The Citizen, 2004-07-29, Page 19,41.ssi.-"riss.`•":4n 011:•2"rjass..'"r...s.1•Fis.-"w".as..Ijk
shyg doe
for
Pat Hallahan
& Alicha Crete
Belgrave Arena
Sat., August 7
9:00 to 1:00
Music by DJ
Tickets $5.00
ft
Buck & Doe
for
Cathy Earl and
Don McNichol
Friday, August 6
Elma-Logan Rec.
Complex, Monkton
Music by D.J.
8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Tickets: $6.00 ea.
For tickets call Becky 347-4249
Age of majority required
July 30
- Aug 05
PARK THEATRE
GODERICH 524-7811
THE
ILLAGE Of Ightuning Su,,..
Mohan Thorne
ffignecormnondolfof
Young ChIldnot
Watar•
du ufbing Canton,
Cory guano.
Coarse tan
6:45
Nightly
"BRILLIANT! A MASTERPIECE!"
0'
• Wu I MooUNNi v
OHYlklYAM ALA N'S
TWO BIG THUMBS UPI
IMMO YW 01601/AVOIS Of On AAA On AGAUSSAIllgwAR OA MAIM MOOT
giOngfAA! 00 All, YOU WM1'1141404 Or 70011 MIND. YOU Ergv10 HE I6E MOWS"
ne MUT tf 11 IN A
Mobs...MLSi
MICHAEL MOORE
FAHRENHEIT
9:15
Nightly
Coramf
Nof Hocornroonclon for
Yoong ChOffon
lY
WILL FERRELL
ANCHORMAN
LEGENO Of HON BMW V
HA NOVEArt 364-2066
WILL IO I H
Fri, Sat, Sun & Tue
July 30 - Aug 01 & 03
Showtime Approx. 9:15
i,R
Sunday
Night
Bonus
Fostums
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY. JULY 29. 2004 PAGE 19
Entertainment & Leisure
Theatre
Johns back for a 20th season at Blyth
Dump run
Playwright Ted Johns does some 'research' at the local
landfill with Janet Amos, his wife and one of the stars of his
newest Blyth Festival premiere Cricket and Claudette. The
play, which is set in a town dump opens Aug. 4. (courtesy photo)
,1
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
There's little doubt that Blyth
Festival audiences seem to connect
with Ted Johns.
With his new play Cricket and
Claudette opening the first week of
August, Johns and his work have
been a part of 20 seasons in Blyth.
He also bears the distinction of being
the most-produced playwright in the
Festival's 30-year history.
The appeal could be any number
of reasons. It may be his rural roots,
having spent part of his life in
Seaforth. But Johns has a different
theory.
"The box office has been very
good to me. It's hard for me to say
why, but I think I'm probably one of
only a few (playwrights) who tried to
do a certain amount of social
commentary in my work. It perhaps
makes my shows unusual. But it
proves theatre can be a forum to, air
commentary."
Cricket and Claudette is no
exception. A comic look at serious
issues, Johns takes on everything
E
=
--_
_ .:
_
= _
=
=
=
•L•
=
=
=
=
1.11.1.11111111111.1111111111111111 6
AA - _-
—
—
_ - — —
—
=
— —
E _
—
—
=9:00
Buck & Doe
fr. )r
Tara Rebelo
& Dan Blake
14 August
Dublin Pavilion
pm - 1:00 am
Music by DJ - Lunch provided
Tickets: $6.00 in advance
$7.00 at the door
For more info please call:
Jeff 462-1308
Chris 887-6987
from amalgamation, to femininism,
to the environment.
His farcical tale takes place in the
local landfill site. A new engineer
Claudette, arrives at the dump to
The children of
Brian and Elaine
Armstrong
invite you to share in their
SURPRISE
celebration on
August 7
of their
30th Anniversary /
50th Birthdays
at the Armstrong farm
43325 Brandon Rd.
Open House 7-11
Best wishes only please.
discover Cricket who is filling in for
Speed, who is filling in for Bridey.
The latter is doing her beSt to avoid
the fallout caused when her friend
Corky came to the dump and a piano
fell on him.
"It's about people of the dump, but
in the background are a number of
other issues. Waste is interestingly
one of the most useless aspects of
our lives, so mundane, but it is also a
planetary problem And everyone
knows that some way or another
things just aren't quite working."
Typically, Johns did_ extensive
research into the issues he deals
with. It was only in the 1950s, with
the novelty of pre-packaged food,
that provincial law was introducted
mandating municipalities set up
some place for garbage disposal.
Environemental engineering was a
field that was just beginning in the
1970s, and Johns has a great deal of
fun discussing its impact on the
landfill business. "People keep
changing their mind. For example,
the Wingham dump was supposedly
close to capacity a few years ago.
Blyth's on the other hand was in
good shape."
"Then suddenly things changed
and Wingham has extra space and
Blyth is going to be closed. It's
shifting sands."
And what would a political story
be without a little romance. Into the
mix, Johns had put not just one but
two love stories. "Anything can
happen in a dump."
Taking on the parts of Cricket and
Claudette and Speed and Bridey is
the same cast getting rave reviews in
this season's Heat Wave. The former
pair are brought to life by Adrian
Churchill and Shauna Black, while
Jerry Franken and Janet Amos
(Johns's real-life wife) play the
older couple.
Not appearing in his own play at
Blyth is a rare occurrence for Johns.
But a nice change of pace. "It's a bit
of a high-wire act to perform in your
own work. It takes a terrific weight
off.my shoulders. "
Johns is extremely pleased with
the selected cast, as well as with
veteran director Heinar Piller, a
founder of the Neptune Theatre in
Halifax and head of George Brown
acting school.
"He is very experienced, very
relaxed, very logical in - his
approach."
The set design is by a new
designer Aaron Felker, whom Amos
met at the National Theatre School
where he designed for a production
of Our Town. "This play is a
designer's paradise," said Johns.
-"There's no end to the bizarre things
that can be dragged in."
Unquestionably there's a lot going
on in Cricket and Claudette. Johns
said once he got the idea he made a
ilo 1.4/10 *JP 41t-,9 •
.6144, .eag
I
dv
tool, uilia'a .1,0)4"
. lio
list of all the things that could
possible happen in a dump. "I ran
them by my advisor (Amos) and
asked which would be interesting.
'Put them all in.' she said. This dump
turns out to be a very, very busy little
place."
Cricket and Claudette opens at
Blyth Festival Aug. 4 and closes
Sept. 4
r
icifk\ Please Recycle
%Im This Newspaper
WEDDINGS
Performed - your location or our
iindoor or outdoor chapel
(non-denominational)
For brochure call:
REV. CHRIS MORGAN
ALL FAITHS PASTORAL CENTRE
BENMILLER, 524-5724
CHRISTENINGS
30thjzinniversary
50th lirthdays
August 1, 2004
a
With love, Alicia, Tyler, 4,,
4(4 Morgan and Tiffany