The Citizen, 1995-05-17, Page 23Engagement
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie
Terpstra are pleased to
announce the engagement
of their daughter, Mary Ann
to Steven Douglas Skinn,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Doug
Skinn of Wingham. Marriage
to take place at St. Ambrose
Catholic Church on
Saturday, May 27 at 2:00.
SISINI I A. I ICE
HELPING THE WORLD
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1995. PAGE 23.
Workshops, casting finds
bring smile to Amos' face
Looks good to me
Work begins early when planning a summer theatre
season. Blyth Festival's Artistic Director Janet Amos, left,
has been showing Associate AD Terry Tweed some of
the fine tuning of overseeing the artistic aspect of the
theatre each year, part of which has been selecting the
new season.
By Bonnie Gropp
It's hard to imagine anything
bringing more life to the already
animated face of Blyth Festival's
Artistic Director Janet Amos, but
just ask a question about the
upcoming season and she fairly
lights up with enthusiasm.
Casting finds, workshops and a
sense of expectation have given
Amos a very positive feeling about
this year's plays.
"We did two proper workshops
this year on two of the scripts (Bal-
lad For a Rum Runner's Daughter
and This Year, Next Year)", a luxu-
ry she could not afford in last year's
financially challenging year.
The benefits of workshopping are
both obvious and obscure, though
nonetheless important. The work-
shop gives the actors an opportuni-
ty to become comfortable with the
script, while at the same time
allowing the director to work out
the some of the subtler details.
In Ballad Amos says she has
been working closely with play-
wright Laurie Fyffe to integrate
certain underlying themes into the
major story line. Violence and the
disintegration of values are causing
a sense of loss in the world and
people are starting to feel over-
whelmed that the part of the world
they cherished is being overlooked,
explains Amos.
"Part of the first part of this play
has to do with that. The character
Granuaile, is Irish. She is, as her
people sometimes felt, an outcast in
the world of high culture. This is, I
think in a sense the way the mar-
itime communities are feeling. That
sense that their cultural and com-
munity pasts are being lost."
"It was a beautiful time that
Granuaile tries to rekindle. It's hard
to talk about and hard to do. The
workshop will help us try to make
that theme make sense in the story
that's being told."
Also discussed in the workshop
were the set and music for Ballad,
which too ties into this nostalgia.
"The whole play exists in the imag-
ination of this older woman. The
set is the vessel that carries her to
this past the musicians are th con-
duit to the people who were part of
it. I hope all the things we're trying
to do will be clear to the audience."
Finding the right character for
each part is in intricate task as well
for Amos who tries to have each
member of the company play at
least two roles a season, but admits
it doesn't always work. Ballad has
presented her with another interest-
ing challenge as well. "I have had
to find people who are really fabu-
lous singers," she says, before
adding with a smile. "I can't believe
the people I've found."
When Amos returned to the artis-
tic head of Blyth Festival last year,
it was getting late and there was
much to be done. This year, she's
on top of the game at the start and
was pleased to have been able to
spend a lot more time with casting.
For that reason she fairly gushes
over the talent that will be appear-
ing in this Blyth Festival season,
from the dashing young actor, who
not only looks perfect for the part
of an RCMP officer, but conve-
niently had a wonderful singing
voice as well, to new discoveries
about familiar faces.
"Jerry Franken plays the part of
the rum runner and I found out he
has an absolutely fabulous singing
voice. I never knew, because I've
never seen him do a part like this."
Franken, who is to Blyth what
Brian Bedford is to Stratford, is not
the only actor making a return to
the summer festival here this year.
Anne Anglin is playing the lead
role in The Tomorrow Box, and
Deborah Drakeford, who played
Sarah in Yankee Notions in 1992,
and Barbara Worthy, who appeared
in the same production, are all part
of the 1995 season.
Another well-known Blyth Festi-
val name, Terry Tweed, has been
actively involved in the workshops.
She is the associate artistic director
for the summer and will be direct-
ing This Year, Next Year.
Sandy Wilson's musical The Boy
Friend opens on Tuesday, May 30
at the Avon Theatre. Directed and
choreographed by Brian Macdon-
ald with musical direction by
Berthold Carriere, this production
is designed by Patrick Clark, with
lighting design by Harry Frehner
and sound design by Keith
Handegord.
The Boy Friend will feature
Danny Austin as Bobby van Husen,
Douglas Chamberlain as Lord
Brockhurst, Eric Donkin as Perci-
val Browne, Karen K. Edissi as
Madame Dubonnet, Cara Hunter as
Maisie, Patty Jamieson as Polly
Browne, Gabrielle Jones as
Hortense, Lee MacDougall as Lady
Brockhurst, Ian Simpson as Tony
and Blythe Wilson as Dulcie. The
Boy Friend began preview
performances on Wednesday, May
10 and runs until Saturday, Oct. 28.
One of the longest-running
musicals in British theatre history,
this story of a lonely young heiress
who falls in love with a delivery
boy is a delightful recreation of the
musical comedies of the 1920s, that
giddy era of flappers, rumble seats
and gin fizzes, all set to the
irresistible rhythms of the
Charleston. Stratford Festival
favourites Eric Donkin and Karen
K. Edissi return after a one-year
absence; they both recently
appeared in Napoleon. Patty
Jamieson makes her Stratford debut
in the role of Polly, the role that
made Julie Andrews famous on
Broadway. Patty Jamieson and Ian
Simpson, who returns for his
second Stratford season to play
Tony, both appeared in the Shaw
Festival's hit musical Lady, Be
Good! in 1994.
E ntertainment at fvot nend'
HAPPY 43RD
TO A GUY WHO IS
HOT IN THE
KITCHEN ... NOT
Lam
NEESON
"TWO ENTHUSIASTIC
THUMBS WAY UP!"
HCP, King's team up for gala
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-2b5-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
Huron Country Playhouse is
teaming up with King's College in
London to present a gala preview
of the hit Broadway musical drama,
West Side Story.
This event will be held on
Saturday, June 10 beginning at
5 p.m. with backstage tours, a
cocktail reception and a silent
auction featuring such fabulous
items as flying lessons, a condo in
Florida, a balloon ride, a night at
the Oakwood Inn, sports tickets,
Continued from page 21
party with cookies and juice.
Thank you to the two helpers,
Betty Bodfield and Sarah Little, for
helping with this event.
Also on Thursday, some Grade 7
and 8 students went to Dining out
for Seniors. They each partnered up
with a senior and played bingo
together as a team.
theatre tickets and much, much
more. The curtain will go up on
West Side Story at 7:30 p.m.
Why have the forces of King's
College and Huron Country
Playhouse united? Both King's and
the playhouse require funding:
King's College has embarked on a
$2 million Cardinal Carter Library
at King's Campaign and Huron
Country Playhouse is in the middle
of its $4.6 million capital
rebuilding campaign.
The Red Wiggler worms that Mr.
Wanless has obtained are coming
along well. Their favourite foods
are: coffee grounds, bananas, and
paper. They don't really like the
oranges and gum.
Mr. Teall's Grade 5/6 class will
be doing some yard work at the
front of the school. They will be
weeding the flower beds and
planting trees and flowers.
Since no capital funding is
available to King's College and
limited capital funding is available
to Huron Country Playhouse from
both the federal and provincial
governments, they have united to
present this gala fundraiser to help
maintain academic and artistic
excellence.
This is an opportunity to see
great theatre while supporting two
very worthy causes at the same
time. Tickets for the evening are
$100 each (a tax receipt will be
issued for approximately $65) and
are available by calling King's
College in London, (519) 433-3491
extension 500. VISA, MasterCard,
cash and personal cheques are all
accepted.
Students dine out with seniors
Soundsation presents
6.1to cktn , 2,0e.
ADD 41. 1
0 O'F-Ad eie
;- ".1Iji(4c11! 614
40 'I
THREE SHOWS
at the
Teeswater Culross Community Centre
Friday Evening Saturday Afternoon & 'Evening
May 26 May 27
7:59 p.m. 1:59 and 7:59 p.m.
TICKETS: $8.00 per person
Available at Stanley Farm Supply, Teeswater - 392-6825; The
Lamplighter, Mildmay - 367-5717; Lucknow Cut and Curl - 528-2914;
Hoist Office Supply, Walkerton - 881-0031; Bluewater Office Supplies,
Wingham - 357-1554; Ruffles, Hanover - 364-5004