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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-04-13, Page 7Wednesday, April 13, 2016 • Lucknow Sentinel 7 Heroes, history and hilarity on stage at Blyth Festival Theatre Heroes and Heroines, His- Returning to the Blyth stage tory and Hilarity, it's all on stage in Our Beautiful Sons: Remem- this summer at the Blyth Festi- bering Matthew Dinning are val from June 15 to September Festival favourites J.D. 3. "This year we will be doing Nicholsen and Rebecca Auer - that singular magical thing that bach as Lincoln and Laurie Blyth does best: premiering Dinning, TonyMunch as Mario, four newplays"says Gil Garratt, Catherine Fitch as Gail, and Artistic Director. Clinton native Cameron Laurie Opening the 42nd season of as Brendon Dinning. Blyth wel- the Blyth Festival will be Our comes newcomers Jesse Laver - Beautiful Sons: Remembering combe as Matthew Dinning Matthew Dinning byChristo- and Meghan Chalmers as pher Morris from June 15 to Tanya. August 6. This riveting new play Directing Our Beautiful Sons: is based on the true story of a Remembering Matthew Din - local family, the Dinning's of ning is Blyth Festival's Artistic Wingham (just ten minutes Director, Gil Garratt. An artist from Blyth). Their eldest son, with a long relationship to Matthew, was a dynamic, Blyth, 2016 will markGil's 16th funny, and charming young season with the festival, and his man. Matthew's first posting second as artistic director. Gil's with the Canadian Forces was eclectic career has carried him at Petawawa in May 2004, as a coast to coast, and overseas, member of the Military Police. collaborating with companies In April of 2006, at 23 years all over Canada. Gil is the recip- young, Cpl Matthew Dinning ient of a Dora Mavor Moore was killed in Afghanistan. A award for Outstanding Perfor- year later, his younger brother, mance, and has been nomi- and the Dinning's only other nated for a Robert Merritt child, Brendon, volunteered for award in Nova Scotia. active service. The Canadian Gillian Gallow (Vimy, Pearl Forces called his parents and Gidley) is designing the set and asked them how to proceed. costumes, long time festival Should they grant his request, favourite Rebecca Picherack is knowing the sacrifice this fam- designing the lighting, and ilyhadalreadymadefortheir Verne Good is the sound country? Should they reject it? designer How do a loving mom and dad The Birds and the Bees by make a decision like this? This is Mark Crawford is next from a play about the bonds of fam- June 22 to August 6. From the ily, the search for bravery, and writer of 2014's runawayhit Stag the always complicated paths and Doe, comes a raucous, to manhood, motherhood, and hilarious new comedy with peace. This powerful play was huge, honeyed, heart Aretired written after extensive inter- empty -nester, Gail has been views with the Dinning's quietly raising bees in solitude. themselves. Unexpectedly, her grown daughter Sarah returns home; it seems twenty years of artifi- ciallyinseminating turkeys has taken a toll on Sarah's love life, and she and her husband are through. Throw in a meddle- some neighbour, a little Internet dating, and the last pair of tick- ets ickets to the final Turkey Days Dance of all time, and you have a racy recipe for relentless laughter. Starring in this hilarious comedy is veteran stage and TV star Nora McLellan (Orphan Black, Killjoys, X -Files, Shaw and Stratford Festivals) as Gail. Beloved Blyth Festival alum Marion Day plays Sarah. John Dolan returns to the Blyth stage as Earl the neighbour, and young Christopher Allen makes his Blyth debut as the irresisti- ble Ben. Ann Hodges is directing The Birds and the Bees. Ann was last in Blyth in 2012 when she directed Beverley Cooper's The Lonely Diner; Al Capone in Euphemia Township. A hugely celebrated director, Ann has directed at theatres across Can- ada and directed the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 North American Indigenous Games. The same team of Gallow, Picherack, and Good are designing. If Truth Be Told by Beverley Cooper runs from July 27 to September 3. Inspired by the fire and furor that surrounded the bookbanning's throughout Canada in the 1970's & 80's, when authors like Alice Munro, Margaret Laurence, J.D. Salin- ger, and John Steinbeck were being pulled from the shelves of Submitted Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning kicks off the Blyth Festival Theatre season and runs June 15 -Aug. 6, 2016. local high schools, Cooper's play looks unflinchingly at who decides what we can or cannot read. Telling the story of fictional- ized author Peg Dunlop, this play captures an author at her moment of truth; she has won awards for her writing all over the country, and made a name for herself internation- ally, all by writing stories set in the small town where she grew up. But when she moves back to her old hometown, her childhood friends and neighbours are anything but impressed, and soon a con- certed campaign begins to have her work banned in the local high school. In her fight against the zealous censors, she befriends a teenage girl who is herself an aspiring young artist. What follows is a high stakes lesson in what it means to tell a good story, and what it costs to fight the good Kincardine and Lucknow animal rescues to benefit from April 23 fundraiser Troy Patterson Owner Donna Coughlan We do not always know the Editor said vet costs alone are in the trauma they have already thousands each year, and been through before we get Allies for Alley Catz has since it's operated by herself them so we can only do our saved thousands of lives in on her own time, she has lim- best to deal with what they the past six years of ited time to do fundraising. come in like." operation. "We do it as much as we Cats are free roaming with a The 'It's Raining Cats and can, however the animals cat enclosure for fresh air and Dogs' fundraising dinner on must come first," said sunshine and a whole lot of April 23, 2016 will once again Coughlan. "We work through cat tree inside so they may bring funds to both it and the week as well. We do a watch nature from a safe Lucknow Adopt -A -Pet Pet huge service to this area to Rescue, after a sold out event take in strays, get them off in2015. the streets and rehome The event kicks off at 6 them." p.m. at the Best Western Plus The organization does Governor's Inn in Kincar- community service with the dine, with a silent Auction cats with seniors and other and bake sale, followed by a organizations. buffet dinner at 7 p.m. Music "Since the open house in will be provided by the band November of 2015 we have 'Easy Does It'. adopted out 16 cats to won - Allies for Alley Catz is a pri- derful homes," she said. "We vateNotforProfitCatRescue spay and neuter everyone that needs continued com- who comes in and feed them munity support to ensure its a healthy diet with supple - operational costs are met. ments to ensure their health. distance. "Because costs are going up and we are responsible to the animals we really need our community to come together for this amazing family event," said Coughlan. Tickets are $35 each or two for $65 at Country Depot, Remax Land Exchange, and Queen Street Vet Clinic. SA UGEEN MOBILITY and REGIONAL SIT SPECIALIZED PUBLIC TRANSIT MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED RESIDENTS NON -EMERGENCY MEDICAL, SOCIAL & EMPLOYMENT LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE pm 519-881-2504 1-866-981-2504 visit us at saugeenmobility.ca fight. Catherine Fitch stars as Peg Dunlop, the author with a fight on her hands, J.D. Nicholsen plays Harry Briggs, Rebbeca Auerbach is Maysie Pigot, Meghan Chalmers is Jennifer Pigot, and making her Blyth debut is Anita La Selva playing Carmella, a teacher bent on defending Peg. Miles Potter, who is direct- ing If Truth Be Told, has made an indelible mark on the Blyth Festival with his steady hand at the helm of such celebrated plays as Innocence Lost: A Play About Steven Truscott, Pearl Gidley, and 2014's hit Stag and Doe. Miles has directed plays at virtually every major theatre in the country including nine pro- ductions for the Stratford Fes- tival and seventeen produc- tions for the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Steve Lucas (Innocence Lost, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Stompin' Tom) is designing the set and lighting. 40 year veteran of the Blyth stage, Shawn Kerwin, is designing the costumes, Beth Kates (Seeds) is designing the pro- jections, and Lyon Smith (Mary's Wedding) is the Sound Designer. The Last Donnelly Standing by Paul Thompson and Gil Garratt is the final show to open, playing from August 4 to September 2. This is the ultimate epilogue to the bloody Biddulph feuds. After the 1880 massacre; in the midst of the fraudulent trial of the vigilantes that followed; after the acquittals and the justice by fire; when the rest of the surviving Donnelly family had moved away, Robert Donnelly refused, and instead took up residence in a house on Lucan's main street, opened his own hotel, and stood pacing his porch as the murderers among them walked those very roads. The Last Donnelly Standing details the rise and fall of a defiant young man, who stood in the face of history, and dared to burn it all down with a smile. Reprising a role he first played in the colossal hit The Outdoor Donnellys, Gil Gar- ratt stars as Robert Donnelly in this new one-man Ontario Gothic tour -de -force full of old time music and unsettled souls. Directing The Last Don- nelly Standing is the legend- ary Canadian theatre pioneer, Paul Thompson. Hailing from the Town of Atwood and the farm fields outside Listowel, few directors have had an impact on the cultural land- scape of the country the way Paul has. He has received a number of awards including four Canada Council for the Arts Awards, a Dora Mavor Moore Award, an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Ontario, and has been named an officer of the Order of Canada. Beth Kates is designing the set, costumes, and lighting for the show while Lyon Smith is designing the soundscape. The Blyth Festival Box Office is now open for ticket sales. Passes for the 2016 sea- son are on sale until April 30 at a substantial savings over sin- gle ticket prices. Call 519.523.9300, Toll Free 1-877- 862-5984 or visit blythfestival. COM YOUR GUIDE TO 'BPRING • TIPS COUPONS INCENTIVES Spruce up your home and save on energy Don't miss our guide in today's paper hydro one Partners in Powerful Communities