The Citizen, 2000-09-06, Page 19THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2000. PAGE 19.
Entertainment^ Leisure
Theatre review
4Tartuffe\ a great night of theatre, says reviewer
Believing the words
Tartuffe (Brian Bedford) convinces family patriarch Orgon
(James Blendick) of his Christian ways during Stratford
Festival production of Tartuffe. Elmire (Lucy Peacock, sec
ond from left) and Dorine (Seana McKenna) look on in
amazement. Photo from play program
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
With perfect timing, hilarious
expressions and the con man
Stratford announces 2001 season
The 2001 season of the Stratford
Festival promises to be the biggest in
10 years.
Artistic Director Richard Monette
announced Aug. 28 a playbill of 14
productions, running in repertory
over a six-month period.
With an ever-increasing demand
for spring performances, previews
will begin April 25 with the season
officially opening May 28.
At the Festival Theatre, The
Merchant of Venice will kick-off the
season, followed by The Sound of
Music, Twelfth Night and Inherit the
Singers plan exciting year
If you enjoy singing, the Blyth
Festival Singers (BFS) would like to
hear from you.
The well-known community choir
is beginning its 2000-2001 season
with Wednesday night choir prac
tices in the June Hill Rehearsal Hall
at the Blyth Festival.
Choir director Richard Hansen has
prepared an exciting season of musi
cal events for the 26th year of the
choir.
Friday, Nov. 3, CANTAR Concert
at Centennial Hall, London. Fifty
choristers from eight invited choirs
will sing King David by Honneger.
This features BFS, London Concert
Players, Fanshawe Concert Singers
and the Gerald Feagan Singers.
Sunday, Dec. 10, Goderich.
Handel's Messiah with guest organ
ist and soloists, in Goderich while in
Clinton on Monday, Dec. 11 there is
a Sing-a-long Messiah with soloists
from the choir.
Saturday, Apr. 28 at St. Marys
United Church will be Voices of
Angels. BFS will be among six
getting his in the end Stratford
Festival’s Tartuffe is a great night of
theatre.
The story focuses on a well-to-do
family whose patriarch, Orgon, and
Wind, a courtroom drama by Jerome
Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
Five productions will be staged at
the Avon Theatre including the love
story Private Lives by Noel Coward,
Henry V, Who's Afraid of Virginia
Wolfe?, the tragi-comedy The
Seagull by Anton Chekhov and the
world premier of the fifth install
ment in the popular Wingfield
series.
Henry IV will be staged in two
parts at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
The first, which opens the season,
depicts the turbulent relations
choirs performing John Rutter’s
Gloria for brass and organ. Choirs
will also sing from their own reper
toire.
Saturday, May 12 at Holmesville is
a concert and dinner.
If you are interested in taking part
in these musical events please join
the Blyth Festival Singers for
rehearsals, held every Wednesday
f Buck & Doe
/or
WAYNE REGELE
&
CATHY LAVERTY
Sat. Sept. 9, 2000
8 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Seaforth & District
Community Centres
Music by DJ.
Lunch provided
Age of majority required
For tickets call
m Jason 522-1139 Va) 887-6654 Hl
his opinionated mother, Mme.
Pernelle, have been taken in by a
self-proclaimed man of God.
While the rest of the family
attempts to open their eyes, by mak
ing them see how conniving Tartuffe
(Brian Bedford) is, Orgon continues
to fall under his spell, denouncing
his son and handing over the family
wealth.
From the opening, the perform
ance is captivating and comedic.
The audience first learns of
Tartuffe’s hold on the senior family
members when veteran actress
Patricia Collins gives a diatribe on
the obsurdity of her own family and
their disbelief of such a Christian
man.
However, it is the performances of
Seana McKenna as the Orgon’s
daughter’s maid, James Blendick as
Orgon and Bedford which are rivet
ing.
The comedic interplay between
McKenna, priceless as the saucy
maid, and Blendick as the bewih
dered and outraged patriarch who is
losing control of the family, is won
derful.
Maid Dorine has a quick wit and
sharp tongue which will not be
stilled. Her refusal to lei the family
be destroyed “in her eyes’’, absolute
ly infuriates Orgon as he tries to
force an unwanted marriage on his
young daughter.
Their banter and physical respons
es bring roars of laughter from the
house.
between fathers and sons in the era
following last season's Richard IL
This play has not been performed at
Stratford since 1984.
The second part, at the end of the
season, will mark the prince’s transi
tion to king.
Also at the Tom Patterson will be
Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies,
The Trials of Ezra Pound by
Timothy Findley and Good Mother,
a new play written by 23-year-old
Stratford actor Damien Atkins.
The 2001 Stratford Festival season
runs from April 25 to Nov. 4.
from 8-10 p.m.
For more information, call JoAnn
at 528-2050 or Shelley at 482-9306.
Check out our
WEBSITE
at
www.northhuron.on.ca
for
Krista Van Soest
and
Mike McNichol
Sat., Sept. 9
at the BMG Community
Centre, Brussels
Music by DJ
9:00 to 1:00
Lunch provided
Age of majority
Tickets $5.00
Call Kandice 887-2677 y
Bedford was entrancing as the evil
Tartuffe, his performance as a
“Christian” man able to talk his way
out of and into almost anything is
reminiscent of modem day evangel
ists, though the Moliere tale was
written in the 1600s.
It is easy to see the audience root
ing for his demise as maid, son, and
wife, each in turn try to convince
Orgon of Tartuffe’s treacherous
motives.
It is not until his un-Christian
behaviour is actually viewed by
Orgon that Tartuffe’s scheme
appears to unravel.
However, he has been too clever
for the aristocrat. The property has
‘Wedding.
Heather Ann Neilly
and
Ian James Wood
request the honour
of your presence
at their marriage
on Wednesday,
the sixth of September
Two thousand
at three in the afternoon
Auburn Missionary Church
25tA Wedding
Sept. 6
From your
family & friends
OPEN HOUSE
September 9th ~ 8:00 p.m.
at VanDereijk’s
1 mile west of Londesboro
For more info call
523-4869
been signed over and valuable
papers exposing another’s disloyalty
are taken to the king.
And yet, as all good stories should
be, the one who has deceived gets
his just reward.
While the rest of the cast was
solid, the performances of
McKenna, Blendick and Bedford
alone would be worth the trip to
Stratford.
Tartuffe runs until Nov. 3.
FISH FRY
SATURDAY,
SEPT. 9
from 5 to 7
STICKERS
FAMILY
RESTAURANT
Auburn 526-7759
Harry and Charlene Franken
are pleaded to announce the
forthcoming marriage
of their daughter
Cheryl
to
Chris
son of
Bev and Kathy Bromley
to take place on
Saturday, September 23
St. Ambrose Catholic Church,
Brussels
to be followed by an
Open Reception at 9 p.m.
Blyth Community Centre