Looking for Forever Homes

Three local Dundas Country agencies, Linking Hands, the J.W. MacIntosh Seniors Support Centre and the Dundas County Food Bank were all recipients of 2012 grants from the John Stewart Estate Memorial Trust Fund. The money is investment income derived from the 1991 sale of the John Stewart Home in Cornwall. Representative Adele Eyman said the board looked at the “sustainability of each organization, as well as the numbers of people it served” in determining recipients. These Dundas groups “are all good neighbours in their communities,” she added, presenting the checks on Saturday, March 10, at the Seniors Support Centre in Williamsburg. Linking Hands will use its $400 to continue to develop its Lunch and Learn program through the House of Lazarus. The Dundas County Food Bank will use the grant of $1,166 to help “keep stocking our shelves with healthy food,” said Food Bank administrator Donna Quesnel. Janet Levere, executive director of the J.W. MacIntosh Senior Support Centre hopes to use the $400 grant towards subsidizing vital transportation costs. Pictured (l-r) are Nancy Christie of the House of Lazarus, Janet Levere, Adele Eyman, Alvin Runnalls, chair of the Dundas County Food Bank and Donna Quesnel. 

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 Hanna Rycroft and Carl MacIntyre were almost overwhelmed by the numbers of people who came out to attend the official opening of their new business venture, Gallery 59, in the Morrisburg Plaza, on Saturday, October 5. 

“There are a gazillion people to thank, really,” Hanna Rycroft laughed. “We have over 600 items on our floor, and we could never have been ready to open without all the help we received. There’s been a big response to our open house today. We are very proud of this store, and we also thank the vendors for their trust.” 

Gallery 59 deals in antiques and collectibles. It is a multi vendor market, with four local vendors and one Montreal vendor showing in the store.

“We would like Morrisburg to become a destination for antiques seekers,” Rycroft said. “Based on the response to Antiquefest, we feel there is a real market out there. Morrisburg is close to Ottawa and Montreal, and on a major route. With the Playhouse, and our other business, the Basket Case Café, drawing visitors to town, we think there are real possibilities.”

Rycroft and MacIntrye had been thinking about an antiques venture, but credit the local and visitors’ response to the Antiquefest held in the Plaza for the first time this summer as the final “push” they needed. With the financial assistance and support of Doug Grenkie, the co-owners began setting up the store in August. 

Beautiful objects of art, furniture, glass ware, china, toys and other collectibles are now all on display at the re-furbished site. Visitors are always welcome at Gallery 59, for “today’s visitor may be tomorrow’s buyer,” Rycroft said.

The reverend Janet Evans of Williamsburg United Church offered a special prayer for the new business. Eric Duncan, representing MP Guy Lauzon brought congratulations to a “dedicated and hard-working couple” as they celebrate “a new milestone, a new business.”

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, joined by a number of council members, offered the municipality’s best wishes on the “newest addition to our plaza.”

Chuck Barkley, president of the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce, called Gallery 59 a “total asset to our business community. Carl and Hanna offer great customer service and great products. They are an inspiration to us all.”

“We are totally excited about our venture,” the owners said.

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 “I’m telling you, this isn’t over until the fat lady sings,” says a frantic David McGachen (Perry Mucci), at a moment in this comedy when absolutely everything is crashing down around his ears.

“As far as I’m concerned, the orchestra is playing and the fat lady is up on her feet with her mouth open..” his beleaguered partner John Baker (Garfield Andrews) shoots back.

And this is just one of the apparently unending crisis moments in Upper Canada Playhouse’s season opener, the mad farce, Whose Wives Are They, Anyway? playing at the theatre until June 30.

Penned by Michael Parker, author of Hotbed Hotel, The Sensuous Senator, and The Amorous Ambassador, all of which won rave reviews when they were performed at the Playhouse, this current production is just as witty, just as fast paced and just as howlingly funny. “This is a classic farce,” said director Donnie Bowes, “with a tightly written plot, clever dialogue and a wonderful cast that works very fast throughout the production.”

It is actually rather difficult to describe the plot of this show. 

There is one. 

However, it twists and turns and loops around on itself and the characters so often, that you feel you’ve wandered into a kind of literary labyrinth. But that’s half the fun! How could otherwise  reasonably normal characters get into these absurd predicaments, and just how can they possibly get themselves back out?

John Baker and David McGachen just want a weekend of golf at the stately Oakfield Golf and Country Club before assuming new jobs with the Ashley-Maureen Cosmetics Company, under formidable take-over boss D. L. Hutchison (Mary Ellis). (“What’s the D.L. stand for?” David finally asks.  “Dragon Lady, I should think,” John replies.) Their wives, Karly (Viviana Zarrillo) and Laura (Erin MacKinnon) are supposedly off for a New York shopping trip. Everyone is happy.

What could be more innocent? 

What could go wrong?

In this play, just about everything.

Wilson the Club handyman (Bruce Tubbe), who suffers from a bad back, a bad spleen, carbunkles, arthritis, chronic hip joint displacement, a hernia, flat feet…(I lost track here), swiftly introduces massive comic confusion into the plot as he tries to “fix things”. Mrs. Carlson, the manager, (Brenda Quesnel), whose Puritanical suspicions would do credit to the Inquisition, is stalking the hallways. And Tina (Kate Gordon) an otherwise rational, pleasant desk clerk, unfortunately falls foul of champagne, and loses her inhibitions along with large chunks of her costume.

Misconceptions and mixed up identities abound. When John plaintively exclaims “Am I me, my sister, your wife or my own mother?” the audience is as hysterical as the characters.

Did I mention that none of the phones at the Club work properly and that Laura and Karly unexpectedly appear just in time to…

No matter.

With Whose Wives Are They, Anyway? audiences should just sit back, take it all in, and get ready to laugh loudly, long and often. 

The production runs at Upper Canada Playhouse until June 30. For information and tickets contact 613-543-3713, 1-877-550-3650 or go on line at www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com.

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