Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-07-07, Page 27THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY. JULY 7, 2005. PAGE 27 Entertainment $ Leisure Theatre review Ginkgo Tree’ kind of grows on you Smith PARK THEATRE SATURDAY NIGHT BANDS HANOVER DRIVE-IN Violence Disturbing Content By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor Jlawiape $‘Marriage ‘Forthcoming You could say it grew on me. Blyth Festival opened its 2005 season with Lee MacDougall’s The Ginkgo Tree, a story of community, love and business, big and small, set in the gardening store Anything Grows. For the first 20 minutes I was less than amused, often annoyed. By the end of the first act, however, I was enjoying the odd chuckle or two, and by the second act I had actually warmed to the characters. The play begins with a flustered Florence dashing into the store. Played by Suzanne Roberts Smith, a newcomer to Blyth Festival, Florence comes across like Joan Cusack with Tourette’s Syndrome. It was her over-the-top antics, and frequent shrieks that most grated in the early going. However, she also managed to become the most endearing of characters, vulnerable, flawed, and sweet. That store owners. Rose (Sharon Heidt) and Hayward (Mark Harapiak) keep her employed is a big question as she is unable to do any of the tasks for which she has been hired. Rose argues that it is because of the kind of person Florence is, something that’s a little difficult to understand. Several issues come into play on this rather tumultuous day at Anything Grows. A ginkgo tree, ordered by faithful customer Ehrhart (John Dolan) to plant in memory of his late wife, goes missing. Another regular. Pearl, played by Nancy Beatty, is looking for ladybugs and ends up first with none, then with Florence’s lunch. Meanwhile. Florence has missed telling Rose about a call from a bank loans and mortgages representative who is planning a visit to check on the number of employees. In order to get a grant, Florence had falsified an application claiming that the business had hired a Native Canadian student. When the straight-as-an-arrow banker arrives he becomes enamoured with the eccentric The children of Sheila and Doug Bauer invite you to help celebrate tneir 25th Wedding Anniversary MARY JANE RAWLS and RICHARD HASKINS Saturday, July 23 7 pm - 1 arti Brussels, Morris & Grey Community Centre Music by DJ Lunch provided Tickets: $6 each Available at Chocolates & Fudge, JR's or by contacting Laura Haskins at 887-8779 James Kuepfer of RR #2 Bluevale , * Z) and Colleen Kuepfer Q • of London . % * are pleased to announce the engagement i of their daughter, I I Vanessa Colleen 1 I to 1 Stephen Oldfield, son of • I I Jim and Darlene Oldfield I I of Brussels. I The wedding will take place I on Saturday, July 9 ' at the • St. John's Anglican * * 1 Church, Brussels V .•___ v _ ‘‘(ft. Happy 1s* . Birthday Ben (Speer) July 6th Happy 13th Birthday Uncle Brendan (Stretton) July 2nd Very nice to meet you Adrian Churchill and Suzanne Roberts acquainted in Blyth Festival’s The Ginkgo Tree by Lee MacDougall which opened the new season Thursday night (Terry Manzo photo) a Mt I y ^rant'C- i'i r 11 Smith ~ Haggitt It is with great pleasure we announce the marriage of Christa Joanne Smith, ? daughter of /y Don and Christine Workman fej and Robert SmithIO I Michael William Haggitt, son of fe-; i Gord and Susan Haggitt. ?The wedding will take place La & July 16, 2005 at LyBlyth United Church/s . 'S ZZZZZ/Z/Z^' Zz/Z/ ff f//'y HANOVER 364-2066 SUNDAY NIGHTS Roast Beef Dinner ^-^GODERICH WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Kids eat free THE BLYTH INNH