HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-08-06, Page 17Entertainment
"Salt -Water
M oon" is
good, but it
misses
the mark
THEATRE REVIEW
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6,
986—PAGE 3A'
ih
,.%%,�,,
BY MIKE FERGUSON
It had superb potential.
That phrase is, perhaps the best way to
describe Salt=Water Moon, a play currently
on the Main Stage at Huron Country
Playhouse until August 9. •
Taking place at Coley's Point, New,
foundland in 1926, Jacob Mercer (played by
Steven Sutcliffe) arrives on Mary Snow's
front porch while she is star- gazing. Snow is
played by Laurie Paton. What Jacob doesn't
know is that Mary -his former sweetheart -
is now engaged to a man he has absolutely
no use for.
Salt -Water Moon is superb in the sense of
its detailed simplicity. With only two actors
speaking together on lust one set, the au-
dience's attention is purposely riveted on
the dialogue. Therein lies a small problem.
With no extraneous material or elaborate
sets to divert your concentration, the unique
Newfoundland lilt enhances the story, and
slows it down to a degree.
Character development is gradual in the
beginning. And perhaps it can be attributed
to opening night jitters, but Sutcliffe's ac-
cent was difficult to follow. Paton's,
however, was excellent as she spoke with a
crisp and effective clarity.
Author David French's use of very witty
-and humorous lines propels the play past its
slow points. The opening night crowd
reacted to some of the one-liners with a
range from a small chuckle to a guttural
guffaw.
A particularly funny example -occurs
when. Jacob describes man lost in a
cemetery,who is scared by a prankster ac-
ting as the Devil himself. The man pleads
mercy to this "devil," saying he's married
to his sister..
Director Steven Schipper's masterful
grasp of the script allows the play to pro-
ceed more rapidly after the first half hour or
so. It is then the audience begins to sense
some feelings between the two characters.
Paton puts • forward a dynamic
performance.
In her portrayal of the sometimes confus-
ed d naive young girl bursting with a little
I•
Jacob Mercer (Steven Sutcliffe) feigns interest as Mary Snow (Laurie Paton) points out the
stars in David French's "Salt -Water Moon" at Main Stage through to August 9 at Huron
Country Playhouse.
liberated spunk, Paton produces a hushed for more. More emotion between the
silence when she'explains her sister's plight characters, that is.
in an orphanage. In another instance, she The potential was there for Salt -Water
delights the audience with her witty retorts Moon to be superb. Sprinkled with liberal
to Jacob. doses of humor, the play. succeeds on that
level. However, the two main characters
somehow were unable to reach that emo-
At the end of Salt -Water Moon, a rom
paratively short play at one and a half
hours, there were likely only a few dry eyes.
But as the audience travelled on an emo-
tional rollercoaster from the sterile first en-
counter, to the witty quibblings, through to
the happy climax, it probably was gasping
tional plateau, to grab the audience into ful-
ly accepting their love for each other. It was
a great night's entertainment, that much is
true, but it perhaps left some in the audience
wishing there was more substance after the
humor was over.
ea and naive young girl
Scripts of Playhouse's popular plays
are donated to focal librariesho�se for its
•
with this new service of scripts from past
plays produced. This practice will help
otur
patrons andpromote i„
is ac i .
itis mu
t C t Library in Grand Bend
Judy Bowman, Head Librarian is
receiving copies of such scripts as Thomas
Brandon's s' un
Christie's The Mousetrap, Herb Gardner's
•
permanent and summer
Huron nra Playhouseumr is pleased to be Plaresidents to enjoy. The Grand $end Library
ableoto donate a number of scriptsCof past t the activities of e is very pleased to display materials from
productions toy both the LaSystems.mbton ScriptsScand playhouse and we thank them the Playhouse's current works and to now
suchCounty Library rn'scu of
such plays as Balderston's Dracula, The Playhouse actually situated tri have scripts available for our patrons to
William Gibson's The, Miracle Worker, Huron County, although ch closer to enjoy."
W W. Jacob's The Mbnkey's Paw, Bill the Lamb on County Heather Redick, General Manager at the
Manhoff's The Owl and the Pussycat, °'where u y o � "extending
Playather bd ck, thatanagera the
Lawrence Roman's Under The Yum Yum Brandon s Charley' Aunt, Agatha Playhouse's services into' the community
Tree and.Neil Simon's California Suite, The helps to incorporate the arts into the lives of
those in the community. Furthermore, thii.
practice reinforces the works mounted by
the Playhouse on another- level supplemen-
tal to the live theatre tradition. I hope the
community enjoys reading the scripts as
much as we have enjoyed, performing
them."
Star-Spangled Girl and Last of the in the pRed HoLovert lehands A Thousand Clowns, Haimsohn, Miller and
of thesHuron County have been tHead Librarian; Bill ..Wile's Dames at Sea, George Kelly's The
Partridge in Goderich to circulate Show Off, Philip King's Pools Paradise and
throughout the library system. Says Mr. Robert Emmet Sherwood's The Petrified
Partridge, "Huron County Library ap- Forest. Says Ms. Bowman, "Grand Bend is
preciates the co-operation of the Playhouse very fortunate in having high calibre
theatre this close, here at Huron Country
Investment in the .Arts program will
ineal_�,.��,.:.�..��Yfcrill
hl organizations raise money
budget of $50 000 and
over.
How would you like to double your porate donor we will match it two to one."aniza- Major arts service organizations are also
arts
organizations
g That's what will athe o200 pportunity
Thdons the opporram will tunity of regais ning a included in the program in recognition of
of ding during have eye Inv sy ap their financial needs in maintaining a viable
of doing during the next three years. Invest- solid financial standing. The monies raised
ment In The Arts, a bold new $10 million pro- will be put into an endowment fund with the and very important support network.
"A healthy cultural sector benefits a
gram launched will offer one dollar organization having access to the interest," society both spiritually and economically,"
dollar 'sed by Ontario arts she said. And she said people 11th largest
o ar rai the matching• Ministry
for every monies can be used to retire the ac -
organizations.
Lily Munro, Minister of Citizenship and cumulated deficit."
Culture, said the new program will help arts Ontario -based arts organizations which
organizations to achieve stability and en- have
been have serving
ingtth budgets in excefor ss three
courage financial self-sufficiency. Yoperating
f
"Investments In The Arts will match one $75,000 and are currently receiving
dollar for every fund-raising dollar raised assistance through the Qntario Arts Council
above the fund-raising base," she said. are eligible. Arts organizations in northern
"And, if the dollar comes from a new cor- Ontario are eligible with an operating
"Many do not realize that
the cultural sector is Canada's
manufacturing industry and is the Sixth
largest employer. As well, culture can open
doors to many international opportunities
such as trade."
"Investing in the
economic sense."
Find out about your future
in FUTURES
arts makes
Futures is a Provincial Program for unemployed, out of school young people
ages 16-24. R offers a unique combination of training, academic upgradingo
and practical work experience. And it pays a weekly allowance
Every Wednesday, beginning August 13, a FUTURES Placement Officer will be
available in Stratford to discuss the program and the opportunities it offers.
. Your FUTURES reprerantative is available
Wednesdays starting August 13
9 a.m. ® 12 noon and 1 - 4 p.m.
Conestoga College, Stratford Campus, 270 Water St.
Find out about your future in FUTURES. Visit our FUTURES Representative or
call collect to 1-743-0260 for more information.
he Ultimate in
Hair Design"
524-4279
Goderich
TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD
PUBLIC MEETING
CONCERNING A PROPOSED
ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT
TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD will
hold a public meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 1986 at 8:00 p.m. in the Ashfield Township
Hall, (located on County Road 20 next to the Township Garage) to consider two proposed
zoning by-laws under. Section 34 of the Planning Act, 1983.
The proposed by-laws have three purposes as set out in A, B and C, below:
A. The propose by-law e d b I 's for the purpose of resolving objections lodg-
good
ed to Zoning By-law 5 - 1986. Specifically, the following amendments are proposed:
1. The development area between Russell Street and Victoria Street is zoned Village
PORT ALBERT
Residential (VRI).
2. Part Lots 39 and 40, R.P. 136 are zoned Natural Environment (NEI -2) to recognize
an existing residence.,
3. The undevelopable area south of the unopened street allowance of Melbourne Street
is zoned Natural Environment (NE1).
4. Part Lot 1, south of Melbourne Street, R.P. 136, is zoned Village Residential (VR1).
5. Lots 36, 37, and Part Lot 38, east of Wellington Street, R.P. 136, are zoned Village
Residential (VR1) to recognize the residential use.
6. Part Lots 38 and 39, east of Wellington Street, R.P. 136, are zoned Village Commercial
(VC1) to recognize the commercial use.
7. Lots 34, 37, 38 and 39, west of Huron Street, R.P. 136, are zoned "Recreational
Residential (RC1)" to conform with the Secondary Plan.
COTTAGE AREAS
1. The following lots are zoned Natural Environment (NE1-1) to recognize' the existing
cottages in natural environment areas: Lot 25, R.P. 579, Lot 29, 30 and 31, R.P. 581,
Lot 7, R.P. 585..
2. Part of Lots 38 and 39, Front Concession is zoned Restricted Agriculture (AG2-1)
to recognize an existing cottage in the agricultural area.
3. Lots 22' and 14, R.P. 585, are zoned Recreational Residential (RC1 -3) to permit
cottages on a reduced lot area. '
1. Part Lot 8, Concession 10, E.D., zoned Agricultural Small Holding (AG4), is altered
RURAL AREAS •
to represent the correct lot shape. '
2. The Defined Areas.(DA1 and DA2) are correctly shown as dashed lines on Part Lot 3,
Part Lots 10 and 11,, and Part Lot 9, Concession
Concession 4, W.D.
3.
zoned Extractive Resourcesssion (ER1) to re5, flect the licensed gravel area. 5, EA,' are
TEXT AMENDMENTS •
1. The definition of Tourist Home is changed such that Farm Vacation Homes are per-
mitted in agricultural areas.
2. A wayside pit or quarry is added •to the fist of permitted uses in the Natural Environ-
ment (NE1) zone.
3. A provision is added to the Agricultural Small Holding (AG4) zone to permit a
residence on existing lots with a minimum lot area of 1600 square metres.
B. OTHER AMENDMENTS •
1. The proposed by-law amends a number of Natural Environment zones to correctly
reflect the extent of natural areas.
2. The land use zones at Amberley are corrected to conform with the urban designations
in the Secondary Plan.
C. LOTS 34, 37 and PART LOT 38, WET OF HURON ST., R.P. 136,
PORT ALBERT proposedrd requirements of the
A by-law is also to vary the lot area and rear ya q
Recreational Residential
(RC1) zone
/86 for the above -noted lots to accommodate the
severance applications
ANY PERSON may attend the public smeeo t g a d/o omake
ee writezoninorbyverbal representa-
tion either in support of or in opp P P
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION relating to the,proposed zoning by-law is available for inspec-
tion between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m: at the Municipal Office.
Donald Simpson
Clerk Treasurer
Township of Ashfield
R.R. 3 Goderich, Ont.
N7A 3X9
(519) 395-2753
DATED AT
THE TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD
THIS 1st DAY OF August, 1986
Prior
.It,.II.,
rr
1
eiCorrected Natural Environment
zones (see R1 above). Areas
where no adjustments were
necessary are not shown.
R
M.
NWM
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9
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