Hot, humid and dry… drought is confirmed

The Playhouse is a hub of activity these days with the construction of a new production storage area and the official opening of the recently completed new box office.  

But the real action begins when Norm Foster’s hilarious hit comedy, The Foursome, takes to the stage on March 16 running until April 1. In fact the four funny guys who’ll keep audiences in stitches have already arrived. 

This promises to be a fun-filled early start to The Playhouse’s 2012 season. 

The Playhouse has built its reputation on laughs, and audiences will get a bellyful of those as veteran actors Jesse Collins, Richard Bauer, Sweeney MacArthur and Brian Young bring this popular comedy to life on the Playhouse stage which set designer Sean Free has transformed into a functional golf course. In fact two chunks of the stage have had to be removed to allow the actors to properly swing their golf clubs! 

One of this popular playwright’s funniest plays to date, the show features four friends who meet, after years apart, for a round of golf. 

In the course of this reunion, they catch up with each other’s lives and their stories, secrets, schemes and surprises have consistently left audiences howling with laughter in virtually every theatre in the country for years. 

Women in the audience have just as much fun as the men as the characters reveal their insecurities and engage in an hilarious and poignant game of one-upmanship as the play unfolds. 

‘The great thing about the show is the fact that you don’t have to know a thing about golf. It’s just a fun thing for them to be doing as the comedy unfolds,’ remarks Artistic Director Donnie Bowes. ‘It’s full of the kind of humour audiences have come to rely on Norm Foster to deliver: comedy that comes from real peoples’ lives and predicaments. And the cast is iron-clad.’  

The characters are an interesting mix of men from all walks of life. 

There’s Ted, played by Jesse Collins, who’s on his second marriage with a younger woman and just a tad insecure about the age difference. A drinker, he fills his golf bag with enough beer to ignite the foursome as the game progresses. Collins also directs the play, bringing his experience and love of both directing and golf to the play. 

Brian Young plays Cameron, a worrier and a hypochondriac by nature, who’s insecure about his job as a TV ad salesman. 

Richard Bauer plays Rick, an arrogant, womanizing and manipulative bachelor who sells boats for a living. 

Finally there’s Donnie, a regular family man with four kids who considers himself a loser and is a terrible golfer. 

All in all the cast has all the ingredients, talent and experience for a wild and crazy show! 

Collins, who has had an enviable career as a stage, TV and film actor and director, was last seen at The Playhouse in The Affections of May, which he also directed, along with Norm Foster’s Bedtime Stories. He has starred in theatres in Toronto and across the country, as well as in many television shows including the seasonal classic The Santa Claus as well as five seasons as the star of CTV’s Katts n’ Dog. 

Collins also received an Emmy nomination for directing the children’s television program Zooboomafoo. 

Richard Bauer is familiar with Playhouse audiences as an actor and director and was seen in Not Now, Darling, which he also directed, and the holiday play, Dear Santa. 

Brian Young was also seen last season in Not Now, Darling as well as in such past productions as On Golden Pond and The Odd Couple (female version). 

Sweeney MacArthur, who starred in Mervish Production’s Mama Mia, and has been seen in countless musicals and plays in the Toronto theatre scene, returns after several seasons. He was seen in such shows as Perfect Wedding and Looking.

Often described as a hole-in-one comedy and a laugh-fest that’s filled with superb one-liners, The Foursome promises to be just the tonic audiences need to chase away the winter blues.  

The Playhouse on-stage golf course is groomed and the four hilarious guys are ready to go. However, audiences will be the big winners when this comic season opener hits the stage. 

Contact UCP, at 613-543-3713, for ticket information.

[…]

A Community Satisfaction Survey is scheduled to start in January in East Region to solicit public opinions about the services the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments deliver to communities throughout the region. 

The Community Satisfaction Survey is a telephone survey that randomly selects members of the public (16 years or older) who live in Ontario.  

The survey takes about five to seven minutes to complete and is strictly voluntary.  

Those contacted and willing to participate are asked about issues such as community security, perceptions of crime and youth issues in the community, OPP presence in the community, service delivery and even how the OPP investigates crime and enforces the law.

The information provided by those surveyed is being collected by a research consultant, R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. that has been retained by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.  

The information is treated confidentially and the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of those surveyed will not be included in the survey results provided to the OPP.

Once the survey is complete, the results will be used in the OPP Business Plan and Annual Report.  The information will be useful in helping the OPP set out goals and objectives to improve on the services it delivers to communities throughout Ontario.

These surveys are done throughout the province on a rolling three year schedule.

The East Region detachment surveys will start in early or mid-January and are expected to be completed by March 15, 2013.   

The Ontario Provincial Police would like to thank those who participate in the Community Satisfaction Survey and who take the time to help the OPP in its vision of Safe Communities…..A Secure Ontario.

[…]

A by-law was passed at the March 20th South Dundas council meeting to accept the operational and capital budget plan for 2012.

During the discussion, Treasurer Shannon Geraghty introduced council to the possibility of sending out information sheets to taxpayers.

Geraghty informed council that it is a “double-sided document, something we’ll probably send out in the tax bills to show tax payers their money isn’t being spent foolishly.”

Mayor  Steven Byvelds said, “it certainly is a lot more information than we’ve put out in the past.”

Deputy-Mayor Jim Locke added, “that’s good. The more information, the better.”

“I think,” said Councillor Jim Graham, “it’s certainly a step forward on communicating with ratepayers on where their dollars are spent.”

Members of council were given copies of the proposed document to consider and comment on before distribution. 

If all goes well, it looks like, according to Byvelds, that the information sheet will be included with the final tax bill at the end of May.

[…]