The Citizen, 2000-02-23, Page 23Returning
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2000. PAGE 23.
E ntertainment
'’- „
Review
‘Patience’ has plenty to like
David Peterson, left, and Warren Sulatycky in a scene from
Blyth Festival’s 1999 sold out production of Death of a
Hired Man. (Off Broadway photo)
‘Hired Man’ returns
Death of the Hired Man, directed
and conceived by Paul Thompson,
has been brought back to the stage
as a Blyth Festival Special Event
June 1 - 17. Tickets for this
spectacular production go on sale
March 6.
This dynamic tribute to the
heroic farming experience
brilliantly recaptures the last days
of the threshing era as the theatre is
transformed into a bam, complete
with a working threshing machine.
Last year The London Free Press
One fat cat
Snoop, owned by former Blyth area residents Gerald and
Berva Watson may soon go on record as the world’s
biggest cat. His personal info has been submitted to
GuinneSS. (Amy Zoethout photo)
Snoop may be world’s biggest
By Amy Zoethout
Signal-Star
The heaviest cat in the world
may be living at Huron Haven,
north of Goderich.
Ge.rald and Berva Watson, of
Huron Haven, had their cat Snoop
officially weighed in last week at
42.4 pounds. He measures 35
inches from the tip of his nose to
the end of his tail and also
measures 35 inches around his
stomach.
The couple awaits confirmation
from Guinness Book of World
Records on whether or not Snoop
holds the new record.
Their own research of Guinness
records revealed that the heaviest
cat was 46 lbs. 15 oz. and lived in
Australia. This cat died in 1986 and
the heaviest living cat record was
taken over by a cat from Minnesota
who weighed 40 lbs. 13 oz. This
record was confirmed on Oct. 30,
1998.
The Watsons got Snoop as a
kitten in 1993. Berva said he was
always getting into everything so
they named him Snoop.
gave Death of the Hired Man five
stars out of five.
Blyth Festival’s Artistic Director,
Anne Chislett indicates that “the
interest from groups we’ve had
already this year, combined with
the success of last season, predicts
that these performances will sell
out. We don’t want you to be
disappointed, so book your tickets
early.
For ticket information call the
Box Office at 519-523-9300 or toll
They really have no explanation
for how Snoop got to be so big,
adding that they have fed him the
same food since they got him. The
couple said they go through about
one kg. of cat food each week for
Snoop and his sister, who is a
normal-sized cat. And he never eats
table scraps.
Special care must be taken to
ensure that Snoop doesn’t break
any bones because of his size. The
eight-year-old cat must be lifted up
or down from furniture and takes
great care when he goes outside.
“We don’t want any broken
bones,” said Gerald.
Even if Snoop is not named
heaviest cat in the world, he will
always be special to Gerald and
Berva. Two years ago, Berva fell
into a coma while asleep. Realizing
something was wrong, Snoop
loudly meowed at Gerald until he
woke up ’and called for an
ambulance. Snoop continued to
meow and sit by Berva’s side until
the ambulance arrived.
“Since then he sort of has been
given special treatment,” said
Gerald.
Reviewed by Keith Roulston
There’s plenty to like about
Patience, the current production at
The Grand Theatre in London.
There’s plenty to think about too in
playwright Jason Sherman’s look at
the complexities of modem life. It’s
just there’s too much of everything
to really get the most out of the
play.
A co-production with The Cana
dian Stage Company in Toronto,
Patience benefits from a fine cast
of some of Canada’s best actors.
Jim Mezon, most often seen at the
Shaw Festival, plays Reuben, a
successful businessman whose
career and private life disintegrate
after a mysterious meeting with an
old friend who, he later learns, has
been dead for a year. His wife
Donna (Brenda Bazinet) finds love
letters from a woman he loved, but
didn’t have an affair with, years
Children’s performer
to appear in Brussels
In honour of March Break, Rural
Response for Healthy Children is
sponsoring two performances of
Dickie Bird, one in Brussels.
Dickie Bird whips up a delightful
mix of music, magic and merriment
in a fast-paced, fun-filled show that
features the bubble machine,
puppet pal Doug the Wug and
amazing magic tricks.
Opportunities abound for audience
interaction and participation with
the Everybody-Joins-in-Jugband
and joyful sing-along and actions
songs.
Performances are scheduled for
the Brussels Playgroup on March
I
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on 53 calls
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before. He is suddenly fired from
his position as head of a company
on accusations he used company
money to remodel his house.
This happens early in the play
and for the rest of the production
Reuben tries to figure out what
went wrong, what’s wrong with
him that he keeps hurting those
around him, and what is the mean
ing of life. There are many witty,
funny scenes along the way and
lots of interesting observations but
one can’t help wishing Reuben was
a little quicker on the uptake —
especially when act two stretches
out to an interminable hour and 20
minutes and Reuben isn’t much
more enlightened at the final cur
tain than he was after intermission.
Mezon provides a powerful per
formance creating a character
who’s not easy to like but is still
sympathetic. Reuben is full of blus
ter and remorse as he struggles to
14 at 10:30 a.m. (Brussels United
Church) and another for the
Dashwood Playgroup on March 16
at 10:30 a.m. (Zion Lutheran
Church). All shows are free,
however there will be a donation
box available to help cover some of
the cost.
Atwood Lions
Bingo
every Thursday
Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Starts at 7:OO p.m.
PARK THEATRE
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understand himself and reform —
though he finds the latter virtually
impossible. His marriage broke up
because of a dalliance with Sarah
(Brenda Robins) but when he final
ly connects with this long, lost
love, he can’t help endangering this
new relationship by dallying with
his brother’s young girlfriend, Liz
(Nicole Libin).
Setting his own needs first, he
seems to care little for his brother,
Phil (Victor Ertmanis), his co
worker Peter (also Ertmanis) or his
friend, Sarah’s husband Paul
(David Storch playing multiple
roles).
It’s a winning cast, despite the
fact there aren’t many likeable
characters among them. And the
play is enjoyable, except that it
doesn’t seem to know when to quit.
Perhaps where the title comes from
(it’s never mentioned during the
play) — you need patience to get
the most from Patience.
(A warning for those who may be
sensitive to cigarette smoke. Char
acters smoke like actors in a 1940s
movie and something about The
Grand’s air circulation draws that
smoke out into the audience. Some
people in Saturday’s matinee per
formance actually walked out.)
FRI.-THURS.
FEBRUARY 25
- MARCH 2