When times get tough, the tough go...camping? Henry and Alice, that middle aged married couple from last year’s hit comedy Sexy Laundry are letting us into their lives once again.

We initially met Henry & Alice last season at a ritzy hotel, attempting to rekindle the passion in their 25 year marriage. We left them, lives back on track after their hotel romp.

Life has a way of changing direction when we least expect it. With Henry and Alice, the customary trip to the cottage has fallen victim to Henry’s job loss. This economically imposed vacation was to include nature, lots of fresh air and camping under the stars. Their adventure back to “the simple life” comes with some unexpected turns of event.

Henry and Alice: Into the Wild, the much anticipated sequel to Michele Riml’s Sexy Laundry debuted on the Port Stanley Festival Theatre stage on Wednesday June 12th. The show stars Danielle Nicole as Alice and Jim Doucette as Henry who is  undeniably an acting force to be dealt with. The believability of being a married couple can be difficult to recreate on stage but Danielle and Jim pull it off without a hitch.

Henry wants this financially responsible vacation due to his recent lay off from the engineering firm he worked at for nearly 30 years. On the other hand, Alice wants things to remain normal and to continue spending as if Henry is still receiving a steady paycheque. She has told friends that Henry took early retirement.

They both have their own struggles to contend with. Henry feels he has lost his self-worth and not sure who he really is anymore while Alice battles with a future of unknowns by slipping into an uncomfortable retirement. Their lives have them looking into an abyss of uncertainty as time continues to tick away.  Like many, they are scrimping and saving from one day to the next.

The show takes many unexpected turns. One of those is the arrival of Alice’s motorcycle riding sister Diana (played impeccably by Donna Garner) who lives by the seat of her pants, demonstrating a life Alice was never brave enough to have. It’s not that Alice necessarily wants that lifestyle, but she sees her sister’s independence and wishes that financial stability wasn’t so important and maybe wishes that her life wasn’t defined so heavily by the role she took as a “housewife”.

The stressed out Henry having to deal with an RV next door complete with noisy generator and blaring tunes was the icing on the cake for what was to be a quiet, relaxing vacation.

Henry and Alice: Into the Wild is maybe not quite as funny as Sexy Laundry but the believable storyline seems an accurate portrayal of our living landscape today. Michele Riml has done a formidable job of painting the fabric of current societal and economic issues facing many people.
 
The set by Eric Bunnell was believable and well detailed right down to the clanking plates and such on Henry’s backpack. Simon Joynes has injected his directive wizardry and talents into another couple hours of entertainment. I can imagine the cast and crew were a pleasure to work with.

Most of us will be able to draw something from this show to apply to our own lives. And yes, there are many witty, off the cuff laughable moments in the play.

As the final scene fades to Henry and Alice dancing to the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What you Want”, being blasted by a neighbouring noisy camper, the audience understands that no, you can’t always get what you want but maybe what you want is not necessarily what you need.

This heart-warming sequel will likely be appreciated by most viewers as, in at least some measure, a reflection of ourselves and the choices we make. And it definitely provides a couple hours of good entertainment – and after all, isn’t that what a play is supposed to do?

Historian Paul Baldwin led a group of forty people on a tour of architect John T. Findlay designed or renovated homes on Sunday.  The event was sponsored by the Elgin-St. Thomas branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario.

Paul  had delved into the architecture of John T. Findlay via photos, biking excursions, interviews and a mountain of archival materials. He shared his discoveries in a recent exhibit at the Elgin County Museum; an engaging presentation to the Elgin Historical Society (available at www.elginhistoricalsociety.ca) and a booklet containing essay, photos and catalogue of over 300 public and residential buildings believed to be of Findlay design. He also contributed an article about Findlay to Relish Elgin, Fall 2012.

Findlay worked in St. Thomas for most of the 40 years from 1907 onwards. In doing his research, Paul developed an instinct for recognizing the “Findlay” touch in the array of styles in which he worked over those years. He came away with a deep appreciation for Findlay’s artistic flare.

Sunday's walk highlighted Findlay’s artistry and the variety of styles in which he worked, from American Colonial Revival, to British and American Arts & Crafts, prairie style and mixtures of those and others. 

Music buffs of all ages should seize the opportunity to listen to the music from 1959 that laid down a musical fabric which continues to weave its way through the tunes of today. You can’t escape the harmonies, love songs, tunes about a boy or girl, true love or lyrics that make you laugh (and you wouldn’t want to)

Back in ’59,  fabulously written and spectacularly directed by Thom Currie returns to the Port Stanley Festival Theatre for an encore presentation of last season’s smash. The four part cast is made up of Kelly Holiff as Crystal, Margaret Thompson as Leanne, Clayton Labbe, reprising his role once again as Charlie, and Tim Porter as Dave.

The believable storyline takes you back to a high school reunion set ten years after graduation. Dave leaves the reunion to visit the now closed Mr. Dees where the musical careers of the quartet had been set to take off. Dave is still bitter about one of the singers, Leanne, leaving on the eve of their musical debut.

The musical establishment has been stuck in time for ten years with relic microphones, bar stools and ’45 records still adorning the once popular singing club amidst the dust and cob webs. The setting provides the perfect backdrop for a reunion of sorts as one by one three members of the original quartet return along with Dave’s sister Crystal. Through memorable and spot on performances they reminisce about their younger lives with song.

Renditions of ‘Teenager in Love,’ a Dion and the Belmont’s tune, ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’, ‘Splish Splash’, ‘The Wanderer’, and so many more carried the audience through an unforgettable musical journey. The production presented a number of song collections that were based upon a theme. Tunes with girl names like ‘Barbara Anne’ and ‘Diana’. Goofy songs like ‘One Eyed One Eared Flyin’ Purple People Eater’. Girl band songs like ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ and oodles of others that bring back memories or trigger new ones.

Costumes were spot on from the argyle sweater, to the pink pedal pushers and the poodle style skirt.
Even though I saw this performance last year I can’t help but feel it has improved. The acting and interaction between the characters was more vivid and alive. You could feel the tension between Leanne and David melt away during the performance, putting away the past to move forward into the future.
Clayton Labbe’s performance as Charlie stole the show with his falsetto singing voice in ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and other tunes. Eye contact and expressions really sold his character portrayal. Each actor/singer took it up a notch with an increased emphasis on the acting component of the musical this season.

I found “Back in ‘59” as refreshing as last year’s performance. An appreciative audience gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.Alas, tickets are sold out for all performances, so if you can source out some tickets from someone who can’t use theirs you will find it is a rewarding two hours.

Back in ’59 continues till June 8th. Then, starting June 12th “Henry & Alice: Into the Wild” follows Henry and Alice into the woods as they explore the many delights of camping, army rations, motorcycle rides, and skinny dipping. It’s the much anticipated sequel to last season’s “Sexy Laundry”.  It runs till July 6th. Contact Phone: 519-782-4353.Website: www.portstanleytheatre.ca

The Railway City Brewing Company has recently welcomed a new brewer. Zach Trynda is a recent graduate of the Niagara College brewing program. Along with Tom Anguish he has been off to a great start creating their new Belgian style Wit - their Witty Traveller which will be released on June 6th.
 
In his trunk, the Witty Traveller brings the distinguished beer flavours of the world. With a top-hat in hand he's stopped in Railway city to share his knowledge and adventure. With spices from the East, the fruits of the South, and yeasts of the North enveloped in taste and aromas of far flung places. He has stopped to offer us a pint !

The Witty Traveller's tale opens with a potpourri of spices and fruit - sweet anise seed and subtle orange rind. As you delve deeper into the libation you discover clove and bananas alongside soft and sweet arrowroot biscuit with a short layover of bubble-gum before cleansing fresh-pepper and gingersnap. When asked, the Witty Traveller would suggest: stuffed pork tenderloin with pilaf, fresh Goat Cheese Focaccia, or most simple fair - even the lowly soft-pretzel may be raised to new levels!

This will be the last Thursday night Session at the Curtis Street location as  soon the brewer will be moving into their newer lager facility at 130 Edward Street in St.Thomas.

St. Thomas, Ontario, June 1, 2013 – The Elgin St Thomas Healthy Communities Partnership is reminding drivers and cyclists to “Share the Road” with a new community wide campaign being launched this week. The campaign goal is to raise awareness and support for safe cycling, healthy lifestyles, and to encourage active transportation. Active transportation refers to any form of human-powered transportation – walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating or skateboarding. Whether walking or cycling to school or work, active transportation to a destination helps build activity into our daily lives and has many benefits to individuals and communities.

Bicycles are considered vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act and both cyclists and drivers are required
to share the road, follow the same rules of the road, and are given the same rights on the road. Drivers
and cyclists are encouraged to do the following

 Drivers:

. Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals
. Be patient, slow down and give one metre clearance when passing bikes
. Check for cyclists before opening your car door
. Always look for pedestrians and cyclists before turning
. Stay alert, slow down and be prepared to for the unexpected


Cyclists:

. Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals
. Signal all turns
. Ride one metre from the curb
. Ride past parked cars as if all the car doors were open
. Ride in a straight line on the right side of the road
. Wear a helmet and bright clothing
. Make sure you have a horn or bell, white light on the front and red reflectors on the back

In addition to the community campaign that will run throughout the cycling season the Healthy
Communities Partnership is also hosting two community events.

The Bike Summit, on Friday June 14th at the St. Thomas Timken Centre, will feature speakers from
Canada and the USA who will share inspiring active transportation stories. They will highlight the
successes they have had and some of the key steps they took to get there. There will also be an
opportunity for people to hear about some exciting local projects that are underway. The Summit begins
with breakfast at 8:30am. Advanced registration is required and the cost is $30.

The Family Bike Festival, on Saturday June 15th at the St. Thomas Timken Centre, is an opportunity for riders of all ages and abilities to come out and receive some bicycle training, a free bike maintenance check-up. There will be a FREE light lunch plus the first 100 at each session will receive a new bell and reflective tape. Bring your bike and helmet and come and join us for a fun morning. There is no registration required and the event is FREE. There are two sessions 9-11am and 11am-1pm. The event will proceed rain or shine.

For information on how to become involved in creating a more bike friendly community, or for a free
bumper magnet call or visit Elgin St Thomas Public Health at 519-631-9900 or go to www.activeelgin.ca

The cast of “The Off-Broadway Singers” scintillated with all the right notes and all the right moves for their show this past Thursday and Friday. Their performance of “What We Are, What We Do, What We Sing, Tonight” was entertainment perfection from start to finish, one of those shows you are disappointed to see end. Can’t wait to see this group return to St. Thomas…Oh ya....they are from St. Thomas. They're high school students in the Arthur Voaden Secondary School choir and they and everyone involved in the show should be incredibly proud.

The group sang and danced their way through a selection of rock n’ roll classics,  from musicals Aida, West Side Story, and Chicago, and ended with a Michael Jackson Tribute. These young people had the voices and relaxed but energetic professionalism to captivate and enervate their audience. They weren’t “playing the part” of engaging broadway performers – they were those performers on a bang-on, knock-em-dead night of entertainment serendipity.

The line-up of music had variety, flow, energy and nuance. There were some super superstars (several of them, really, who must surely have future plans for careers in singing, dancing, theatre). But all were superstars -  the biggest joy of the evening was the quality, focus, dedication and teamwork exuding from the pores of each and every performer. Obviously, the staff, students and volunteers involved with all aspects of this production from music and direction to costumes, make-up, sound, lights were all a big part of its success – and again, everything seemed just right.

I have no doubt that the $10 spent to see this show will be the best entertainment value I will find this year. I have had the good fortune to see a few musical shows at big venues lately – they cost several times more and weren’t as spell-binding and impressive as the show put on by these students.  

The Port Stanley Festival Theatre kicked off its summer season with opening night of the rollicking Back in ’59 and some special news. The Board of Directors of the theatre was pleased to announce the receipt of gifts totaling $293,000 for the Theatre’s ‘Expand the Experience’ Capital Campaign.
 
The intimacy of the venue is one of the main draws of Port’s Theatre by the Lake. However, it is often filled to capacity, and it was time to give a little more room for the creative ideas which are in abundant supply there. “We need to help ‘Expand the Experience’, building it bigger and better,” said Art Director Simon Joynes.

The theatre makes excellent adaptive re-use of a Findlay designed building, the 100-year old former village hall. The planned project will provide an improved working environment for actors and technical staff, increase the auditorium capacity for patrons, and enhance the cultural experience for visitors and local residents alike by allowing them to present a greater range of theatrical performances.

The project will expand and level the stage, add 50 seats to the auditorium, renovate the back-stage area, expand the basement workshop, and create a new multipurpose room overlooking Port Stanley harbour for youth theatre, lectures and patron events.  It is expected to take between two and three years to complete, and will also benefit the local library located in the building.

Generous donors include Ontario Trillium Foundation, Dorothy Fay Palmer Estate, Green Lane Community Trust Foundation, and the Walter J Blackburn Foundation. On hand to thank the donors was Bob Halle, President of the Port Stanley Festival Theatre and Simon Joynes Artistic Director PSFT. In attendance representing the Dorothy Fay Palmer Estate was Andrew Gunn and Grant Jones & David Marr from Green Lane Community Trust Foundation.

Back in 59 is followed by four more not-to-be missed productions. To find out more, visit www.portstanleytheatre.ca.

Hawksley Workman came to St. Thomas on Saturday evening to wow and charm a sold-out audience at the Princess Ave Playhouse.  It’s a bit hard to describe Hawksley performing his unique brand of rock. What comes to mind is an elastic band with pop, zing and stretch afforded by his stage presence and incredible range of intellectual, musical and vocal talent.

The six times nominated, two-time Juno award winner has performed in over fifteen countries in prestigious and more intimate venues, and has produced albums for such stars as Tegan and Sara, Serena Ryder, Great Big Sea, Sarah Slean and Jeremy Fisher.

A true entertainer, on Saturday evening Hawksley shared his music, humour and insights and seemed to create for an appreciative audience, the feeling that he was here, not just to stop by, but to be part of our town for a few hours.

Between songs he mused about swallows having it figured out (they have work to do but still say let’s have some fun);  the Princess Ave Theatre (“This feels nice here, I don’t know what they did.”); something about “a bunch of kooks who decided to make an old church into a rock n roll venue”; growing up in northern Ontario with ideas about southwestern Ontario (some of them myths) from TV and a feeling that there is something special down here; the seeming obsession with lawns of people along highway 3;  adhering to convention; St. Thomas’s incredibly long main street; the strangeness of city councils (he had evidently listened to a few minutes of ours on television); the sadness of many beautiful stores on a main street being empty; his appreciation of the sales pitch for a piano that he received from a woman in the recovery store with a “girl’s name”; thoughts on everyone owning a piano they eventually end up trying to get rid of…and again more wondering about our incredibly long main street.

He treated the audience to a far-ranging selection of his songs which vary in tone and topic, and offer an abundance of thoughtfulness, humour and soul. “Mr. Lonely” (Todd Lumley) accompanied on piano, keyboards and some vocals in perfect syncopation with Hawksley, an integrated part of each song and seeming to provide as much momentum for the show as Hawkley himself. Towards the end of the evening both men joined for a “duelling piano” number which appeared to be heading toward the goofy side but abruptly turned into a demonstration of music-making at a sheer genius level.

"Mr. Lonely" & Hawksley Workman, Photos by Relish Elgin

Like most touring entertainers, Hawksley came to share his talents, and something of what he thinks, appreciates, finds amusing. All of that would have been worth the price of admission, but what he also did throughout the show was wonder and ask about how life is with us. Thanks Hawksley for coming to St. Thomas, and thanks so much for asking. Life here, like anywhere, has its ups and downs, and for Saturday's audience, you were definitely one of its ups.

On May 5th, 1891, the newly formed Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute met for the second time, at the home of John Farley Esq. (now the site of Farley Place), to discuss the goals of their fledgling organization. The first goal was obvious: “the promotion of historic and scientific knowledge”. To achieve this goal they set about producing publications and holding public meetings. After 122 years and many changes, the Society is now focused on local history, but we still continue to promote historical knowledge through our public events and, now through elginhistoricalsociety.ca.

Our online library now contains well over 100 books and documents touching on a wide range of subjects, including a recently rediscovered biography of Thomas Talbot written in 1857, two years before the earliest previously known biography.

Examine the works of the early Elgin Historical Society with their publications, beginning with Historical Sketches of the County of Elgin, published in 1895, or read how the railroad arrived in our part of the world in the early reports of the London & Port Stanley Railway, under construction in the 1850's.

If you have had enough reading, The Society continues to add to our video catalogue with archival films, and modern productions. Special films, such as our latest, War of 1812 Sites in Elgin County, share the page with talks given at our public meetings by local historians, such as Susan Butlin speaking on her upcoming Elgin County Museum show: Alma College and the Forging of Canadian Culture 1880-1939 (running Monday, September 9, 2013 to Friday, December 20, 2013). We are always grateful that they generously share their years of research and experience. They are the lifeblood of the Society.

Our public speakers events are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month (except July & August). The Events section of the website will give you all the details of upcoming events, locations and times.

In partnership with the Elgin County Museum we are pleased to make available the Audio History Project of the Elgin Pioneer Museum from the late 1970's. In these recordings Museum founder Dorothy Futcher and local historian George Thorman interview people with direct experience of our history. The personalities and historic details revealed in these interviews open a door on the past that is unavailable elsewhere.

An ongoing feature of the new website is the inclusion of web exhibits. Our first exhibit is the War of 1812 and its impact on our local area. It includes a tour of the sites related to the War of 1812 in Elgin, and two books by local participants in the War. The first is the journal of Col. Mahlon Burwell, kept during his imprisonment in Chillicothe, Ohio from August, 1814 until he was paroled on Dec 21, 1814 by Gen. McArthur. Mahlon Burwell is now remembered by the name Port Burwell, and by the several roads that bear his name. He is second only to Talbot in his impact on our early history holding every office worth mentioning in the early settlement from surveyor, Justice of the Peace, Registrar, MLA and many other duties that required a man of Burwell's skill and intellect. During a recent loan of the original from the National Archives of Canada, the Elgin County Museum was able to complete a transcription of the manuscript. In addition, recently discovered footnotes to the journal by George Thorman have been added, giving us a view into the personal experiences of Col. Burwell during this difficult time in his life.

The second book is a collection of articles writen by early settler and War of 1812 veteran Garrett Oakes and edited in 1990 by George Thorman and Frank Clarke, into, Garrett Oakes: Tales of a Pioneer. During the 1870's Mr. Oakes looked back on his eventful life. Born in New Brunswick in 1791 he arrived in the Long Point area in 1803, finally settling near the present site of New Sarum in 1811. He saw the Talbot Settlement born out of wilderness and become a prosperous, progressive community. Despite his fearsome appearance Mr. Oakes is an insightful, and sensitive writer who gives us a glimpse into the daily hardships of early settler life.

Our next exhibit, debuting in early June, will detail the railway history of our region. With so many railway projects underway in the area, as well as the 100th anniversary of the building of the Michigan Central Railroad shops (now the Elgin County Railway Museum), we thought it would be an ideal time to explore and present the history of the “Railway City”.

We hope you will check out elginhistoricalsociety.ca and watch as we continue to grow.

The energy and dynamic of live actors playing for a live audience makes for an experience unique from that of movies or television. Whether professional or community, what shines through at most performances is that the actors, director and all those behind the scenes are dedicated to giving the audience a memorable theatre experience.
    
Relish Elgin chatted recently with a local actor, Marina Silic and actor/director, Rob Faust. Both worked on “Heart’s Desire” with the Elgin Theatre Guild in March. They offered some insights into their experience with community theatre from behind the stage lights.

Rob Faust

Rob marks his twentieth anniversary of acting this coming September. Although he enjoyed acting in high school, it wasn’t till twenty years later that he noticed, while enrolling his oldest daughter in acting classes, that there were also adult classes and decided to sign up. In support of one of his acting classmates, he went along to an audition at the London Community Playhouse, tried out and got the part. Over the next twenty years he has contributed his acting and directing talents to numerous plays at several community theatres. Norm Foster is one of his favourite playwrights – Rob has acted in eight of his works. He’s currently on the board of the Elgin Theatre Guild, and directed their recent production of “Heart’s Desire” by Rick Whelan.

On directing….
After having directed in two previous versions of Heart’s Desire, I felt well prepared to put my directional spin on the Elgin Theatre Guild’s production.  Some directors don’t give a lot of direction, but I tend to give a fair amount. As an actor I was given some helpful insights by professionals, and was pushed to portray a guy, for example, who was hurting. I appreciated that. I think good actors crave direction.

Benefits of theatre for young people…
For one thing, discipline – it may look easy but the challenge is not just learning lines but being able to interact with the other characters, and being totally in the moment.  It’s also a chance to meet a lot of wonderful people and learn what you’re capable of doing.

Hopes for the Elgin Theatre Guild…
We want to attract more audiences to come and see that amateur theatre can be of high calibre. We want to present quality shows with characters who come across as real people. The plays next season cover a lot of bases – there are comedies to start and end the season, another Pantomime, “Little Shop of Horrors” in March and “37 Postcards” in May. We also want to increase community involvement by offering acting courses for adults and children, and attracting more volunteers. They are needed for every aspect of the shows – ticket sales, concession, acting, direction, lights, sound, make-up, props. Our volunteers are appreciated and they end up having a lot of fun.

On Directing Heart’s Desire…
I had played the lead, Billy Ray, in Rick Whelan’s original version of the play. It was my favourite part, and I got to know Rick and I love his work and this play. I think Ross Hepburn enjoyed playing Billy Ray in this version which was extensively re-written.

Above, Heart's Desire, Marina Silic & Ross Hepburn (left); Judy Cormier & Marina Silic (right)

At fourteen, Marina Silic came to audition for “Heart’s Desire” as an ‘old pro’. She had enjoyed acting experiences in public school and when she was ten her mom suggested she try out for “The Homecoming” with the Elgin Theatre Guild. In 2010 she played the role of Millie Dillmount in the musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at the Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Her performance ultimately earned her an invitation to a week-long reading of “My Son Pinocchio” at Musical Theatre International in New York City, where she was the first Canadian to ever participate in an MTI workshop.

Marina portrayed “Alison Smiley” in “Heart’s Desire” with energy and humour. She convincingly played the role of that teenager whose hyperactivity might at times be exhausting but is charmingly paired with positive intentions and a good heart. She played alongside a cast of characters whose actions spiralled toward varying levels of ‘dysfunction’. She says that playing the ‘good’ child was a role which came fairly naturally – she does well in school and enjoys singing and playing classical guitar. She thinks, though, that it would also be fun sometime to play the role of the ‘bad’ child.

Rob says that Marina stood out amongst the seven or eight young people who tried for the part. “She was eager to learn and good at taking direction.” She appreciated his approach. “It was encouraging. He wouldn’t say ‘you did this wrong’ but would usually laugh and say ‘maybe we should do this instead’. He was nice in his direction, and I would like to work with him again.”

On Learning Lines and Getting into Character…
You become the character, and it gets easier to remember the lines. A date is set to go off-book and by then it is pretty easy. To get in character, you imagine that you are in the real world and figure out how your character would act. For the first couple of rehearsals we did character analysis. You think about what your character would do in different situations and share ideas. The woman who played my mother (Judy Cormier) was really good at doing that. Also, you feed off of each other’s energy – in some of the scenes with my brother (Jake, played by Alex Pickersgill) I was so frustrated with his terrible behaviour that my heart would start pounding.

On Acting in Heart’s Desire…
I liked the character that I played – she was loud and hyper and her movements were ‘big’. It was a fun character to play. I learned a lot from working with the actor who played Sueleen. [Ashley Grech’s gave a memorable performance as the over-the-top sexy girl-friend of the main character.] She was very good at what she did. She also got me interested in, some day, trying out acting in murder mysteries.

Favourite actor…
I like Johnny Depp, especially in a role like Edward Scissorhands, because so much of his acting is with his face and eyes.

Future roles…
I would like to keep trying out for plays, then when I am older, murder mysteries, and someday Stratford. I’d like to go to school for acting after high school. In the long run I would like to act on Broadway.

The importance of live local theatre…
To me, local theatre is a necessity. It’s a way for people to get into acting. In drama class you maybe don’t put yourself out there as much as in a theatre play. It gives you real experience with props and lighting and everything.

In the Elgin Theatre Guild’s upcoming production of “Old Love”, Rob Faust plays Bud Mitchell who reconnects with a woman he had known twenty or so years ago, at her husband’s funeral. A younger actor plays Bud in flashback scenes. Rob smiles, “It’s the role that I might have played twenty years ago when I started acting. It’s a play that should have appeal to a broad audience. I am looking forward to acting in it.”

We are fortunate in this area to have live theatre experiences readily available throughout the year. As the Elgin Theatre Guild and Aylmer Community Theatre mount their final productions of their fall to spring seasons, our ‘Theatre by the Lake’ in Port Stanley gears up to present its summer season.

The action goes from sublime to ridiculous as the Aylmer Community Theatre Presents “Honeymoon for Three” starting May 9th and running to May 18th (519-773-3372, www.aylmertheatre.ca). “Old Love” by Norm Foster is a story of romance, courtship and relationships, starting May 9th and running to May 19th at the Princess Ave playhouse (519-633-8530; www.elgintheatreguild.ca). Port Stanley Theatre kicks off their season on May 28th with the “Back in ’59”, a rollicking non-stop journey through the top musical hits of the 50s and 60s. It runs May 28th to June 8th, and is followed by four more productions you won’t want to miss. (519-782-4353, www.portstanleytheatre.ca)