Snowarama Supports Easter Seals

“Last night was amazing,” said Iroquois Public School (IPS) Principal Kelty Grant.

She was referring to the February 8th Digital Literacy event sponsored by IPS Parent Council. 

The event, the first of its kind at IPS, offered parents a chance to learn how they can use technology and the Internet to help their children’s learning.

Grant, who was on hand to greet parents and usher children to the free on-site childcare, said “we had a really good turnout – about 40 parents and about 12 children.”

Interested parents were given the opportunity to attend any two of the four offered presentations, all of which were free, while their children were safe and having fun with some local high school volunteers.

According to Grant, the high school students “set up tables with games and activities in the gym.” 

Among the seminar presenters were Mike Singh, teacher with Soft-Where to Learn; Laura Oliver and Candy Campbell, Regional Student Engagement teachers; Elaine Gribbin, Regional Speech Language Pathologist; and, Alison Sutherland, Learning Resource Coach and teacher at IPS.

Grant reported that all four seminars were “well attended.”

“Parents who didn’t have a chance to get to the iPad/iPod technology seminar have been asking if that one will be offered again,” she said.  

“We had borrowed enough iPads for all parents to get a chance to try out some apps, and then at the end of the session they had an opportunity to show what they had discovered on the SmartBoard, which was plugged into an iPad.”

“Parents also seemed to love testing out the educational websites that are available,” said Grant, adding that “the evening was a result of our Pro Grant. We are using the Pro Grant money to purchase a membership to an educational website that parents and students will be able to access at home.”  

Iroquois Public School’s Digital Literacy event was such a success that they’re planning to do it again. Grant indicated that while a date had not yet been set, late March looked like a definite possibility.

“It is well worth the time and effort when you see our school community coming together like this,” said Grant. “We have some pretty amazing parents at IPS!”

[…]

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.

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