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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2006-06-22, Page 23Beware of Cupid's darts Peter Donaldson (left) as Signor Benedick, challenges Jeffrey Wetsch as Signor Claudio, in his decision to marry Hero. Much Ado About Nothing plays at Stratford's Festiva! May 13 through Oct. 22.. (David Hou photo) CA H SAVI GS ifts+ .7•442 ON $4.00 THURSDAYS Drop into either of our offices any Thursday with your word classified (maximum 20 words) and pay only $4.00 + GST (paid in advance). That's $1.00 off regular rates. The Citizen Love your family & friehds 25th annawowiti Aapp,g 25th Wedding anniveiawuj, June 20 Karen & Doug McClinchey Maas & Shelley Jorritsma Saturday, July 1 9 pm - 1 am Brussels Legion Music by DJ Lunch provided Everyone welcome Best wishes only What if You Had a Universal Remote.. That Controlled Your Universe ADAM SANDLER CLICK Lenguage Gay Offend Sexuel Content DU ~MIBtT [ Not RtroononenOe0 DIGITAL for Children Fri & Sat 6:45 & 9:15 Sun - Thur 8:00 025 THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2006. PAGE 23. Entertainment Leisure Theatre review Stratford's 'Much Ado' a 'magical experience' By Carol Burns Citizen staff Experiencing Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, at Stratford's Festival Theatre under the direction of Stephen Ouimette was a magical experience. It was an evening of laughter, with At the Branch By Jo-Ann McDonald This Sunday is Cemetery Decoration Sunday and the Brussels Legion invites the community to attend the service to honour and remember loved ones who have passed on in the previous year. The Friday night supper of chicken breast and rice was enjoyed by a good crowd. This week is sweet and sour meatballs. The Friday night suppers will he taking a hiatus for the summer after June 30. The Saturday afternoon euchre had 11 1/2 tables at play. The high score of 83 points went to Elsie Mogk and Doreen Skinner. Coming close with 81 points were Ila and Carman Pollock. A tie for third-place was shared by Lloyd and Lillian Appleby and Mac Smith and Viola Adams. The low prize went to Edythe Beacom and Geraldine Dale. Lone' hand prizes went to Ed Stewart and Hilda Holmes. The Brubachers of Ethel Restaurant & Bakery Real Home Cooking Try our Cinnamon Buns ) Mon. - Fri. 7-6:30; Sal. 8-6:30, Sunday Closed moments of identification with what the characters were experiencing. and of superiority, when the audience was al5le to see situations that seemed hidden from those on the stage. As the audience rose after the final curtain call and standing ovation, the theatre was abuzz with shared Saturday was also the setting for the wedding dinner and reception for St. John's Anglican minister and Branch padre. Rev. Tom Wilson and bride Dawn. The hall was beautifully decorated in pink and white and a meal was served to them by the ladies of the Blyth Anglican Church. Congratulations to Tom and Dawn and to Dawn a welcome to the Brussels community. The Sunday night dancers enjoyed the music of the Country Versatiles. Door man. Howard Hackwell who is down with a cold was missed. It is hoped he is feeling better. Buck & Doe for Josh Beuermann and Patricia Cummings at the Brussels Arena Saturday, July 1 8 pm to 1 am • Lunch provided • Music by DJ • Age of majority Tickets $5 00 For tickets call Charlotte 291-6042 or Randy 887-8447 laughter, and murmurs of satisfaction and enjoyment. Much Ado About Nothing is a deceptively simple play about two pairs of lovers set in 17th century Italy. Dramatic interest is created by the villains, Don John (the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro) and his cohorts. Borachio and Conrade. Defeated in battle, but forgiven by his brother Don Pedro. the Prince of Aragon, Don John seeks to undermine his brother's victorious return and the joy of the coming nuptials. Comedic interest is provided by the bumbling, self-important Dogberry whose consistent misuse of English creates in the audience an awareness of the coping techniques often practised in daunting or out-of- one's-depth situations. The first couple is youthful and highlights Hero, the daughter of Leonato. Governor of Messina and Signor Claudio, a lord of Florence and one of Don Pedro's soldiers. They experience the stereotypical Shakespearean young couple who fall in love at first sight, and arrive at the altar, only to have dark intrigue intervene. By curtain's fall, wedding plans are again in the air. This is apparently the main plot of the play. The second couple, the- most memorable for seniors, consists of Hero's older cousin Beatrice and Claudio's older companion and soldier. Signor Benedick. a lord of Padua. From their first moments on stage it is evident that this pair has an intense, conflicted relationship. The sub-plot is the unravelling of their conflict and the blossoming of their love for each other - definitely one with thorns. Ouimette has chosen an The last general meeting for the summer is 'June 27. We invite all comrades to attend. experienced cast. Most of the actors have long associations with Stratford. Nicola Corrieia-Damude makes her Stratford debut as Margaret, Hero's maid. Adrienne Gould is believable as the romantic, naive, and fragile Hero. She is likeable, arousing memories of youthful passion and idealism. Her performance is believable and endearing. John Wetsch as Signor Claudio, Hero's suitor gives a good performance. Like Gould, he comes across as youthful and naive. Only in the rejection scene at the altar does he seem less believable. Gould and Wetsch are a good pairing, but are disadvantaged by the experienced actors with whom they share the stage. Lucy Peacock plays the prickly Beatrice in a manner reminiscent of Katherine Hepburn's characters. Despite the sarcastic nature of her character, she manages to evoke a sense of wistfulness. From the first scene there is. the sense that her rejection of Benedick is complex. For his part, Peter Donaldson gives a vital portrayal of the marriage-shy, woman disdaining Benedick, while hinting at the underlying awareness of Beatrice.' This couple benefits from their experience and their past pairings (most recently in Hello Dolly!, in Which they played another conflicted couple, Dolly and Horace Vandergelder). They captured the iwe PARK THEATRE 4_14" GODERICH 524-7811 „IN stage and the audience in their contrived awareness of the other's passion for them and their convoluted pursuit of each other. Robert Persichini, seen at Blyth Festival in the past, captured our hearts and our laughter, his Dogberry. Despite being a supporting actor, his performance was the most memorable of the play - the one that will cause people to break out in laughter in the days to come. The bare 'stage and the minimal props. the work of designer Michael Gianfrancesco, intensified the awareness of the plots and subplots between the actors. Watching the trickery as Beatrice and Benedick were set up by their friends, in the absence of concealing structures, intensified the audience's enjoyment of the scene. The only shortcoming of the play was the difficulty in hearing, particularly in the first act. Gould and Wetsch were intermittently inaudible in the first scene. The most difficult to hear were Gary Reineke who played Leonato, Hero's father and Paul Soles, who played his brother, Antonio. Reineke improved through the play, but Soles remained almost inaudible. Possibly the problem was being too close to the stage for the acoustics to work well. Ouimette's Much Ado About Nothing is the play to see if one wants an evening of emotion. laughter and light-hearted fun. Sunday Decoration Day `1.; 3' • 64' ,; 1fM may: ,1 — I :As: June 23 -29 '' VOhNet Fri & Sat 6:45 & 9:15 Sun - Thur 8:00 Sat & Sun Mat 2:00 0 887-8659 GPM .81111 .6143 www.movielinks.ca long distance?1 -800-265-3438