The Citizen, 1997-05-21, Page 23Digging up the dirt
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21,1997 PAGE 23.
Teachers9 quilts at Doon
The actors for Booze Days in a Dry County are in town and researching stories for this
collective piece directed by Paul Thompson. The cast, standing from left: Beverly Elliott,
Raoul Bhaneja. Front: Brian Paul, Carolyn Hay, Eric Coates, Scott Hurst.
Cast seeks input to recall history
The cast has assembled and
research has begun for Booze Days
in a Dry County, the Blyth
Festival's second play of the 1997
season.
This play, which opens June 26
and runs in repertory until Aug. 23,
is set in the days following World
War II when the lively lads
returning from glorious victory in
Europe ran smack into the old
moral codes of Southwestern
Ontario held sternly in place by
Canada's Temperance Act.
The challenge was on as the
mighty heroes led the search for the
forbidden liquid in the back streets,
dark cellars and neglected sheds of
their good "dry" little towns. New
establishments of mystery, danger
and temptation sprang up with
names like The Coughing Cat and
The Hole in the Wall. The good
soldiers became the bad boys in the
boom years after the war and it was
a lot of fun.
The show is directed by Paul
Thompson whose latest project was
directing The Piano Man's
Daughter...and Others which he
devised with author Timothy
Findley, and which had its world
premiere on the Blyth stage in
April prior to a national tour.
Raised near Listowel, Thompson
was long-time artistic director of
Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto.
To develop such Canadian
classics as The Farm Show, 1837,
Maggie & Pierre, and last year's
Blyth Festival hit Barndance Live!,
Thompson uses a unique approach
known as the collective. Through
this collaborative process, the
actors themselves do first-hand
research, then develop and fine
tune situations and dialogue
through improvisation to complete
the final product.
The talented actors and
collaborators on this exciting Booze
Days project include three who
helped create Barndance Live! last
year: Raoul Bhaneja who played
Ernie King and others, Eric Coates
who played Larry Mercey and
others, and Carolyn Hay who
played all the female roles (not to
mention a few turns on piano and
guitar and singing a few songs).
They are joined by three others
making their acting debuts at Blyth:
Beverley Elliott, a native of nearby
Listowel who has a busy career in
film, television, theatre and the
recording industry; Scott Hurst, a
writer, director and actor whom
audiences may remember for his
role as Marcellus Washbum in
Stratford Festival's production of
The Music Man last season; and
Brian Paul, a director and actor
who has also been in the Stratford
Festival Company as well as
making numerous television shows
and films.
Thompson and his merry band of
musical actors can use the public's
help in recapturing the glorious
ALL CANDIDATES
MEETING
for upcoming FEDERAL ELECTION
sponsored by the HURON COUNTY
FEDERATION of AGRICULTURE
Thursday, May 22,1997
at the
Goderich Township Hall, Holmesville
8:00 pm-10:00 pm
Attending will be: Paul Steckle - Liberal; Jan Johnstone
- NDP; Colleen Schenk - PC; Doug Fines - Reform;
and Dave Joslin - Christian Heritage.
Everyone Welcome
In celebration of the Waterloo
County and Area Quilt Festival,
Doon Heritage Crossroads, in co
operation with the Waterloo
County Women Teachers' Associa
tion, will once again present a quilt
show displaying both traditional
and contemporary designed quilts
made by local teachers from
Saturday, May 17 until Wednesday,
May 28, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Teachers from across the region
have submitted their entries and
over 30 quilts and wall hangings
will be on display for the 12-day
exhibit.
' CLASSIFIEDS
Buck & Doe
for
Corrinna Stephenson
and
Peter Strong
Saturday, May 31st
9 p.m. -1 a.m.
B.M.G. Community Centre
$5.00 each Age of Majority
Lunch provided
For tickets call 887-9109
CAPITOL
THEATRE
291-3070
LISTOWEL
Dolby Surround Sound Stereo
HAPPY 19TH
BIRTHDAY
ROBBIE (JOHNSTON)
times of Booze Days. "As was the
case last year with Barndance, we
are in the initial phase of the
Continued on page 24
STARTS FRIDAY
7:00 & 9:30 P.1L
LOST WORLD
PG
Frightening scene*.
Not recommended for children.
SATURDAY It SUNDAY MATINEES
1:00 It 3:30 PJL
DOORS OPEN 6:30
Advance Ticket* 9:00 p.m.
►IXRMLRS
WEDNESDAY JUNE I I at 8:00 PM
BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL
Tickets ’20 00 On Sale Now At The Blyth Festival Office (519) 523-9300Love, Mum, Dad,
Jeffery & Kati
Buck & Doe
for
Evelyn Stroop
Stephen Gulutzen
Saturday, May 31,1997
Bluevale Rec. Centre
(Music by D.J.)
Dancing 9 to 1 / Tickets:
Lunch Provided $5.00 ea.
Slag dj- Doc
for
LAURA DUCLOS &
IAN JOHNSTON
Saturday, May 24
Belgrave Arena
9 p.m. -1 a.m.
Tickets $5.00 Lunch provided
Age of Majority
r ATTENTION...
Buck & Doe
for Darrel Eckert
& Kim Lee
May 24
at the S.C.C
Age of Majority Only
Music by D.J. from 9-1 j
Lunch provided
For more information call
(519) 527-2169 or (519) 522-2011