
ations in the season, a return of
Barndance Live! at the end of the
season and Booze Days in a Dry
County, both created by Paul
Thompson and cast members using
East Wawanosh Twp. The facility
provides activities for students
from kindergarten to Grade 10 as
well as programs for a wide range
of community groups. The MCF
has been a major supporter of the
Wawanosh Nature Centre since
1984 when the Nature Centre first
opened. The Wawanosh Nature
Centre is operated by the Mailland
Valley Conservation Authority.
The MCF is a registered,
charitable, non-profit organization
that supports conservation projects,
being undertaken by the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority.
improvisational techniques. Booze
Days in a Dry County is the story
of soldiers coming home to western
Ontario after seeing a larger world
during World War II, only to find
out they couldn't even legally get a
drink in an area where the Canada
Temperance Act had been adopted.
The result was the birth of a num
ber of illegal drinking establish
ments with colourful names like
"The Coughing Cat".
Amos said she'd been told there
were five such spots in Blyth.
"Nobody I've spoken to ever had
any direct experience," she said
with a laugh, "but they all knew
people who did."
The hit of the 1996 season, Barn
dance Live!, the story of the CKNX
travelling bam dance, will return in
September for a two-wcck run, fol
lowed by a tour to Shelburne and
other locations. The eight-perfor
mance stay in Shelburne, which
will help open a new theatre,
already has three sold-oul perfor
mances.
Amos finished with a scene from
the play that will open the season, a
new production of Quiet in the
Land, the play about the conflict
within the Amish community dur
ing World War I when the German
speaking, pacifist society came
under pressure because of society's
feelings about the war. Premiered
in Blyth in 1981, the play went on
to national acclaim and won the
Governor General's Award for
author Anne Chislett in 1983.
It tells the story of two Amish
families, one headed by a very
strict patriarch, the other more tol
erant in its views.
"There's a whole generation of
people who have never seen it,"
Amos said of the play. She per
formed a scene from the play with
Herman and Erin Roulston.
The Festival Box Office opens to
members April 1 and to the general
public April 14. Hours are Monday
to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May
30. Starling May 31, it will also be
open Saturdays until 5 p.m. From
June 17 to Sept. 10, it is open
Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to
8 p.m. (except non-performance
days when it closes al 5 p.m.).
LHEALTH on the H1LLj
A Review of activities at
SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
We are happy to welcome Rev. Chen DiNovo to Seaforth Community
Hospital Volunteer Pastoral Program. Rev. DiNovo is pastor of the
Kippen/Brucefield United Churches. We look forward to our relationship
in the coming months. In addition to regular visitation from participating
clergy on a rotation volunteer basis, a Worship Service is offered monthly.
OB PRE-ADMIT CLINIC if you are an expectant Mom 34-38 weeks
pregnant and planning to deliver at Seaforth Community Hospital, you
are encouraged to attend for sharing of admission information on
Thursday, March 20th at 7:00 p.m. in Conf. Rm. 2.
Pre-registration requested 527-1650 Ext. 219.
Information will also be available as to how Karen Searle,
Breastfeeding Facilitator can provide breastfeeding support and prob
lem solving if required. If you require further or immediate information,
please contact 527-1650 or 522-0409.
PERINATAL INFORMATION SESSION Thurs. MARCH 20th at
7:30 p.m. Conf. Rm 2.
TOPIC: PAIN CONTROL IN LABOUR & DELIVERY with Dr
Heather Percival & Physiotherapist. Pre-registration requested and
appreciated. 527-1650 Ext. 219.
INVITATION TO RN/RPN’S in the community (actively engaged in
Nursing or otherwise) to attend informative session to be presented by
Linda Balvert, RN College of Nurses Rep. on the new requirements for
Ontario Nurses regarding the Quality Assurance Program. Inservice to
be held in Conference Room 2 Tiiesday, March 25th from 2:15 - 3:15
p.m. OR 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Please pre-register by calling 527-1650 Ext.
219.
DIABETES EDUCATION DAY An informative enlightening opportu
nity to attend a Workshop, Diabetes Choices & Challenges...Celebrating
75 Years of Insulin April 9, 1997 at the Festival Inn, Stratford. Target
Audience: Persons with Diabetes, family, friends, and those with an
interest in learning. For more information and registration details contact
527-1650 Ext. 219 no later than March 26, 1997.
Reminder to Registrants: “Heart to Heart” Cardiac Rehabilitation
Classes begin March 27th and run ea. Thurs. evening from 7-9 p.m.
until May 8th.
DIABETIC EDUCATION offered by Nurse Educator, Dianne Wood,
Reg. N. each Thursday 1-3 p.m. by appointment. Self referrals accepted.
No fee. Topics include: Diet, Exercise, Insulin, Oral Agents, Monitoring
Technique, Travel, Days of Illness, Foot Care, Management. To pre-reg
ister, call 527-1650 Ext. 219.
CANCER SUPPORT GROUP a self-help program offered at no cost
providing support and practical information by trained facilitators for
patients, families and friends through informal discussion groups. You
are invited to join us to talk or just listen. No registration is needed and
you are welcome to come as often as you wish. Next Sessions will be
held Wednesday, March 26th at 7:30 p.m. at the Seaforth Manor. For
information contact Joan Chesney 527-1650 or Shirley Dinsmore at 527-
0655.