The Citizen, 1997-04-16, Page 27THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16,1997 PAGE 27.
Entertainment Belgrave people
bowl, play cards
Theatre review
Walt’s story still fresh
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
After four plays based around the
adventures of stock-broker-tumed-
farmer, Walt Wingfield, you-might
think playwright Dan Needles
might have run out of things to say.
After nearly 1400 performances of
various versions of the Wingfield
stories you might think actor Rod
Beattie would be tired of carrying
this one-man show on his shoul
ders. Wrong and wrong again.
Wingfield Unbound, the latest
episode in the four-play series that
began with Letter from Wingfield
Farm, opened at The Grand The
atre in London on Friday. The story
is as fresh as ever and Beattie is
just as delightful as ever playing 15
different characters (and Spike the
dog).
By now Walt Wingfield is settled
into the farm community of Perse
phone Twp., commuting to Toronto
several times a week to earn
enough money from his old Bay
Street job to subsidize his fanning
habit. He has also, in mid-life,
acquired a wife — Maggie, his for
mer next door neighbour.
But Walt, like everyone else in
Ontario these days, is confronted
by change everywhere he turns.
Concerned about the disappearance
of a rural lifestyle he's come to
appreciate, he decides to start a
museum to gather artifacts of the
past
This theme of being confronted
by change laces together the differ
ent stories and characters in the
show. There are some marvellous
examples of the absurdities brought
on by these changes. Walt goes to
promote his museum idea to the
Some good ideas
to celebrate books
Continued from page 24
Carbert, 123, 184, 190; Louise
Bosman, 144, 146; Judy Gaunt,
145, 166; Evelyn Galbraith, 146,
117; Largaret Mclnnes, 157, 143;
Doris Remington, 155, 157; Ivy
Cloakey, 98, 118; Alice Nicholson,
152, 82; Doris Michie, 102, 113;
Mabel Wheeler, 145, 142.
There were eight tables of euchre
in play at the Women's Institutes
Hall on Wednesday, April 9.
Winners were: high lady,
Florence Schefter, second high
lady, Agnes Bieman; lone hands,
Lillian Appleby; low lady, Olive
Bolt; high man, Lloyd Appleby;
Buck & Doe &
Engagement Party
for
JEFF WILLIAMSON
& BECKY WILKINSON
Saturday, May 3rd
Music by D.J. ~ Lunch
For more Information call
887-6280 - Bob or
887-6695 - Ken & Anne
local township council, for
instance, only to learn that because
of impending amalgamation by the
province, they have no budget and
aren't allowed to do anything. They
still keep meeting, however,
because that's what they've always
done on the fourth Thursday of
every month.
When Walt goes to the hospital
(the result of an unfortunate
encounter with a psychologically
disturbed ram) a neighbour brings
him gifts of a school bell and a
package of cigarettes. He explains
the buzzer to the nurses' station has
been disconnected (a survival
mechanism for overworked nurses
during cutbacks?) so he should ring
the school bell. If that doesn't work,
just light up a cigarette, he says,
and nurses will instantly arrive
from every direction.
Needles' humour is still fresh and
surprising, even after "living" with
Walt Wingfield since 1974. His
Walt, is constantly bemused by the
quirks of his neighbours, yet any
chance he has to feel superior is
always quickly dowsed by his own
failing in this new world.
That world is brought wonderful
ly to life by the talent of Beattie.
He has a skill of being able to
quickly differentiate between char
acters with just a change of expres
sion and tone of voice. In one scene
he rapidly switches from Walt to
the township reeve, two councillors
and the township clerk, yet you
always know when he's changed
character. After 12 years of playing
these characters, he's so familiar
with them that each comes as natu
rally as his own voice.
The Wingfield plays (Letter from
Wingfield Farm, Wingfield's
second high man, Stuart Cnamney;
lone hands, Harvey Edgar; low
man, Ken Dunbar.
There will be euchre again on
Wednesday, April 16.
There were 11 tables of shoot in
play at the Belgrave Community
Centre on Friday, April 11.
Winners were: high lady, Lois
Chamney; second high lady, Mabel
Wheeler; most shoots, Norma
Moore; low lady, Agnes Bieman,
high man, Dennis Leddy; second
high man, Janet Mathers; most
shoots, Garner Nicholson; low
man, George Michie.
The next shoot is Friday, April
25 at 1:30 p.m.
BUCK & DOE
for
Lori Lei bold &
Raj Persaud
April 26/97
9 p.m.
K. of C. Club
470 Colborne St., London
For more Info
672-1955 or 485-6603
Progress and Wingfield’s Folly) are
a Canadian theatrical phenomenon.
It began when Dan Needles' brother
Reed asked him to adapt, for the
stage, some of the columns he had
written while he was editor of the
newspaper in Shelburne. An old
family friend, director Doug Beat-
tie, was brought in to direct the
monologue which was to be part of
a series of one-person shows in a
Toronto church basement.
Doug Beattie was sure the Wing
field story had a future beyond this
one short run, and called in his
brother Rod to play the part in an
experimental performance in the
Orange Hall in Rosemont, which is
the model for the fictional commu
nity of Persephone Twp. The rest,
as they say, is history. Walt Wing
field has told his story in nearly
every theatre in Canada and the
combination of the popularity of
the show and the modest expense
of a one-man show, helped save
more than one theatre from finan
cial collapse.
The legend of the show is bound
to continue to grow after the latest
telling of Walt's story. Wingfield
Unbound plays until May 3 at The
Grand, then moves on to the Strat
ford Festival where it will play
throughout the summer. It will, no
doubt, appear in many other the
atres in 'zears ♦' • come.
Help protect the environment
Reduce, reuse and recycle |
DID YOU KNOW?
The arctic tem is the champion jet
setter of all birds. Il spends the
summer in polar regions. When the
winter winds blow, it heads south -
as far as it can - to the seas of
Antarctica. The complete round trip
is about 30,000 kilometres!
Buck 'n Doe
for
Ang Terpstra
and
Chris DeGroot
on Saturday, April'26th
For more Information call
Julie or Jen 887-6313
Only advance tickets will ensure
admittance.
Stag <%, f)oe
for
RANDY LAMMERANT
& JOY FORAN
Saturday, April 19
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Blyth Community Centre
(Arena floor)
Lunch provided
Age of majority only
For information call
482-9482 or 523-9023
By Marjorie Bentley
Editor, Book People
Many of us remember books
among our most treasured gifts -
and consider giving a book a real
pleasure, too.
That's one good reason to
celebrate Canada Book Day, April
23, this year, since its theme is
"Give one, get one, read one."
Read one
The benefits and pleasures of
reading are familiar to people who
belong to book-discussion groups.
But we shouldn't forget that many
people in the world are restricted in
what they can read. Being able to
read whichever book you choose is
something to celebrate on Book
Day.
Get one
Rare is the person who doesn't
like gifts and, for a reader, a book
is always welcome. Each has its
merits and gift books often lead us
down new paths.
Getting, of course,'can also mean
buying a book for yourself.
UNESCO says that "all moves to
promote their (books')
dissemination ... inspire behaviour
based on understanding, tolerance
and dialogue." Adding to your store
of that inspiration is something to
celebrate on Book Day.
Give one
Books are unlike any other kind
BUCK & DOE
for
Mary-Anne Gibson and
Rob Boneschansker
on
Saturday, April 19,1997
Brussels Community Centre
Music by D.J.
Age of Majority Only
Lunch Provided
$6.00 per person
CAPITOL
THEATRE
291-3070
LISTOWEL
Dolby Surround Sound Stereo
HELD OVER
7:00 P.M. TIM ALLEN IN
JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE
_________(PG)_________
STARTS FRIDAY
9:00 P.M.
AL PACINO A JOHNNY DEPP IN
DONNIE BRASCO
(AA)
NITELY
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
SUN-THUR
APR 20-24
FRI. - SUN. APR. 18-20
FRI & SAT 7 & 9 PM
SUN MAT. 2 PM
ALL MAT. SEATS $4.00
fl “BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR!”
NjuwuI toad of Rzvrw • Otuw> Cuuui ______11
PARK THEATRE
GODERICH
of present no matter the recipient.
Introducing a child to an old
favourite can create a special bond.
The books we read as children
become part of us in a way that few
others do. They help us create our
world and our identity, while
letting us peek at other worlds and
other identities.
Picking a book with 3 particular
person in mind has a personal touch
that is hard to match.
Instead of trying to remember the
recipient's size or favourite colour,
your thoughts are drawn to the very
character of the person in question,
and what you would like to say to
Continued on page 28
This Friday
The Original
MACLEAN & MACLEAN
on their 1997 World Tour!
See Canada's Funniest Brothers'
with special guests
SHOCKED
“Great New Rock Act"
EXCLUSIVE REGIONAL APPEARANCE
Tickets $5 Advance $7 Door
Saturday April 19th
BUCK & DOE
for
Sheila Cook & Jeff Zondag
at
fi
Hwy 8 West, Clinton .482-1234 J
BUCK &
DOE FOR
Christine Hallahan
&
Bill Gulutzen
Saturday, April 26
9:00 pm - 1:00 am
Blyth Arena
Music by D.J.
Calvin Kerr
Tickets: $5.00 each
\ Age of Majority Onl
Lunch provided
FOR INFORMATION
J CALL
524-2657
OP
' 523-9339
J I M C A R R t 1
LIARLIAR
ENDS THURSDAY