The Citizen, 1992-12-02, Page 26Stratford sales down 3%
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2,1992. PAGE 27.
Festival Singers share
the iJoy of Christmas9
General Manager Gary Thomas
announced Nov. 20 the final
revenue figures for the Stratford
Festival's 40th Season. The six-
month season, which encompassed
a total of 565 performances of 13
productions in three theatres,
earned gross box office revenue of
$15,080,883. Despite the poor
economic climate that has persisted
throughout 1992, this figure
represents a marginal decline of
only three per cent in comparison
to gross box office receipts from
the previous season. Total
attendance for this past season's
productions totalled 443,750, a
seven per cent decrease from 1991
admissions.
In analyzing the end-of-season
Society of Artists expanding
By Susan Oxford
Expositor Staff
The newly founded Huron
Society of Artists is looking for
new talent and invites professional
artists and artisans from the Huron-
area to join the club. The primary
intent of the club is to allow artists
the opportunity to meet socially
and exchange information about
themselves and their work.
Playhouse auction
raises over $37,000
The Huron Country Playhouse
Foundation raise over $37,000 for
the theatre's renovation project. The
event was a Dinner Auction held at
the South Huron Recreation Centre
in Exeter on Friday, Oct. 16. A sell
out crowd of 400 people packed the
auditorium to bid on over 200
items that ranged in value ffom$25
to $2,500.
“The night was tremendous
success from every aspect”
reported Kate Burnett, Director of
Letters
THE EDITOR,
Thanksgiving is a time to give
thanks. Well, this past
Thanksgiving I was counting my
many blessings and busy cooking
dinner for my family, when within
a matter of a few hours my life and
faith in human beings was shaken.
I was as a child taught to “Love
Thy Neighbour As Thy Self’ and
“Do Unto Others as You Would
Have Them do Unto You”. I have
always tried to live by that rule, but
I found there are others, who have a
different book to live by.
Grey Township may not have a
fence by-law, but an agreement
between neighbours should be
honoured. The clerk, councillors
and the reeve have all been here
and looked over my wall in the
back yard; sorry wrong choice of
words; looked at my wall in the
back yard, because no one is tall
enough to look over the wall in my
back yard. As an over 40 year
results, Mr. Thomas noted that 60
per cent of the 35,000 decrease in
attendance can be attributed to
lower participation by schools and
groups. In comparison to the 1991
season, 15 per cent fewer schools
and groups attended Festival
productions throughout 1992.
Thomas said, “This decrease
reflects tighter economic times for
school boards and the continuing
impact of the recession in Canada
and the United States on tour,
operators.”
The 1992 box office results also
offered several reasons for
celebration, with many of the 40th
season productions exceeding
expectations. The productions of
Romeo and Juliet at the Festival
Theatre and Gilbert & Sullivan's
The need for such a club was
realized after the first annual
Artists at Work Studio Tour last
fall. The current members of the
Huron Society of Artists are the
nine Huron-area artists who
participated in the studio tour.
Before the studio tour they had a
Meet the Artists reception at the
Blyth Gallery, a one-day exhibit of
some of their work.
Development for the theatre. “We
raised awareness about our
Rebuilding Campaign, had a
delicious meal, a chance to bid on a
fabulous array of donated items and
everyone had a great time. In
addition, we raised almost twice as
much money as we had originally
estimated.”
Auction Co-chairpersons Jack
Riddell and Jean McKenzie report
that based on the success of this
event, Year II is already in the
planning stages.
resident and taxpayer of Grey
Township, I'm not laughing, I'm
mad.
There is sure no common
courtesy.
Helen Dobson, Ethel.
THE EDITOR,
On Oct. 7, the Belgrave
Community Centre Board held its
44th annual fowl supper in the
Belgrave arena. Over 938 people
were in attendance for a wonderful
meal of turkey with all the fixing
and pies for dessert.
This annual fund raising event is
successful each year due to the
hundreds of people from the
surrounding townships of East
Wawanosh and Morris who help on
various committees and bring the
hot and cold food, bowls, utensils
and other miscellaneous items
which are necessary to help feed all
the hungry people.
Over $5,700 profit from this
year's supper will help to support
the cost of operating our arena, hall
and park in the upcoming year. Our
community really does care and
work together and should give
itself a pat on the back for the great
job it does in showing such great
solidarity.
The Belgrave Community
Centre Board.
H.M.S. Pinafore at the Avon
Theatre both, for example,
surpassed the 100,000 attendance
mark and earned a combined total
of $8.2 million in ticket sales.
Three productions - Uncle Vanya,
Shirley Valentine and Bonjour, la,
Bonjour - staged at the Tom
Patterson Theatre (the smallest of
the Festival's three venues) also
garnered better than expected
audiences. In addition, Mr. Thomas
was very pleased by the strong
showing for Elliott Hayes' stage
adaptation of Robertson Davies'
World of Wonders. During its
relatively short run, World of
Wonders attracted an audience of
more than 16,000, an indication
that Festival patrons remain eager
to experience new Canadian plays.
Rob Tetu, a Seaforth-area potter
and member of the Huron Society
of Artists, said, “Response to he
exhibit was impressive. Members
of the public asked ‘Why was it a
one-day only affair?’ Also, the
artists themselves were impressed
by the exhibit and we decided we
needed a larger commitment than
the annual Artists at Work Studio
Tour.”
The club is accepting submis
sions until Jan. 8. A submission
must consist of five slides or
photographs of five completed
works, a biography and a
description of the applicant’s
studio. The Huron Society of
Artists will meet on Jan. 18 to
review the submissions.
“We will be jurying the
submissions to ensure that the work
of those applying is of an extremely
high quality and compatible to the
other work we have,” said Tetu.
“We're not limiting the club to fine
arts only. Other media such as
crafts people and artisans who do a
high quality of work are welcome
to submit.
“One aspect of the club's work
will be to educate the public about
the various artists in the Huron-area
and their media. There is available
gallery space in Huron in many
public buildings such as the Huron
County Museum, the public
galleries and the libraries, and there
are some private galleries. We plan
to have group exhibitions and
hopefully raise the profile of art
and artists in this region.”
For those interested in making a
submission to the club, send the
required information to: Huron
Society of Artists, c/o Goderich
Signal-Star, P.O. Box 220, Drawer]
56, Goderich, On., N7A 4B6.
NIFTY NIFTY
JOHNNY’S 50!
December 2nd
Love, Shawn, Missy,
Jack & Cole
The Blyth Festival Singers will
be performing a concert of favour
ite Christmas carols and songs at
Blyth Memorial Hall on Dec. 13 al
2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The “Joy of Christmas” features
the musical fable Brother
Heinrich's Christmas by contem
porary English composer John
Rutter. Duncan McGregor of Blyth
will narrate, assisted by a donkey
named Sigismund. Choir guests
include trombonist Nancy Ross of
Goderich and well-known saxo
phonist Jack Hayter of Stratford.
The 50-voice choir will be led by
Wade Wittaker of Stratford and
accompanied by Carol Carter of
Seaforth.
Old fashioned sing-a-longs are
part of every Christmas concert,
and after each of the two
performances the choir will follow
its Christmas tradition of serving
hot, spiced apple cider and
delicious home baked goodies
whose enticing smell warms and
delights the concert hall before the
end of the second half.
The Blyth Festival Singer's “Joy
of Christmas” is part of a host of
activities in Blyth that weekend
including a visit from Santa, a
movie for children in Memorial
Hall, and a community art exhibit
titled “Our Land” in the Bainton
$
HEART
AND STROKE
FOUNDATION
OF ONTARIO
IMPROVING
YOUR ODDS
AGAINST
CANADA'S
#1 KILLER.
40TH WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY
The family of John and
Derkje Wesselink
would like to Invite their
friends and neighbours to a
40th Wedding Anniversary
Open House
Saturday, December 5,1992
at the Blyth Christian
Reformed Church basement
2-4:30 p.m.
Best Wishes Only
2 DAYS ONLY
i
GODERICH 524-7811
PARK THEATRE
SNEAKERS
mart, Fun, Refreshing And Endearing!
'Sneakers' has an ensemble of excellent actors on a lively lark."
- Richord Schickel, TIME MAGAZINE
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
Gallery. Blyth Village merchants
are holding a “Real Meaning of
Christmas” food and gift drive and
will be donating a portion of sales
to the Children's Aid Society of
Huron County.
Concert tickets are $6 for adults
and $3 for children under 12. They
are available from the Blyth
Festival Box Office at 523-9300,
Carol's Candies and'Collectibles in
Blyth, Bluewater Office Equipment
in Wingham, Les Ciscaux and the
Dutch Store in Clinton, and
Campbell's Photography in
Goderich and from choir members.
The
BLYTH FESTIVAL SINGERS
invite vou _____
The Joy of a
Village .. ------—
I / K ■ .-r .
Sunday December 13
Blyth Memorial
Community Hall
Concerts at 2 pm & 8 pm
Adults s6.°° Children $3.00
Tickets available from:
Blyth Festival Box office 523-9300
Les Ciseaux, Clinton
Bluewater Office Equipment Wingham
Campbell's Photography, Goderich
A Concert of Traditional and Popular Christmas Music
CHRISTMAS
POWER
SKATING
SCHOOL
Dec. 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30
Llstowel Arena
Times: 10:00 -10:50 a.m.
11:00-11:50 a.m.
Cost: $45.00
COACHES: CAROL
& KEVIN WHEELER
For more information
call: 747-5264
725-4416
Registration forms available
at Listowel and Brussels
Arenas
Registration Deadline:
December 4,1992
Christmas
is coming
Gift Certificates
Good Idea
Fri & Sat
Dec 4 & 5
7 & 9:15 p.m.
Nitely
i A PARENTAL
t GUIDANCE
Sun - Thurs
Dec 6-10
8 p.m.
Nitely
"THE SCARIEST FILM SINCE |
'SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.’"
- Tony Timponf, fANCORfA
CRNDYMflN