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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2002. PAGE 23.
Entertainment & Leisure
Theatre review
Beattie proves it's possible to keep role fresh
In Wingfield on Ice, the newest
version of the Dan Needles'
Wingfield saga which opened at
London's Grand Theatre, Friday,
actor Rod Beattie proves it's -possi-
ble to keep a role fresh, even when
you've played it nearly 3,000 times.
Beattie has played Walt Wingfield,
the former Bay Street stockbroker
turned farmer and his collection of
eccentric neighbours since the first
official opening of Letter from
Wingfield Farm at the Grand's
smaller McManus Studio in 1985.
It's symbolic of the popular phenom-
enon the Wingfield plays have
become that nowadays they're per-
formed on the Grand's main stage,
playing before audiences of 800. The
show has travelled from small
Ontario town halls to major
The Blyth Festival Board of
Directors is pleased to announce that
John Shaw has joined the adminis-
trative staff as general manager.
Shaw brings to the festival a solid
background in arts administration.
Board President Carol Oriold said,
"We are delighted and most fortu-
nate to have found someone with
John's professional experience and
expertise to take on the enormous
job of general manager. It was a long
search that really paid off."
Shaw was born and raised in the
UK, and immigrated to Canada in
1970. He trained as a musician at the
Royal Academy of Music in London,
England.
Previously Shaw acted as general
manager of the Hamilton
Philharmonic, and his, own company,
Rising Stars
begin
new season
The Huron Rising Stars Theatre
Troupe will 'be back with a new
presentation for spring 2002.
The Rising Stars are a group of
local senior volunteer actors who
use theatre format and humour to
provide information for seniors on
growing older bolder. The older
bolder person • tackles life with
courage, confidence, and sense of
control. New members are welcome.
Workshops will be held April 2, 3
and 4 in the downstairs of the
Brussels library led by artistic
Director Joan Chandler. There will
be eight daytime performances in
April and May for area senior
groups.
No acting experience is needed.
The productions area joint project
of Town and Country Support
Services, Sheatre, and the Huron
Rising Stars who gratefully
acknowledge the financial support
of the Ontario Trillium Foundation,
an agency of the Ministry of
Tourism, Culture and Recreation
which receives annually $100 mil-
lion in government funding generat-
ed through Ontario's charity casino
initiative.
To volunteer or for further infor-
mation, contact Marguerite Thomas
at 887-6995 or Genevieve Madden
at 524-5128.
ping cream.
Funniest of the feuds is the hilari-
ous ongoing battle between
Maggie's cousin and a neighbour's
dog that always, gets the best of him.
All the feuding parties will be
brought together by the force of
nature when an ice storm hits the
region, cutting off power and mak-
ing travel from the outside-world
almost impossible thereby making
people turn to each other to survive.
Farmers who've been fighting now
help each other find solutions to the
problems caused by the storm.
Protestant and Catholic come togeth-
er for warmth in the Orange Lodge,
and begin entertaining each other.
They all help. when Maggie goes into
labour and delivers her and Walt's
first child.
There's more plot than in past
Wingfield plays and Needles shows-
a sharp eye for human nature and
funding for the arts to the future of
the National Arts Centre.
Shaw has been honoured to
receive several awards, including the
Alberta Achievement Award. In
1993, he was named a Distinguished
Citizen of the City of Calgary.
Shaw said, "I am delighted to be a
part of the Blyth Festival's manage-
ment team and look forward to
working with the staff, board and all
the volunteers to make this unique
an even more important contributor
to the quality of life in the Village of
Blyth and the Municipality of North
Huron."
rural life, the good side and the bad.
But there's still plenty of room for
fun, as when Walt and his neighbour
try to get rid of a dead goat when the
ground's so frozen they can't bury
it.
While Needles provides the hilari-
ous and sometimes touching lines,
Beattie's delivery makes them work.
It's delightful to watch, for instance,
when he can't help but smirk and
chuckle to himself at the story he's
about to tell.
Then there are the many characters
he plays. He's managed to create
something distinctive in each, so you
know instantly when he switches to
The Squire or Willy or Don the
neighbour.
In Wingfield on Ice new characters
are introduced to tell the stories of
the feuds, perhaps too many charac-
ters since after. awhile it's hard to
remember who's feuding with
WEDDINGS
Performed - your location'or our
indoor or outdoor chapel
(non-denominational)
For brochure call:
REV. CHRIS MORGAN
ALL FAITHS PASTORAL CENTRE
BENMILLER, 524-5724
CHRISTENINGS
Suck Dee
for
Dan Pearson
and
Linda Struyk
Saturday, March 23
9 pm - 1 am
B.M. & G. Community
Centre
$5.00 advance
$7.00 at door
Age of Majority
Lunch Provided
For info: 887-6144
whom.
Still, despite 17 years of Wingfield
stories, despite more than 2,750 per-
formances by Beattie, the Wingfield
stories are fresh and as pypular as
ever, drawing a standing ovation
from the London audience. Who
knows how many more Wingfield
adventures may be on the way.,
Wingfield on Ice plays at The
Grand Theatre until March 24.
Renaissance Arts Enterprises. RAE
was an arts management consulting
company and also represented and
managed a number of prominent
Canadian artists.
Shaw is an organist and for the
past four years has been organist and
choir director of a United Church in
Brantford.
Throughout his career, Shaw has
been a passicinate advocate for the
arts in general and orchestras in par-
ticular.
He has made presentations to a
number of House of Commons com-
mittees on subjects ranging from
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Canadian theatres, even to Florida.
Wingfield on Ice is the fifth play in
the series that started when Needles
adapted his old newspaper columns
into a one-man play.
While many associate the
Wingfield plays with the sunny, opti-
mistic side of rural life, there are
dark moments in Wingfield on Ice.
Needles acknowledges that
Wingfield's country neighbours have
their faults, many bearing grudges,
verging on feuds, with others in their
community.
The biggest feud involves his
neighbour The Squire, who hasn't
spoken to his brother for decades
because the brother married the
Catholic girl The Squire was in love
with but whose parents forbade the
romance. On the other end of the
scale there's Walt's wife Maggie's
disapproval of a woman who makes
cream puffs with an aerosol whip-
Blyth Festival names new GM
Welcome
John Shaw has joined the staff at Blyth Festival as the new
general manager. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Check out The Citizen's
WEBSITE
at www.northhuron.on.ca
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