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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-08-25, Page 3. Ted enjoys country by Shelley McPhee As in any other profession, actors join the theatre for a variety of reasons. For some it's been a life-long ambition to perform, for others it acts as an ego trip and position of importance. Others enjoy the escape into a far away plot and character, but for each performer, the main reason for joining the theatre has a 4 personal and individual meaning, Such is the case with Ted Johns., who ' has been working with Theatre Passe Muraille for the last, four years. He was attracted to the theatre because of ,th0, subject matter, and the projects that the group were involved with. "rt isn't the culrihinati.on of a grand passion," explains Johns as he sits ' amongst the props that will be used in' Passe Muraille's "He Won't Come In From The Barn," playing at Blyth this li week. Yet Johns, a, seemingly soft spoken man, has adapted well to the stage and will become the central figure, Aylmer Clark, in "He Won't Come In From The Barn" which will be put on at the Blyth Memorial Hall for 10 showings from Thursday, August 25 to Friday, Sep- tember 2. Johns has been involved with several other Passe Muraille performances M including, "Them Donnellys," "The Farm Show," "John Hornby", "The West Show", and "The Horsburgh Scandal". He is also familiar with the Blyth stage as he put on a one man show, "Naked On The North Shore" in 1974. "This is my turf, my area, I do my. best work here," claims Johns, "There's a real culture here and it's healthy." . Johns is bound to feel comfortable in this area as Huron is his home county. His father, Edwin Johns of. 35 Rat- tenbury St., Clinton, farmed at the Turner's Church area just southest of Clinton and also in the Mitchell area. Johns was raised in iVlitchell and at- tended high school there. , "We're coming, home to roost one by one," 'John explains about himself and the producer and director of "From The Barn," Paul Thompson, who is originally from Listowel: While the other actors in the company • have a wide variety of experience ranging from television to other forms of theatre, Johns says his scope isn't as broad. Before a life of acting, John studied Honours English and History at the University of Toronto and taught school from the Quebec -Labrador 'border to Brock University in . St. katharines. "I think I'm getting better at it." says Johns in reference to his acting, "But it's an upsy and downsy thing to find a career in." "I have some familiarity with how it goes," modestly Claims Johns regarding theatre, "I get a great bang out of people enjoying themselves." Enjoyment is what "From The Barn" is about. The low budget show tells The story of a farmer . who decides to barricade himself in his barn to fight (or avoid) the forces around him. Johns admits that the plot is somewhat exaggerated, but by doing this, a variety of problems and people can be brought into the play to intensify the action. However, the action will not only be intensified by , people but also by. animals. Along with the cast made up of •Cla'e Coulter, David Fox, Alan Bridle, Kien Parnell, and Connie Kaldor two jersey cows, three pigs and a rooster will carry out roles in the performance. "In other plays like "The Farm Show". the 4ctors, pretended to be the'animals," explains Johns but says that actual animals give an aspect of realism. "From The Barn" was played to Toronto crowds this spring and the reaction of the theatre -goers to this sort of realism was varied. "The farmers who came in from Georgetown laughed a lot," notes Johns, and this prompted the company to perform the production to a basically rural audience. "Toronto crowds really liked it, but some people took offense to how the cows carried on, as cows do," explains Johns with a grin, "It smelled like manure, hay and animals." "Some people couldn't believe it, they thought it was an attack on the audience but others wanted to milk the cows and get milk to take home," says Johns. On Tuesday, Passe Muraille's newest cow recruits came to•the theatre where they will be spending the next 10 days on stage. The cows are on loan from the Brussels Livestock Yard and along with the rest of the barnyard crew, are bound to add interesting actions in the program. Amidst the grand a• nd somewhat stubborn arrival and entrance of the animals, someone is practicing at a piano in the Hall's basement and another is off in a corner preparing lines. 'i he work is part of Passe Muraille's newest project, "Shakespeare For Fun And Profit." The play, which like the others is a group project, will tell the story of a group of townspeople who plan to per- form Shakespeare's Midsummer •Night's Dream for their Centennial. Meanwhile Ted Johns, dressed in his farm equipment hat, corduroy pants and rubber boots, along with the other ac- tors, are getting acquainted with their two brown -eyed animal friends who seem somewhat suspicious and hesitant about their new surroundings. Despite the fact that the stage has been equipped with beams, stalls and a gutter, the theatre lights seem somewhat deceiving and the 'sudden rash of human attention is slightly unfamiliar to them. ' But, the road to stardom .must still be travelled,. by beast and human, for whatever personal reason it may be. f cisc4tP t j 1sr, e •axy i .asx ¢4,0 lot yir.'en. eSce.,v�y 6,4AF *4144 1:00..so 4400,44 >,1;� limok After almost 20 years of service with the Clinton IGA, Laurie Slate must now tidy up the books and close accounts. On September 6, the new IGA owner, Ozzie Kuenzig will take over the business. (News -Record photo) Lawrie's leaving IGA In the fall of 1957, Clinton saw a new store in the midst of construction.. In February 1958, the store was opened and as IGA and Lawrie Slade came to town to operate and manage it. Now the Clinton IG- A will see a new manager's face with the sale of the grocery to Ozzie Kuenzig. Meanwhile Mr. Slade, who started out in the grocery business as a box boy in Kincardine in 1941, has no future plans at the moment. However, he does intend • to remain in Clinton. Town gets.. CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25,1977. --PAGE 3 ,000 master plan for Van Egmond house by Wilma Oke , The master plan for an .estimated $63,32.8 i,n.renovations to the 131 -year-old Van. Egmond house in Egmondville was approved in principal at a public meeting in the Seaforth town hall last Wednesday, August 17. . Paul Carroll, an executive member 'of the yap ' Egmond ;Youndationand chairmaii,of itS restoration committee, outlined 'the master plan as prepared by •God.erich architect Nicholas Hill- in a 40 page booklet containing historical facts, detailed sketches of the house and working drawings. Mr. Carroll said it is hoped most of the restoration work can be ..completed by next summer when the grand opening, including a dance, is planned to mark the 200th birthday of Colonel Anthony Van Egmond and the 150th anniversary of the Huron Tract. The Colonel arrived in the area in 1827 with his family. -I-Iis son, Constant, built the mansion in Georgian style, ,on the north bank of the Bayfield River. The foundation which bought the house in 1972 has already spent about $53,000 on renovations. The -refurbishing plans include a new roof and rebuilding gable parapet walls and chmneys at an estimated cost cost of $13,750, new heating, plumbing and electrical • systems, including public washrooms in the basement, at an estimated cost of $19,952; and security systems, including fire and burglar alarms, to cost $2,400. Later the Foundation hopes to put up a new verandah, storm windows, screens and shutters, improve the kitchen and buy historical furnishings and display cabinets, at an estimated cost of $4,578. The final stage will be construction of an attached one -storey carriage house, a patio and a parking area. The executive . will request Tucker - smith Township Council to pass a by-law (continued from page 1' designating the Van Egmond property Mr. Kuenzig will operate the grocery Silver Jubilee. under the Ontario Heritage Act 1974. as an IGA and will take on his new job as The Ausable-Bayfield Conservation The executive will then submit the of September 6. The same staff of 10 will authority'` will get $1,500 to help buy a master plan for approval to the Ontario be kept on. snowmobile and groomer, while the Heritage Foundation. Mr. Carroll said 20 Seaforth . Men's Industrial Baseball copies of the booklet would have to be League will get $617 for trophies and sent. equipment, and the Seaforth Minor The members present seemed pleased Soccer Association has been awarded with the booklet, but minor changes $391 for equipment. were- agreed on or will be investigated The Walton area Sports club will get before work commences. $218 for equipment, and the Bluevale and Mrs. Henry Enzenberger, president Lieutenant -governor Pauline McGibbon District Recreation Association will also + was concerned that the old jail cell that has tentatively agreed to come. A ball is get $98 for softball equipment. used to be in the basement will not be expected to be held in the evening. Mr. Kuenzig was born in Walkerton and,he along with his wife and two of his four children, will be moving to Clinton. Mr. Kuenzig has spent the last 26 years in the grocery business and has worked in Wingham, Listowel, Walkerton, Owen Sound, Stratford, Kingsville, Mount Forest, Windsor and has spent the last 12 years operating a grocery store in Chatham. SIGNS- . .,,,\.„,.. IIG Come ... get first choice on our new collection of great looking coats for the Fall season! and SAVE 10% of the ticketed price ,before September 3 STAN JONES Also an advance showiniKof many FALL FASHIONS' suits, sportswear, dresses, etc. OPEN ALL DAY WEDNESDAYS OPEN FRIDAY NIGHT TIL 9 P.M. n+ier c ha.q LIMITED $ recognized until 'written proof from some source definitely identifies kin some manner, an old dopurnent or news clipping, ...."hearsay ar ru.mioiur willnot be enough, for. the QrNario Heri.tae group", Paul Carrolsaid. It was agreed the public washrooms which were to be put in the area in, the basement' where thc. i 1 . ell its said to' have been, will be relo,•in the plans from the corner where they are now marked in. Betty Cardno said she was satisfied with the use of the rooms as outlined in the booklet but cautioned that, "We are not looking at the economic future of the building." She questioned the amount of antique furniture listed to be bought and put in the house which would fill all the rooms. She thought it would limit the uses that the house could be used for, such as groups meeting there and using it as a community centre. Mrs. Grace Hussey questioned the cost of running the place when the work was completed. Mr. Carroll said it could be from $15,000 to $20,000. "A hell of a lot of jam," Mrs. Hussey said; refer i ing to the variety of homemade jams that are sold to visitors to the huiiding. Some of the members make exotic jams and jellies from wild fruity, even the berries from the mountain ash trees. The executive was authorized to go ahead with funding applications and a fund raising plan, when the Ontario Heritage Foundations approves it as an historic site. The foundation plans to apply for grants from Wintario and the heritage foundation, as well as con- ducting local fund-raising campaigns. The last in a series of flea markets held at the Van Egmond property this summer, will be held on August 28 from 11 am to 5 pm with a program of en- tertainment under the direction of Mrs. Jack Van Egmond to start at 2:30 pm. On October 2 the third annual ciderfest • will be held at the house. It is hoped it will be a huge success as it has been since it began. Next year on June 24, it is hoped to have the official opening of the house to celebrate the colonel's birthday and the anniversary of the Huron Tract. • SO YOU DON'T .FORGET LAST WINTER NOW BOOKING: WINTER HOLIDAYS "IT'S -YOUR CHOICE. ..THIS?" BT SUNTOJRS SKYLARK WARDAIR STRAND ETC. "... OR, THIS?!!!" ""WINTERLIME" CRUISES HOLLAND AMERICA "FLY FREE" PACKAGES WINTER OF.F SEASON CHARTERS TO LONDON For Winter Holidays where you want at the Price you want, Reserve Now: REMEMBER LASTWINTER! 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