The Huron Expositor, 1996-08-07, Page 13Entertainment
Fireworks superb drama at Blyth
BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Editor
You can Team from the past
but you shouldn't live in it.
These words of wisdom are
a central theme of Fireworks,
a moving drama at the Blyth
Festival which features three
generations of one family
who cope with life after the
death of the central woman
character in their lives,
Wynn, played by Blyth's
Artistic Director Janet Amos.
This play is a blend of tal-
ent from the amazing and
haunting original music by
composer John Roby and cre-
ative mood lighting by light-
ing designer Lesley
Wilkinson to excellent cast-
ing in the roles of grandfather
Franklin (Ron Hastings),
father Frank (John Wright)
and son Jamie (Rustey
Davenport). Jamie is mental-
ly challenged and is played
incredibly by Davenport. It
must have been a hard part to
master.
This is a very true to life
play which stirs up a lot of
emotions about family rela-
tionships and responsibilities.
Although the play is sett
after the death of Wynn, we
see her often in flashbacks.
She is the glue of the family
and often the voice of reason.
The dialogue is full of ver-
bal sparring and quick-witted
one-liners.
The flashback scene of
Jamie's where Wynn is
rtrmembering air raids during
World War II is an amazing
dream-like set uence pulled
Off by stellar coordination of
FAMILY DRAMA - In this scene from the 1996 Blyth Festival production of Fireworks,
Franklin (Ron Hastings) and his wife Wynn (Janet Amos) examine a wood carving. Amos
appears in flashbacks in this family drama of three generations struggling to cope with life
after the death of the central female in their lives. (Photo by James Hockings)
dialogue, music, lighting and
soiled effects.
All four of the cast mem-
bers put in strong perfor-
mances.
Amos delivers a very
believable role as Wynn. The
British accent and manner-
isms of an older woman' are
performed with great authen-
ticity.
The story deals with how
Franklin was always on the
road and never home with his
family. His son Frank also
seems to want to run away
from everything, including
dealing with Jamie.
Wynn .ind Franklin's home
is haven or everyone. But
will it he sold after Wynn's
death? Will Jamie stay at
home with his father or move
to a group home?
The hest bickering and
squabbling is between
Hasting's character and
Wright's. Wright is a Blyth
veteran with more than 20
years of theatre experience
and even though this is
Hastings Blyth debut, he has
an acting career spanning
over 40 years. Both are
superb in their roles as father
and son.
Fireworks runs in repertory
with Blyth's other three pro-
ductions until August 31'.
Merchant stands as strong comedy
BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Editor
Luckily in 1996 banks
don't take a pound of flesh
when you default on a loan
payment.
Not so in Shakespeare's
Merchant of Venice playing at
the Avon ''Theatre in
Stratford.
That's the penalty Shylock
(Douglas Rain). imposes on
merchant Antonio (Roland
Hewgill) if he's late paying
back the loan he's secured for
a third party, Bassanio (Paul
Haddad). who needs the
money to woo Portia (Susan
Coyne), a wealthy Belmont
heiress.
If this play was written
today it would never he
released in our politically
correct environment for the
frequent condescending and
down -right racist comments
against Shylock and Jews in
general.
But everything taken in
context of time and literature,
this is an intriguing comedy
with enough twists and ten-
sion to keep a modern audi-
ence focussed and enter-
tained. .
Stratford set designers have
to be congratulated for the
several swift, fluid set
changes' throughout
Merchant. The backdrops
themselves are very realistic
including a life -like willow
tree you'd swear had roots
under the stage.
There's some, excellent
comic performances especial-
ly when various suitors have
to choose one of three locked
caskets of gold, silver and
lead, one of which contains
Portia's portrait and a guaran-
tee to wed her.
Tension hits . when
Antonio's three ships, which
he's counting on to bring
hack money to pay his debt
to Shylock, are lost at sea.
Meanwhile, Shylock's
daughter Jessica elopes with
Bassanio's friend Lorenzo
which enrages thc Jewish
money -lender who is set on
getting his pound of flesh.
Meanwhile, Bassanio's
friend Gratiano (Wayne Best)
and Nerissa, Portia's maid
(Michelle Fisk) ,declare their
Iovc for one another.
Portia saves the day for
Antonio in court, however,
by disguising herself as a
legal expert in man's clothing
and finding a loophole in
Shylock's contract.
Exceller>,t comic perfor-
mance by Gerry MacKay as'
Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's
assistant and by his father
Old Gobbo who is briefly
played by Douglas
Chamberlain. Roy Lewis also
puts in a strong performance
as Prince of Morocco.
Merchant of Venice is an
enduring play with a fair
share of humour and mes-
sages about love, fairness and,
materialism.
Young company to perform Midsummer
The Blyth Festival's Young
Company is preparing to pre-
sent this year's play called
Midsummer or Come and Go,
a play about friendship.
Written and directed ' by
Adam Nashman of Toronto,
the play takes place over four
different time periods in plid-
sumrner. The first scene takes
place in 1 396 in a clearing
where friends have met to
hear the bad news that their
friend has been, betrothed to
someone she doesn't like. Her
friends help her solve , the
problem of her arranged mar-
riage and bring a love closer
together in the meantime.
The next scene takes place
200 years later in 1596 in the
City of Verona. This rewritten
story of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet tells the
story of Iorhidden love and
the ultimate splitting apart of
this love.
Thc third scene is also about
love splitting up and takes
place in the County of
Blythbury. England in 1796.
A young teenage girl's family
decides to imniigrate to
Canada. Shc doesn't tell her
boyfriend, who works at thc
shipyard until the day they
move, when he secs them get-
ting ready to leave. Thcy must
say goodbye to each other on
the docks.
Thc final scene takes place in
1996 at Sunset Beach in
Huron County. A group of
friends arc partying on the
beach, and through a large
misunderstanding, they think
that some of their friends arc
YOUNG COMPANY REHEARSAL - Jay Sanders, left, and
Cappy Onn are shown here during rehearsals of
Midsummer, this year's Blyth Festival Young Company pro-
duction. (Photo by Amy Neilands)
leaving for good. '
"This play shows that
teenage problems. friendships
and relationships don't really
change throughout the ages,"
said Nashman in a press
release.
"It's sad," said Young
Company member Zocy Onn
of the play. quickly adding
that it really is a comedy but
"if it were real life it would he
sad."
In writing the play. said
Nashman, he studied the per-
sonalities of the 13 members
of thc company and incorpo-
rated -them into the characters
of the play. He also received
plenty of - input from thc
young actors who come from
Seaforth & District
Horticultural
FLOWER
SHOW
WED., AUGUST 14
Seaforth Legion Hall
3:00 to 5:00 pm
& 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Over 60 Classes
Entries must be in by 12 noon.
Refreshments will be served.
Prates awarded at 8 pm
all over Huron County.
Midsummer runs from Aug.
13 to 17 at 7:30 p.m. in The
Garage theatre space. A mati-
nee is also scheduled for Aug.
17 at 2 p.m. Admission is pay
what you can at the door.
Assisting' Nashman in the
production arc production
manager and assistant direc-
tor Tricia O'Donnell and
movement and acting coach
Catherine McGregor. The
local youths that make up this
year's company arc Jay
Sanders, Melissa
Boneschanskcr, Laura
Thomas, Zocy Onn, Kendra
Folkard, Cappy Onn, Valerie
Laurie, Erin Roulston, Mike
Mullin, Licsa Thomas, Nikki
Gerrits and Darren Schmidt.
CAMP
R
A
I
G
Summer
Resitlence
Riding
Camp For
Children
Ages 8 to 16
Western & English
instruction
Trail Riding Twice Daily
Also: Canoeing, archery
inground pool,
outdoor games,
roping, etc.
200 acres with river,
gully, woods.
Air conditioned
cabins, washrooms
with shower
August dates still available
for residence riding camp.
Brochure available.
Call or write to
CAMP CRAIG
PO Box 285,
Allan Craig, ON NOM IAO
(5191293.3481
•
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, August 7, 1$t;fS-13
Save old car
for Kid's line
Want to help make a differ-
ence for Canada's kids and
clean up the environment?
Donate your unwanted vehi-
cle, any type; any location,
any condition to Kids Help
Phone. Cars, trucks, vans,
snowmobiles, boats, industri-
al equipment or farm motor-
ized equipment are all
accepted.
Since the inception of the
program one year ago, over
$15,00Q has been raised for
Kids Help Phone on a nation-
al basis.
Donors can call the Pick Up
Line at 1-800-463-5861 and
AADCO Vehicle Disposal
Service will assume responsi-
bility for the vehicle's dispos-
al through dealer auctions or
by sale to scrap dealers or
wreckers.
rdHOCK
August 7
MINOREY
STEAK BBQ
Tickets $10.00
Support Minor Hockey
Saturday, August 17
Ball Hockey Year -End
Party with...
LITTLE SECRETS
`Saluting the music of
Melissa Etheridge"
Friday, August 23
AAA Hockey Nite
Friday, August 30
STREET
DANCE
Location T.B.A.
September 5 - 8
CHARITY
CASINO
Hwy 8 west, Clinton
482-1231/
BUCK & DOF
for
DEREK JEFFERSON
and
KRISTA LAWRIE
Friday August 9
9 pm - 1 a
Age of Majority Required
For more information
CaII Mike
482-1190
[GRADUATION'
Shirley Dinsmore graduated
from Fanshawe College June
14th with a degree in Social
Service Work with
Distinction and was on the
Dean's Honour Roll. She is
presently heading the
Huron Hospice.' Her
husband Bob, children and
grandchildren are all proud
of Mom & Grandma.
Congratulations &
Best Wishes
SUNDAY
SPECIAL
AUG. 11, 6 to 7 PM
3 PIECE
CHICKEN •
111
DINNER I ,
'65°
I -
1
PARKY'S;1
MU Y DINING
527-1964
90 Mai.
forthSt t
r THURS.,
PARTY WITH
SOUND
IMAGE D.J.
AUGUST 15
MEET THE
RACERS'
NIGHT
COMMERCIAL
HOTEL
Brucefield Fire Department
3rd Annual
CHICKEN
B -B -Q
with all the trimmings
Saturday, August 10
5 - 7 pm
at
Brucefield Fire Hall
(Take -Outs Available)
LIMITED NUMBER OF
TICKETS TO BE SOLD
Adults $10.00
Children 5 - 11 - $5.00
4 and tinder Free
Tickets Available At
Brucefield Vanety 233-3232
and the Brucefield Firemen
Proceeds to Purchase
Fire Equipment
Buck & Doe
for
Leanne Whitmore
&
Brad Carter
Friday, August 9'',1996
9:00 p.m.' -1:00 a.m.
Age of Majority
Lunch Provided
Music by: Prime D.J.
For more information
phone;
527-1491 or 527-0282
Forthcoming Marriage
Gord & Deb Philips
' of Egmondville and
Bob & Linda Saunders
of Dublin
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their children
Niki Phillips
Scott Saunders
The ceremony will take place
on Saturday, August 17th at
St. lames Catholic Church,
Seaforth. Reception at
Scaforth District Community
Centres, at 9 p.m.
TRIPLE A
HOCKEY
HURON -PERTH TRYOUTS
• AAA
age
Sat,
Aug. 17
0( AT ION
SEAT OITH
• ARENA
Time Age Group
9:00 to 10:20 a.m. Minor Atom
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Major Atom
12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Minor Pee Wee
2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Major Pee Wee
4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Minor Bantam
5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Major Bantam
7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Midget
AU players myathave a "1996 OHF TRYOUT FORM"
signed by your local Association
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT;
rr Fred Burton 357-1167 (anytime)
.r Art Larivee 345-9922 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
or Dick Lord 234-6396 (answering machine)
or Joe Lobb 233-3372 (answering machine)
ALL Pt;AVIA* IN
oaarressAIN
1O Tin'
our Moll' rim
Walt' AAA
Muadrt> CUM