HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-08-17, Page 11Local
WOW teaches job, life skills
Ten Seaforth-area youths are
learning valuable job skills this
summer in a program that encour-
ages students to stay in school.
Work Orientation Workshops
(WOW) is part of the Federal
Government's and the Human
Resources Development Goderich
Office (formally the Canada
Employment Centre) Stay in School
Initiative. Sponsored locally by the
Huron County Board of Education,
the WOW program intends to
improve students' self-confidence in
employment and promote a positive
utlook toward remaining in school.
This is the seventh successful
ear the Huron County Board of
ducation has sponsored the WOW
program. The programs are
coordinated out of the Seaforth,
Wingham, Goderich, Clinton and
Goderich high schools. This is the
ixth year Seaforth District High
chool has had a WOW program.
The WOW program is made up
f two phases: a workshop compo-
nent, and a job placement experi-
ence. During the 15 days of work-
shops, the emphasis is placed on
life skills, communication skills,
and helping students prepare for
future employment (for example,
resume writing and job search tech-
niques).
Another main goal of the work-
shops, as well as the work experi-
ence, is to help the participants
develop positive self-concepts.
Workshop activities include group
discussions, guest speakers, field
trips, as well as recreational and
social activities. Some workshops
are devoted to tackling issues such
as substance abuse, peer pressure,
sexual assault and financial man-
agement.
The work experience phase of the
program consists of placing the 10
participants in an area of employ-
ment that is of interest to them. The
work placement aspect of the pro-
gram focuses on the demands,
challenges and rewards that an
employee would face in the labour
DAVID SCOTT PHOTO
WOW! - Members of the 1994 WOW (Worts Orientation Work-
shop) perform some acrobatics at Seaforth District High School
recently. This is the sixth year the WOW program has been in
Seaforth. Front row left: Shawn Costello, Keri Lacroix, Julie
Shewan, Anyta Pickett, Coordinator Lisa Porter. Back row: Jen
Kaufman. Absent from photo: Luke Harris, Tim McNaughton,
Darcy Wood, Joe Shanklin, Jeremy McNichol.
market. The WOW program con-
sists of 15 days of workshop activ-
ities and 20 days of work experi-
ence. Students attend their work
placements four days a week and
meet at their high school on
Wednesdays for workshops.
Coordinators of the WOW pro-
grams are full-time post -secondary
school students who are interested
in pursuing a career working with
the public. Lisa Porter is
coordinator of the Seaforth WOW
program. With assistance from
SDHS staff and the START Pro-
gram Coordinator Val Millson, Lisa
is responsible for the selection of
the program's 10 participants.
Lisa's other responsibilities include
the coordination of workshop activ-
ities, the placement of participants
and the weekly monitoring and
support of students at their work
placements.
Students have been enjoying their
WOW experience and have grown
thanks to the contribution of the
following: John Gillesbie; Val
Millson; Guest Speakers - Kathleen
Babcock, Rob Straby, Leila Beier,
Jane Muegge, Ben Worsell;
Seaforth High School staff members
and custodians; employers -
Seaforth Public Works Department,
Stedman's Department Store,
Maplewood Manor, Seaforth Dis-
trict Community Centres, Canadian
Tire, Seaforth Cooperative
Children's Centre, Dave Schenck
Auto Body, Seaforth Auto Body,
Seaforth Recreation Department.
This story was submitted by
coordinators of WOW (Work
Orientation Workshops). The pro-
gram is in its sixth year in
Seaforth.
DAVID SCOTT PHOTO
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? - Four members of the Blyth Festival's Young Company glare at the
audience in the production of Our Parents Made Us Do It, an alternative play that runs at the Garage
Theatre from August 16-20 and features Renoe Devereaux and Mike Mullen of Seaforth.
Parents
BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Staff
'made them do' moody play
It's not your average theatre
experience. The 1994 Blyth Festival
Young Company's production of
Our Parents Made Us Do It is an
alternative play Huron County
audiences might not be prepared
for.
The young cast of 17 are directed
by Stephen Seabrook. The play
features original music by Richard
Feren. Seabrook and Feren both
have extensive experience in alter-
native theatre in Toronto. They
belong to an alternative theatre
company called "Excess of This."
Both have worked with Buddies in
Bad Times theatre company in
Toronto which stages alternative
productions.
This stark play is basad on some-
thing Seabrook and Feren did for
Buddies in Bad Times that was
entitled "Round Rotund Rumps."
Incidentally, those three R's are the
only spoken words in this play,
aside from a bizarre introduction by
the box office staff.
As a member of the audience,
watching this play isn't the most
comfortable experience. There isn't
a straight-line plot to follow, or
really any plot. The play is based
on the simple premise, What it is
like to be stuck on stage? The set is
basic - one table and four chairs. In
the original three R's production,
there was only a cast of five. So
Seabrook and 'Feren divided the
Young Company into three groups.
Seabrook describes the play as a
'performance cartoon.'
"It's expressionistically basal. It
terms," said Feren, who composed
an effective and moody score for
the production. Staging this play at
the darkened and cramped Blyth
Garage Theatre definitely adds to
the play's stark atmosphere.
Blyth Festival's Artistic Director
Janet Amos invited Seabrook to
direct the Young Company for the
1994 season.
What have the alternative theatre
Toronto pair learned from working
with the Blyth Young Company?
"I've learned that they're as good
as anyone else. They could be on
stage at the St. Lawrence Centre,"
said Seabrook.
The next project for Seabrook and
Feren is a production at the former
Toronto Workshop Theatre at 12
Alexander St. in Toronto. Feren
will be writing the script and music
for a production entitled "Each
night as you sleep I destroy the
world." He describes it as a 'scream
play.'
* * •
What's it like to act in a play
with no dialogue? Two young
Seaforth actors arc learning first-
hand in the Blyth Young
Company's performance of Our
Parents Made Us Do 1t, an alterna-
tive play directed by Stephen
Seabrook of Toronto.
"It's different in every way from
anything I've done before," said
Renee Devereaux, who is studying
art and theatre at an affiliated col-
lege of Dalhousie University in
Halifax. Devereaux is in her fourth
year with the Blyth Young Com -
n.
has a lot to do with social interac-_4•(dcm't think something like this
tions, how people combine with has been seen in Huron County.
each other," said Seabrook. "Evay- People have the perception that
thing is reduced to the simplest theatre is Blyth (main stage),
Stratford, Grand Bend. There's
much more to it," she said.
This is Mike Mullen's second
summer with the Young Company.
"It's a strange kind of play," said
Mullen. How docs he think audi-
ences will react? "They'll think it's
funny," the young actor said refer-
ring to a scene where cast members
give the audience 'the finger.'
Mullen's interpretation of the play
is that the world is strange. "Every-
one thinks the world is normal."
Why should people come to see
this alternative production?
"There are different types of
theatre. People should try to sec all
of them, not just the traditional
ones."
Mike Mullen, who is entering
grade 10 at Seaforth District High
School in September, plans to con-
tinue acting but says "1 don't think
I'll make it my living."
*•*
Their parents wouldn't let them
do it.
The Blyth Young Company's plan
to rebel with the late -hour staging
of Our Parents Made Us Do 1t
seems to have backfired. Originally
the cast sent out press releases
stating that weekday shows during
the August 16-20 nm of the play at
the Blyth Festival Garage Theatre
would begin at 11 p.m. (Tey were
given a choice of 7 or 11 p.m. by
director Stephen Seabrook so their
play wouldn't conflict with the
main stage production times. So the
young crew chose the late show
time).
Well, it seems that a lot of par-
ents weren't in agreement to the
late start time and a compromise of
9:30 p.m. has been made. But there
will be an early and late (11 p.m.)
show on Friday night.
St. Columban`
by Cecilia Ryan
345-2028 —1
Knights of
Columbus hold
successful Jamboree
The Knights of Columbus of
Seaforth held their sixth annual
Fiddlers Talent Jamboree on Sun-
day afternoon on the St. Columban
Church grounds.
The event attracted a large crowd
of people of all ages. E itertainment
was provided by backup band
Mozart Melody Makers of Zurich;
stepdancers, Peggy McClure and
Jackie Cronin; violin selections by
Amanda Ryan and Madonna
McQuaid accompanied by Dolly
McQuaid on the piano; Ted
Shinbein and Ron Stacey; Charles
Gethke; Eva and Fred Van Den
Heide of Denfield; stepdancers,
Kelly Cronin, Maureen McClure
and Denise McClure; Jim and Rene
Young, Fred Harburn and Andre
Patrick; Bill Albert, Wilf McQuaid
and Jim Delaney; and Wilson and
Georgina McCartney and Warren
Whitmore.
Several prizes, donated by mer-
chants from the surrounding area,
were drawn for during the after-
noon. A door prize was won by
Eileen MacRae.
Congratulations to Mary Murray
and Lyle Dewar who were united in
marriage by Father Joseph Hardy at
St. Columban Catholic Church on
Saturday, August 13. Mary is the
daughter of Tom and _ Maddie
Murray of Seaforth and Lyle is the
son of Gerald and Marion Dewar of
Vancouver, B.C.
Congratulations to Lina and Larry
Murray of Brampton on the birth of
their daughter, Lydia Nicole, on
Friday, August 12, a little sister for
Adrian and Marissa and another
granddaughter for Agnes Murray of
RR 4 Walton and Rocco and Emma
Cupido of Hamilton.
Pat, Carrie, Jeff and Nathan Sub-
ject of Kitchener visited on Sunday
afternoon with Cecilia Ryan.
Sympathy of the community is
extended to Dick Middleton, who
operates the Country Charm Cafe in
St. Columban, on the death of his
mother last week.
Dublin
by Dorothy Dillon
345-2883
Memorial mass
held for former
Dublin priest
A memorial mass was held at St.
Patrick's Church for Fr. Arthur
Looby last Sunday. Blessings of
Memorial Plaque and Celebration of
Ordination Anniversary took place.
To all those attending, it brought
back memories of a very special
Dublin priest.
Congratulations to Ray and
Pauline White, Kinkora on the safe
arrival of their son, Joseph Nolan,
(brother for Sarah and Rachel).
Also congratulations to the proud
grandparents (Clarence and. Marie
White, Kinkora and Marie Dckroon,
Mitchell).
Sympathy of the community is
extended to Alex and Verna
Strathdee on the death of their son,
Steven Alexander, to their family
and also to the grandparents, Calvin
and Gwen Christie, and Aldin and
Mary Strathdee.
A happy birthday to a special
Seaforth lady, Margaret Gorwill,
from your many, many friends(
Joe Eckert had the following
visitors; Jim and Dot Mansini,
Guelph, Bob Knowles, Cambridge,
Judy, Angie and Alysha Emm,
Stratford, Stephen Eckert, Seaforth.
Happy Birthday to Paul O'Rourke
(that very special Dublin guy) from
your many, many friends!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
'Some people will believe
anything if you whisper it.'
0 Mitchell &
District Co -Op
Nursery
School
If you have a child
between the ages of
21/2 and 4 we may
have a space
available in our Nursery
School,
For more information
'please call the registrar
at
348-9824 or 347-2511
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, August 17, 1994-11
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