Cyrano de Bergerac
Written by Edmond Rostand
Translated by Anthony Burgess
Directed by Donna Feore, with Colm Feore as Cyrano
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Festival Stage, Stratford
May 29 to November 1, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

One of my favourite Stratford actors, Colm Feore, is starring in Cyrano de Bergerac on the Festival Stage, and as usual, he makes the show. I remember first enjoying Feore when he played Henry Higgins in Stratford’s My Fair Lady, absolutely stealing the show with his energy. Other memorable Feore shows were Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, and Oliver!, in which he played a menacing Fagin.
In the role of Cyrano, Feore reminds me of the character he played in the movie Bon Cop Bad Cop, a bilingual police officer trying to solve a murder that took place on the Ontario-Quebec border. He plays Cyrano switching seamlessly from English to French throughout the show, conveying the meaning of every word through his acting, in case anyone has difficulty understanding either language.
The story of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rosland is well known. It first premiered on the French stage in 1897. Stratford’s version was translated Anthony Burgess of Clockwork Orange fame. It is cleverly written and credit must go to Burgess for maintaining the wit in translation.
Cyrano is a swashbuckling musketeer, who unfortunately has been blessed with a very large and long nose. He has made it clear to his colleagues that he doesn’t want any mention of his oversized proboscis. But whenever anyone sees him for the first time, they can’t stop themselves from staring and commenting.
Cyrano is in love with the beautiful Roxane, but realizes he has no chance with her because of his gigantic nose. When she confesses her love for Christian, Cyrano kindly tells Roxane he will look out for Christian and keep him safe in battle.
Cyrano also generously offers to help Christian woo the lovely Roxane. He tells the romantically-challenged Christian what to say and writes love letters for him. So of course, Roxane falls in love with the notion of the romantic Christian, even though he is inept as a suitor.
When Cyrano’s overbearing, older commanding officer, De Guiche, shows a lecherous interest in Roxane, Cyrano encourages the marriage of Roxane and Christian to thwart De Guiche’s dishonourable intentions. To retaliate, De Guiche sends Cyrano and Christian off to the front lines in battle, and tragically Christian is killed. Roxane is heartbroken. The show concludes with Roxane and Cyrano meeting many years later, and finally she learns whose words had impressed her so much.
There have been many movie versions of Cyrano de Bergerac, and even a Broadway musical. The humourous favourite is the Steve Martin – Daryl Hannah version Roxanne, in 1987. Canadian comedians Wayne and Schuster had an excellent parody Cyrano de Bergerac as part of their CBC TV specials. But it is always wonderful to see an original and Stratford’s version is well done.
The costumes are colourful and extravagant. The show opens with a play within the play, where the actors are delightfully made up and dressed.
Colm Feore is utterly outstanding as Cyrano. His huge nose is amazing: the makeup is very realistic. Michael Shara is excellent as Christian with perfect comedic timing. His bungled attempts at romancing Roxane are laugh-out-loud funny, just before Cyrano steps in to assist. Amanda Lisman is an adequate Roxane, although misses opportunity for comedy. She is also unconvincing as she plays the aging woman. The rest of the colourful cast of 30 or more characters are exciting and engaging throughout the show. Credit goes to Director Donna Feore, Colm’s wife. A young Thomas Feore plays a page – it will be interesting to see the next generation.
The action of stage is remarkable, with fast action sword fights, and cannons exploding in war. The sets are incredible: there is even a full bakery complete with a huge inventory of goods. As Cyrano ages, fall leaves come fluttering to the ground.
For any Feore fan, it is well worth the trip to Stratford.

Cyrano de Bergerac continues at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until November 1. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Needs supporters to maintain River Road presence

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

The Grand Bend Art Centre could give up the lease on its River Road space if a fundraising effort fails to generate enough interest before October. Artists (including this reporter) use the space to teach art workshops to community members. Artist Teresa Marie, who launched the centre last summer, hopes to sell enough books of coupons valid year-round at local businesses ($40 each, available at the River Road Gallery and elsewhere locally) to pay the rent and secure programming for the fall.
“We have to let Milford know by October whether we’re going to keep this facility as an art centre,” Teresa Marie says. “If we can sell 150 coupon books before the fall, we can probably pull ourselves out of this. Then in April we’ll do the coupon book again with more coupons and have a fresher book for the new season.
“I’m looking for people who want to support the art centre, and this is our gift back to them and our gift to the community to keep the money spent in the community.”
The centre has $15,000 in annual expenses, and rentals and workshops do not cover the cost completely. Even with donations from Rotary and some private donors, the centre has not been able to cover costs.
“We fell short of our budget last year. Milford Purdy, who has been very forgiving, has let us continue to have the place and we’re paying him on a catch-up basis right now.
“As a painter, I was trying to get all of the painters in town together to form groups to use the art centre. For the short term summer season, I wanted it to be available for visiting artists who would stay for the weekend, take some workshops, meet some artists, spend some money in town, and get to know our community through the art.”
Regardless of whether it has a permanent physical space, Teresa Marie says the centre will continue to operate.
“If we can’t come up with the funds to keep that location, I will have to farm out the workshops elsewhere. I will continue to do this on a smaller scale, but I would like to see it continue here.”
Judy Steeper of Corbett hopes the space can maintain the status quo.
“I love the classes,” Steeper says. “They’re Grand Bend’s best kept secret. We’re really fortunate to have it because it’s a treasure. It’s great, especially for me. I work as a wedding planner and designer, and this helps me keep my creativity up.
“It’s handy and it’s close to home. It’s adding tourism and it’s a plus all around.”
Marie Hughes of Bayfield agrees.
“I hope it keeps on going,” says Hughes, who has taken several classes at the centre. “I’ve been hoping to do this for years and years. It’s an opportunity to do some learning close at hand without driving to the big city.”
Hughes notes that the centre is special because students of all abilities are welcome.
“It’s suitable for people who have never picked up a brush. I like that everyone in the class is at different stages in their ability.”
That’s what attracted Rosemary Stevens of London to the Teresa Marie’s painting workshop.
“I always wanted to find out if I could paint,” Stevens says. “I just retired in January and I established a bucket list of things to do that I never had time to do. My mother painted for pleasure and I always admired her work. I thought I’d like to try that and come down and take a class.”
How has the experience been?
“It was very scary when I first started, but now I’m developing some self-confidence. It shows you that you just have to try.”
“People don’t always want to buy things,” says Teresa Marie, “but they want to do things. Grand Bend needs to offer that so people can stay active physically and mentally.
“I started to paint when I was 28 years old and I learned to paint from Barry Richman, David Bannister, and Klaus Verboom. Through them, the art gallery developed. Good things happen when good people get together. Out of that has grown a second gallery. I was taught by other people hands-on, and I want to share that with other people.”
For Rosemary Stevens, supporting the art centre is important for Grand Bend, not only for the students but also for the greater community.
“I think it’s an expression of people in the community and their appreciation for where they are. It’s very important.”

To show your support, buy a coupon book ($40 at River Road Gallery and elsewhere) or sign up for a class.
To find out more, call 519-238-8978 or email grbartcentre@hay.net.

Federal and provincial funding means project has to finish by June 1, 2010, but Lambton Shores was ready thanks to master plan

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

Grand Bend’s Main Street is less than a year away from a major makeover that will see few major changes, but which the municipality believes will make Grand Bend a better place for pedestrians and motorists.
“The whole idea is to make the street more humanized,” says Patrick Li of EDA Collaborative Inc., the company that mapped out Grand Bend’s beach enhancement project. “Encourage pedestrian safety and enjoyment without compromising the cars. We maintain what is required for two-lane traffic, and we clearly identify parking on both sides. We create angles in and out so it’s easier to park. We also begin to introduce colour and graphics, trees and banners, benches and bicycle racks.”
The thrust of the project is reworking the road and sidewalks to meet current provincial standards for accessibility and safety. The road will be graded and sidewalks will allow for smooth entry to most businesses, Li says. Parking will be reduced by about 20 spaces on the main street. Trees will be replaced with native trees; the new trees will be given appropriate room to breathe and grow. Hydro wires will be buried on the north side and poles on the south side will be replaced. Paving stones at intersections will form visual mosaics that symbolize local themes, and a new meeting space will replace some parking spaces at the former Finnegan’s parking lot.
“We have an opportunity to make the street easier for pedestrians and traffic,” says Ward 1 Lambton Shores councillor John Dehondt. “We can fix a lot of the things that were done in the original design. If you look through the main street, we’ve lost a bit of parking, but everything flows better and it’s safer for pedestrians.”
The project is going forward thanks to a federal/provincial infrastructure grant that will cover 2/3rds of the $2.6 million project. Thanks to advanced planning by the municipality in the form of its master plan, the project was an easy pitch.
“We went ahead in each of our communities and put together what we would like the communities to look like. When we found out that infrastructure money could happen, we were shovel-ready, and they said go for it. It all has to be done by June 1, 2010, and we can accommodate that.”
The plan is not perfect, say business owner Greg Gallello and artist Teresa Marie. Gallello says he came to the Thursday show-and-tell meeting with a closed mind, and left putting his trust in the municipality.
“Grand Bend is what it is because of the beach,” Gallello says. “Without that, we’re just like any other small town. We have to remember our main attraction is the beach. When you turn on Main Street now, you see the sand and the water, and it looks amazing. Looking at these plans, it looks like you’re not going to see the beach anymore because of all the trees.”
Teresa Marie believes the municipality handled the process poorly, racing through the process that will still see local funds pay almost $1 million for the project.
“It could have been on display all summer,” she said of the plans displayed Thursday. “They’ve known about this. They’ve got the money. It’s not like they found out about this yesterday.”
In fact, last time this newspaper was invited to a meeting about the downtown was in May 2008, when plans included angled parking.
“They want me to believe that this is what they’ve come up with in a year,” Teresa Marie says. “And no price breakdown. How much will those paving stones cost? Why are you putting paving stones on a road where no one’s going to see them? Why not put that money into sculpture instead of trees on the street? Everyone has trees. Sculptures are more unique.”
For John Dehondt, majority rules, and he says most people are on board with the project, even if the details cause disagreement.
“I think everyone’s on side with the project fundamentally. If we don’t inconvenience people during the process, I think we’re good.”
There is still some room for public input, but it seems as if the bulk of the project is a done deal. The municipality will be putting it out to tender soon so the project can meet its June 2010 completion deadline.
“This kind of development can bring in a new clientele for merchants,” Li says of the benefit of supporting the project. “Before, merchants relied on teenagers driving their hot rods. We’re trying to encourage young families to come. Creating a more comfortable environment to come here and spend money.”

Taste of Huron
August 24-30
Full list of dinners, workshops, and other events: http://www.tasteofhuron.ca

Food for Thought
Dinners at Huron County restaurants
$35 per person (excluding alcohol, taxes and service) Book through host restaurant.

Tuesday, August 25
7 to 9 p.m. – Hessenland
$35 – Reserve: 1-866-543-7736
Tasting and discussion with Pelee Island wine master Walter Schmoranz. Features dishes paired or prepared with Pelee Island brand wines.

Wednesday, August 26
7 to 9 p.m. – Eddington’s
$35 – Reserve: 519-235-3030
Evening with author Jennifer McLagan, winner of the 2009 James Beard Cookbook of the Year for Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes.

Friday, August 28
7 to 11 p.m. – Bayley’s Barn, Hensall
$20 – Corn and Pig Roast
Corn, pork, baked beans, fiddle music and square dancing.

Two-time James Beard Single Subject category award winner for Bones (2005) and Fat (2009), Jennifer McLagan is also the 2009 winner of the James Beard Cookbook of the Year for Fat. McLagan will join James Eddington for a meal consisting of her recipes August 26.
Casey Lessard (a strict vegetarian, by the way) spoke with McLagan about her views on food.

CL: How did you get inspired to write about bones and fat?
JM: I’d done a small piece for a magazine on bones, and my agent thought it could develop into a larger idea. I liked the concept because I had worked for a long time as a food stylist and was doing a lot of boneless and skinless meat, and it drove me crazy.
Bones were fascinating because they’re taboo. Everyone’s buying everything boneless and it seemed the right topic because it could be more than just a cookbook. Bones appeal to the primal sense in man, and there’s a lot of history attached to it.
When I was with my editor in New York, someone asked me what I was going to do next, and I joked that I was going to do a trilogy: bones, skin and fat. I was joking, but when I thought about fat, that was another topic that interested me. Fat is where the flavour is, and it was a topic no one was touching other than no-fat or low-fat. But it was a hard book to sell (to publishers), and it was a Canadian publisher that picked it up.
To me, it’s about writing something that is interesting and saying something that needs to be said, contributing to culinary knowledge.

CL: What do your books contribute to the modern eating culture?
JM: In the last five years, food has become a political topic. People got lost; they got disconnected from their food in lots of different ways: in the source of it, but also how to make and cook it. That’s what’s made a mess of people’s diets and health. I want people to think about what they’re doing and eating. Food is vital to our culture, and I want people to understand that something like fat isn’t bad just because the media tells you it is. Fat’s a very important part of your diet and it won’t kill you.

CL: What are you trying to argue in Fat?
JM: That the low-fat, no-fat thing was pretty much wrong and it did us more harm than good. We need a mix of different things, including fat, in our diet. Our brains are made of fat. There are a lot of vitamins that are only fat-soluble. They put vitamins in low-fat milk, which is a waste of time because those vitamins require fat.
If you put fat into your diet, you’ll probably actually lose weight. It not only makes it very tasty, but it also makes it very satisfying. You’ll eat less of something that’s better for you instead of eating empty carbohydrates.
If we all just ate a normal, regular diet, we’d all be a lot healthier.
Essentially, Fat is a cookbook, so I’m showing people how to cook with fat and how it’s a good medium to cook in and how they can get their hands on fat.

CL: Why is it important to cook with animal fat?
JM: Animal fats are better to cook with than vegetable oils because animal fats have a better balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s. They’re also very stable. What you do with fat when you cook is you heat it up. Highly polyunsaturated (vegetable) fats break down and become rancid very quickly. A lot of oils we buy in bottles are already rancid but you can’t tell because of the way they’re being processed. With an animal fat you can tell straight away if it’s rancid.
Bones are also something we think is too much work. But there’s lots of great stuff about cooking with bones. You get collagens and gelatins, which are good for you, but you also get a wonderful base for a sauce. When you braise on the bone, you get this wonderful, unctuous sauce that has all the flavour and goodness in there. Bone marrow is an extremely good source of unsaturated fat. All this stuff is good for you, but we’ve forgotten that. We’re not willing to do any work to get our food, and that’s a shame.

CL: The next book you’re doing is about the oddities of food.
JM: I’m calling it Odd Bits – what to do with the rest. These are the second cuts. Every cookbook uses the prime cuts, like chicken breast and tenderloin. They’re good, but sometimes they have less taste than pieces like the brisket or the neck or the shoulder. People don’t use those cuts anymore because they don’t know how to deal with them. I’ll also cover parts that people are scared of, like brains, kidney and liver.

CL: How do you think that book will be received?
JM: I think it needs to be done. It’s very hard to find any sources for what to do with these parts. What do you do with liver and how do you tell whether it’s good or not? What can you cook with it? How do you handle it? Brisket makes wonderful gravy and hamburgers. Get that information out for people so it’s out there.

CL: As a world traveler, do you find the Europeans are adopting the bad habits of North Americans?
JM: I spend a lot of time in France, and while there’s a certain generation that still eats real food from markets, and you can get raw food in the supermarket, that’s changing with the younger generation. The older generation sits down at a table with smaller portions, while the younger generation eats fast food and there’s a rise in obesity. In England, there’s a lot of fast food, and it’s a huge problem. In North America, we’re swinging back the other way. Especially in the cities, there are a lot of people eating the 100-mile diet. People are looking locally, and this is all good.

CL: Why should people buy your book, Fat?
JM: I want people to realize that fat’s not a four-letter word. Fat’s good for them, it’s essential, and best of all, it’s tasty.

Jennifer McLagan’s Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes is published by McClelland & Stewart.

Paintings by Lorraine Thomson and Tony Miller on display at Bliss Studio in Port Franks

The Art of Bliss
Bliss Studio, 519-243-3598
7617 Riverside Drive, Port Franks

Story by Casey Lessard

A winter storm set in motion a collaboration that led to this summer’s final show at Bliss Studio in Port Franks. Owners Lorraine Thomson and Tony Miller started working together on paintings after Thomson came into the studio where Miller was working in December. Asking if she could add some strokes to his painting, Miller agreed, and by the time they were done, they had to push the door together to get through the snowpile that had built up.
“I was working on the Red Dancer,” Miller says. “She said she’d really like to paint on it, too. So we went for it. It worked out so well, I got her to make me a commitment to work on a series for a show. Just wanted to show how two different styles can work together.”
“It was Tony’s idea, but it was meant to happen,” Thomson says. “After all these years, it was inevitable.”
Together, the pair painted six works that are on display at their home studio/gallery. Work by the individual artists completes the show.
“It’s surrealistic,” says Miller, describing the work. “I do some high realism work and some abstract work. Lorraine’s a contemporary artist, but she paints a lot of realism and abstracts it a bit. Combined they’re abstract, surrealistic and fantasy. It’s hard to put a label on them.”
“Our work is experimental,” Thomson adds. “If it doesn’t work out, it’s no big deal. It’s not the end of the world.”
There were times, though, when Thomson surprised Miller with her contributions.
“She shocked me sometimes by totally covering something I just spent an hour or two painting,” Miller says. “You just have to trust each other knowing you have the best wishes for the ultimate outcome.”

Alternative View
By Lance Crossley

On July 23, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney announced that the recession was coming to an end. On July 29, President Obama said things have gotten better: the United States had prevented a depression and this was the beginning of the end of the recession. On August 3, a Bank of Montreal economist said the U.S. recession will end in the third quarter. And on August 5, the front page of The Toronto Star declared “Economy on the Rebound”. Leaders, experts, and media have announced in unison that all is well with our economy.
What a steaming pile of horse doo-doo.
The facts tell a very different story. Everything hinges on the United States’ ability to generate growth but there just isn’t any credible evidence that will happen. Now that the housing bubble has burst, the next shoe to drop is the commercial real estate market. Banks have postponed this day of reckoning by extending commercial loans instead of foreclosing, but how long this can go on is anybody’s guess.
Unemployment is officially at almost 10 percent now. Unofficially, some reputable analysts have it at almost twice that figure because of the skewed methods the government uses in its calculations. Either way, unemployment benefits are running out for many Americans, with the New York Times reporting as many as 1.5 million jobless will see their benefits end by Christmas.
State tax revenues have experienced their biggest fall since records began 45 years ago. Virtually every state is insolvent, most notably California, which has had to make draconian cuts to avoid bankruptcy.
Railroad carloads, which carry goods and are an accepted reflection of economic vitality, are down 22.5 percent since 2006. Retail sales are slumping. Consumer spending is tightening despite government efforts to stimulate credit. Even the Bank for International Settlements, which acts as a global central bank, has warned that the fiscal stimulus packages are only a band-aid and will be followed by an “extended period of economic stagnation.”
Most ominously, countries like China and Russia are starting to show signs they will no longer support America’s debt by buying its government bonds and treasury bills. If this happens, the dollar will plummet and American standard of living will drastically fall, as everything they import will becoming significantly more expensive.
So why all the optimism about emerging “green shoots” in the economy? Their hope is largely based on the rise of stock markets, which have rebounded greatly since bottoming out in March. But this climb can be attributed to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who has expanded the monetary base by $1 trillion with fresh money. This new money has not been directed into productive purposes; rather it has been channelled straight into tradable assets. As a July 16 Wall Street Journal article pointed out: “In other words, Ben Bernanke has been the market.”
Where is it all headed? I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see another stock market crash as early as this fall, following the end of the American fiscal year when the final numbers come through and investors can see the bigger picture. Even if that day is postponed, the economy’s cheerleaders won’t be able to hide the reality forever.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

“Hello, Complaints Department. Rita speaking. How may I help you?” This is my new line, and I feel justified in saying this because anytime there’s a complaint, it is inevitably addressed to me. Some people have an ear for music; I have an ear for complaints. I can live with this role, but sometimes the complaints are a bit much.
For instance, take the beautiful warm weather we’ve had in the last few days. Would you believe people are complaining it’s too hot? I swore in May, June and July that I would slap the first person who complained about the sunny weather. However, I’m not generally a violent person, so I had to restrain myself a few times. Enjoy this weather people because I’m sure it won’t last that long.
Working with the public I have people complaining all the time. I have one customer who gets a large coffee with four milks and three sugars, and then complains that the coffee is cold. For a few weeks this was an ongoing complaint, so I created a science experiment – there a science to making coffee – to solve this problem. The next time this order came in, I put four small milks in the coffee, nuked it and then give the customer a couple of take out milks on the side. Problem solved. One happy customer.
After many years of marriage, my friend Bev complained that her husband Ted was no longer as romantic as he once was. For instance, the other day she and Ted were walking through the park and noticed a young man and a woman sitting on a bench passionately kissing. Inspired by the way the man was kissing his partner, Bev turned to Ted and asked him why he didn’t do that. Ted replied, “Dear, I don’t even know that young woman.”
Some complaints can be fixed and others can’t. You have to pick your battles. Customers think I’m a soft touch because they always come to me or they’ll call and ask for me. This is fine because I lead them to think that the customer is always right whether they are or not. It’s much easier to make them happy by apologizing for the wrongs done to them than it is to argue and waste time. Replace their order and offer them a free donut and let them be on their ways. Easy night!
Some helpful hints on some common complaints:

• Keep counters cat-free – If your kitty loves to jump onto your counter, try this trick. Put a few aluminum baking pans on the top of the counter – the noise will stop your cat doing it again.
• My friend Sharon’s dog encountered the wrath of a nasty skunk. Her mother suggested she get a small bottle of peroxide, mix it with half a box of baking soda and a tablespoon of dish detergent. Brush this mixture on the dog and rinse with warm water. I hope this works. I just got this problem solver about and hour ago, so I hope it worked for Sharon.
• With the nice weather come the mosquitoes, and other insects. Pin a used fabric softener sheet to your skirt or clip some to the bottom of chairs and tables. The bugs will fly elsewhere.

Happy birthday to my daughter-in-law Christine – August 15th.

P.S. The next issue will have the results of Sharon’s dog’s dilemma.

Tales from the 2009 Lessard reunion

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

My Sunday morning began at 2:45 a.m. when I woke to a bright light shining through my main floor bedroom window. I first thought that someone had forgotten to turn off the ballpark lights, which are directly across the street from my house. I got up and looked out the window and saw a black pick-up truck sitting in the park driveway. While I watched, the truck pulled out and drove away. The strange thing about this incident is that our main street had just had new curbs poured on Friday afternoon. There were pylons posted across the entrance to the park, and on either side of the curb were ditches across which the average vehicle would not dare to traverse. This person did, driving over and flattening the pylons. At seven a.m. when I crossed the road to water the Communities in Bloom planters, I put the pylons back up in their original locations and went back home. After breakfast (about an hour later), I went back out to sit on the porch and read a book. I glanced across the road and saw that, lo and behold, the pylons had been moved off the roadway and another nut had driven in and out again. These pylons are regarded about as much as the stop sign at Crediton Rd. and Airport Line. Lots of people don’t stop. Many don’t even slow down.
Anyway, at 11 a.m. Rita and I loaded into her sister’s van and headed out to Wildwood Park near St. Marys for my family’s ninth biennial reunion. The rain was so heavy on the Kirkton Road that I thought we might have to pull over. By the time we arrived at the campground, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Thankfully, the area we rented had a pavilion.
It was great to once again see all of our brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. One cousin came from Houston, Texas; other family members came from as far away as Calgary. Mike’s in-laws came from Sudbury and camped for the weekend.
The sun came out and brought the heat and heavy humidity that we often see this time of year. The games began with all types of fun for everyone. I entered the water balloon toss, but was quickly ejected (arthritis set in and I dropped the balloon. This is my excuse and I’m sticking to it!). My grandson was my partner for the next game, and we won second prize.
I was sitting in my chair having a beer and watching all the antics going on when Ryan approached and asked me to be his partner for the three-legged race. He told me to stay where I was, and lend him my artificial leg. That was easily done. He took my leg and with my sister’s help, he tied it to his leg. He didn’t realize how heavy it was until the race was over. It was the easiest medal I’ve ever won.
My sister Pat made a beautiful large cake with a portrait of my father and his nine sisters in the icing. One half of the cake was made white, and the other chocolate, so you could have a choice.
There were draws for plenty of prizes which family members donated to raise money to cover the costs of the 2011 reunion. As is tradition, the day ended with a family photo.
A wonderful time was had by all. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Happy anniversary to Tommy and Connie. Happy birthday to Brenda MacDonald.

Story by Casey Lessard

Sometimes the Huron Country Playhouse saves the best for last, and this year is one of those times. Evita, playing now until August 29, is top quality theatre thanks to excellent hiring decisions that include a star director, a perfect Evita, and great talent all around.
Michael Lichtefeld, who was a performer in the original Broadway cast of Evita, directs and choreographs the Playhouse version to great effect.
“I’m not recreating what we did on Broadway,” Lichtefeld says, “but you can’t do a show for two years and not be influenced by what you did. I’m trying to make it my own and make it fresh for now.”
For Lichtefeld, a key part of making it fresh is the star he discovered after a chance audition.
“I think we’ve found a Canadian star in Dena Chiarcossi,” he says. “She’s exactly what I was looking for because I was looking for someone young and on the verge of a breakthrough. For me, she’s spectacular in the show. The whole cast is terrific.”
Chiarcossi planned to audition for a secondary role, Juan Perón’s mistress.
“I asked my agent if I could audition to play the part,” she says, “but they said it was already cast, but they’re looking for an Eva. I said, all right, I’ll try.”
“She’s an incredible actress and has an amazing voice,” Lichtefeld says. “I asked her at the audition if she could dance and she said ‘a little.’ Well, she dances a lot more than just ‘a little.’ She’s quite a find for me, and she knocked my socks off.”
The show opens with Eva Perón’s 1952 death at age 33, and flashes back to show her life from age 15 to her rise to power with her husband Juan Perón, who was Argentina’s president from 1946 to 1955 and again from 1973 to 1974. During her time at Casa Rosada (the presidential residence), Eva Perón championed women’s rights and the rights of workers.
“I’ve always been on her side,” Lichtefeld says. “There’s something interesting about a woman, especially in the ‘30s and ‘40s, who worked her way up through a male-dominated society to become as powerful as she did. At the end, it went to her head. But look at how many young stars spend all their money or get burned out at the end.
“She’s kind of an anti-hero. She’s a tough character and you’re either going to love her or be elated that she dies in the end.”
Chiarcossi believes the script makes Evita (or Little Eva) look worse than she was.
“Eva Perón was for the people,” she says. “The reason she wanted power and jewels and money was to show the upper class and middle class that they’re not the only ones entitled to this. She, being lower class, wanted to show the people of Argentina that they too could have all of those riches. That’s what I believe. The script is a little different. It manipulates that a little. It shows her more on the arrogant and greedy side.”
This is the challenge for viewers: is Evita (the character) good or bad?
“For me, it’s about how power can corrupt,” Lichtefeld says. “She started off with ambitions to be greater than what fate had dealt her at the beginning. She worked her way up to be the first lady of Argentina. She did some great stuff but also some really bad stuff.
“She slept her way to the top. But she got the vote for women in Argentina, and that itself is a big deal.”
As a counterpoint, Stephen Patterson plays narrator Che Guevara, who never met Evita.
“I tried to find out why they chose him,” says Patterson, who plays a central role in the success (once again – he starred in Miss Saigon and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) of this Playhouse presentation. “What would his problems be with Perónism? A revolutionary acts from the heart. She might have believed she was there for the people, but Che would likely say that she wasn’t.”
With strong singing, dancing and acting, perfectly simple set pieces, and wonderful orchestration, Evita is a perfect reason to spend a couple of hours in the Playhouse theatre on a hot August afternoon or evening.
“It’s controversial, which makes good theatre and makes you think,” Patterson says. “If you can leave the theatre and think about something, we’ve done our job.”

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

During the summer months, plenty of hawks and falcons are on the prowl for rodents and smaller birds. Red-tailed hawks, the rough-legged hawk and goshawks are seen perched in dead limbs, on wires, or soaring over the fields. To identify a rough-legged hawk in flight, look for a large, dark patch on the underside of each of its wings. The red-tailed is very easy to identify because of its large size and the distinctive rusty tail feathers that stand out against its white underbelly. I have actually witnessed a red-tailed hawk swoop down on an unsuspecting black squirrel perched in a maple tree. The hawk then proceeded to sail away into the distance, squirrel in talons. You’ll also see Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks visiting back yards in hope of scooping up an unsuspecting songbird.

Giving the sparrow hawk a bad name
The smallest hawk in our area is the sparrow hawk, or American kestrel (Falco sparverius). The name is actually a misnomer because it is neither a hawk, nor does it consume very many sparrows. The sparrow hawk is actually a member of the falcon family. The American kestrel is a mere 9-12 inches in length, or about the size of a blue jay. It is the only small hawk with a rufous back and tail. The combination of the blue-jay wings and rust back makes for a very attractive bird. Both male and female have a moustached black-and-white face pattern. The little falcon would fit nicely into the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe or other medieval lore.
I often see kestrels perched on roadside hydro wires. They hover for prey on rapidly beating wings, much like a kingfisher. The voice is a rapid high “klee-klee-klee!” Foods include rodents, insects, bats, small birds, small reptiles and frogs.
The kestrel is a solitary nester and will readily nest in bird boxes built especially for them. During breeding season and courtship, the male gathers food and feeds the female in the air. Both parents nurture their single yearly brood, which consists of three to seven creamy to pale pink eggs, which are heavily blotched with brown, and measure 3.6 cm in length. Their population is common throughout North America. You can spot the American kestrel throughout the year in our region, but most likely in spring and summer months.
The fact that we have so many hawks and falcons in our region suggests that they are well fed. Therefore, the rodent population would appear to be in good shape as well.