HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-08-06, Page 19E ntertainment ‘Barndance
Live’ returns
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6,1997 PAGE 19.
Paired off
While their brother and sister are off together, Mary (Carolyn Hay) and Lee (Eric Coates)
have a serious moment while playing cards in this scene from The Melville Boys, a Norm
Foster comedy now playing at the Blyth Festival. (Photo by James Hockings/Off Broadway Photography)
Theatre review
Miss this one, you lose
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
I laughed 'til I cried, and cried 'til
I laughed.
Norm Foster'sTte Melville Boys,
which opened last week at Blyth
Festival has it all — good script
with comedy and drama, solid
direction, nice set and superb cast.
Foster, who won the Los Angeles
Drama-Logue Award in 1988 for
The Melville Boys, gets to the audi
ence's heart. His characters are real,
and likeable, despite flaws. His
story is intelligent without being
highbrow, simple without being
inane.
The story centres on two broth
ers, Lee and Owen who are going
to do some bonding with a week
end of fishing and hunting at an
aunt and uncle's cottage. They meet
two sisters and the fun begins.
A hint of foreshadowing in the
beginning indicates that there is
more happening in these men's
lives than the frivilous. The sad
reality comes to light eventually in
what turns out to be one of the
play's most hilarious scenes.
This is due in no small part to the
marvelous comedic ability of Car
olyn Hay in the role of Mary. A
HAPPY 16TH
’’JOHNNIE”
LOVE YOUR FAMILY
gifted actor, Hay alters her mood as
smoothly as a dimmer switch. Her
drama is never heavy-handed, her
comedy stops just short of over the
top. Her Mary is very real, all your
best friends rolled into one.
Conversely, Sharon Bembaum's
Loretta is the type of girl most
other females avoid. With a laissez-
faire approach to living, Bembaum
delivers a free-spirit, who contrasts
perfectly to the more serious Mary,
while displaying a vulnerability
that connects them.
Eric Coates as Lee and Ari
Cohen as Owen, play well off each
other. Though their personalities
are diverse there seems to be a gen
uine warmth and respect that makes
their closeness believable.
There is also good chemistry
between Coates and Hay. I've never
been able to understand why some
have it, but when they do it can be
heart-stopping. As Lee and Mary
were drawn together, the feeling
that this was beyond their control,
was tangible.
Foster in this play teases you,
bringing you to the edge of a feel
ing, then drawing back. To create
drama that takes you to the verge of
tears, then deftly turn it to an
Tent
Buck & Doe
for
Greg Clark
&
Jenifer Kipfer
In Walton
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
Age of Majority
Lunch Provided
For information
phone
519-887-6636 or
887-9553
opportunity for comedy, which
Trish Vanstone's direction and
Hay's performance carry off
exquisitely, is a gift.
It is nice to see actors in a role
with which they seem comfortable.
It is even better to see them in roles
that seem to have been written for
them. The dead-on performances,
could be attributed, in part, to
director Vanstone who has suc
ceeded in guiding the actors, while
allowing them the freedom to cre
ate and be confident with their
characters.
Blyth's Artistic Director Janet
Amos first presented The Melville
Boys, in 1984 while at Theatre New
Brunswick. To have saved it for her
swan song season at Blyth was bril
liant. It is touching, human and
fun, the type of show that keeps
audiences remembering and smil
ing about for a long time. It typifies
the quality that Amos has intro
duced time and again to Blyth audi
ences. She offers this one as a
farewell gift.
If you miss it, it will be your
great loss.
Poppa’s ”50”
you know
Love your
Granddaughter
Shane from B.C.,
Greg & Gail, Steve &
KJ & Rose
Barndance Live! the hit of the
Blyth Festival's 1996 season, is
back on the Blyth stage this year
due to popular demand and it
promises to be another toe-tappin'
good time. Opening Aug. 27, it will
run until Sept. 10.
The show is again directed by
Paul Thompson and will feature
most of the same talented cast, with
a few welcome additions. Some of
the local acts from last year will
also be incorporated into the show
and new ones will be added.
Barndance Live! celebrates the
great touring radio show, The
CKNX Barn Dance. Every
Saturday night in the 1940s and
'50s, it was broadcast live from
Continued on page 20
Stag L)oe
for
Bryan Ramsey
& Tina Chambers
August 9
8:30 to 1:00
at
Auburn Community Hall
Stag And Doe
for
TOM WILSON
and
SHERRI HICKS
Friday, August 15-8 p.m.
CLUB 86, HWY. 86
Cold Buffet
DJ Classic Rock
Tickets available at the door
Phone 887-9289 for more information
Pieces of
Alligator Pie
a new creation by the
Blyth Festival
Young Company
from poems by
Dennis Lee & others
August 11-16
7:00 p.m.
Basement of Blyth
United Church
Pay what you
can at the door
PARK THEATRE
JULIA ROBERTS
MY BEST
FRIEND'S
FRI.-THURS. FRI & SAT. 7 & 9 PM i cuidaJce
AUG. 8-14 SUN.-THURS. 8 PM
ENDS THURSDAYr- GOOERICH 524-781 1
LONG OISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
Stag And Doe
for
BARRY TREBLE
and
LAURIE PENTLAND
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1997
GODERICH ARENA
Luncheon Provided
Age of Majority
Tickets $5.00 each
Lordy, Lordy
Daddy's 40!
August 14
W A
Love Emily and Kayla
( Friday August 8 >
NO DOUBT and
TOP 40 Tribute ...
TRAGIC
KINGDOM
Canada’s one & only tribute to
the newest “pop” sensation...
NO DOUBT
TIX $5 advanced $7 door
“TRAGIC KINGDOM” is known
as the sexiest show alive!
Saturday
BUCK & DOE/
PIG ROAST
for
IAN PECK &
STEPHANIE HOLMAN
Next Friday
Our Annual
STREET DANCE
with
“FRESH HORSES”
An Amazing Tribute to Garth Brooks'