Located at Fowlers Corners just outside Peterborough, CraftWorks at the Barn is a unique shopping destination in the Kawarthas where you can buy Canadian-made Mennonite furniture, home décor, giftware, apparel, antiques, gourmet food and baked goods, and more. On Thursdays during the summer, CraftWorks at the Barn is open late for the popular Cruise Night featuring classic car show, live music, and 50/50 draws. (Photo courtesy of CraftWorks at the Barn)
Family owned and operated, CraftWorks at the Barn just outside of Peterborough is a unique shopping destination in the Kawarthas where you can buy Canadian-made Mennonite furniture, home décor, giftware, apparel, antiques, gourmet food and baked goods, and more.
In 1997, Darrell and Deb Junkin founded the original CraftWorks at the corner of George and Sherbrooke streets in downtown Peterborough, where their giant red rocking chair became a local landmark. The downtown store was a marketplace where over 300 independent local crafters and artisans showcased their handmade goods and, over the years, the business expanded into selling furniture made by the St. Jacobs and Elmira Mennonite communities.
In 2009, the Junkins moved CraftWorks to a 25,000-square-foot barn at Fowlers Corner just northwest of the city. Every aspect of CraftWorks at the Barn has a story to tell, from its unique location to its artisan-made products. Visitors today continue to share fond memories of having previously visited the barn for dances, bingo, and antique markets.
CraftWorks at the Barn is owned and operated by the Junkin family (from left to right): Shannon, founders Darrell and Deb, Ashley, and Aaron. Originally established in downtown Peterborough in 1997 as a marketplace for local crafters and artisans, the business relocated in 2009 to a 25,000-square-foot barn at Fowlers Corner just northwest of the city. (Photo courtesy of CraftWorks at the Barn)
Today, CraftWorks at the Barn also offers a food market featuring Mennonite-made meat pies, jams, tarts, and more, as well as Ontario-made meats and food products, including scoops of Kawartha Dairy ice cream. For a lunch or snack, the Lokal chip truck is stationed on-site all summer long, serving up handheld snacks and lunches.
CraftWorks at the Barn has just kicked off the summer season with the weekly Cruise Night, where the outside is transformed into the backdrop for a classic car show, complete with 50/50 draws and live music. Hosted by the Fowlers Corners and District Lions Club, Cruise Night happens every Thursday until September 12 from 4 p.m. to dusk.
Located at 124 Lindsay Road in Selwyn, CraftWorks at the Barn is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and until dusk during Cruise Night Thursdays.
“Know Your Locals” is a branded editorial about locally owned independent businesses and supported by locally owned independent businesses. If your business is interested in being featured in a future “Know Your Locals” branded editorial, contact Jeannine Taylor at 705-742-6404 or jt@kawarthanow.com or visit our Advertise with kawarthaNOW page.
New Stages Theatre Company is presenting a cast of six professional actors to perform a staged reading of David Henry Hwang's Pulitzer Prize finalist play "Yellow Face" at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for one night only on June 9, 2024. Pictured (left to right, top and bottom) are Norman Yeung, Colin Doyle, Richard Tse, Tina Jung, M. John Kennedy, and Chloë Dirksen. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied photos)
For the final production of its 2023-2024 season, Peterborough’s New Stages Theatre Company is presenting a staged reading of Yellow Face by Tony Award-winner and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang.
Almost 80 per cent sold out, the final production will be put on for one night only at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 9th. The evening will include a special post-show question-and-answer session with the performers and guests, as well as an announcement about New Stages’ 2024-25 season.
Yellow Face is a fast-paced, hilarious, and thought-provoking contemporary comedy about a playwright who, despite being an advocate against “yellowface” casting, unwittingly hires a White actor to play the Asian lead in his play.
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With no costumes or sets, the staged reading stars six professional actors performing over 60 characters.
Colin Doyle will be recognizable to New Stages’ audiences after his debut in Keith Barker’s This is How We Got Here in 2023 as well as three seasons with Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre. M. John Kennedy, head of the acting program at Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto, grew up in Peterborough and was most recently seen on the Market Hall stage as George Bailey in New Stages’ holiday production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Last summer, he performed a lead role in 4th Line Theatre’s production of D’Arcy Jenish’s The Tilco Strike.
Joining the lineup are four more renowned Canadian performers. Norman Yeung has multiple film and television credits (Resident Evil: Afterlife, Todd & the Book of Pure Evil) and has been on stages across Canada including the Stratford Festival. Tina Jung is a recent nominee for a Canadian Screen Award for portraying Sam on CBC’s You’re My Hero. Toronto-based Richard Tse is recognizable for his roles in Second Jen and Baroness Von Sketch Show. Chloë Dirksen has returned to Canada after working in theatres around the world for 25 years, with credits alongside Alec Baldwin, Estelle Parsons, and Blythe Danner, among others.
“Yellow Face” by David Henry Hwang was inspired by the controversy surrounding the “yellowface” casting of Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce to play a Eurasian character in “Miss Saigon” which came to Broadway in 1991 after opening in London. The public protests, which Hwang was the face of, became the first movement against yellowface in U.S. history. (Photo: Corky Lee / The New York Times)
Yellow Face is named for the practice of casting Caucasian actors in roles of Asian characters by relying on physical and cultural stereotypes. The equivalent of “blackface” or “redface,” yellowface dates back to early forms of minstrelsy but was still very common in the early 20th century, as evident in blockbuster films like Katherine Hepburn’s 1944 role in Dragon Seed, and the Charlie Chan films in the 1930 starring Warner Oland.
The practice even continued well into the latter half of the 20th century and can be found as recently as Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961 and Peter Sellers in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu in 1980.
Hwang’s story, however, is inspired by the controversy over the casting of Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce to play a Eurasian character in the 1989 stage musical Miss Saigon — a retelling of the opera Madame Butterfly set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. When the play opened in London, Pryce wore prosthetics to alter the shape of his eyes and makeup to colour his skin while playing the role of a Eurasian pimp called the Engineer.
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Hwang, whose own play M. Butterfly had hit Broadway in 1988, became a face of the first major movement against yellowface casting after protests began when producers tried to bring Miss Saigon to Broadway with the same cast in 1991. While the grassroots protests led the Actors’ Equity Association to initially declare it could not support the choice of casting, the association eventually reversed its decision and Miss Saigon went on to become one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, with 4,092 performances over 10 years.
A semi-autobiographical play that David Henry Hwang describes as “a kind of unreliable memoir,” Yellow Face‘s protagonist “DHH” is named after and based on the playwright himself — including his involvement in the Miss Saigon controversy. After the character DHH writes a play called Face Value, he casts an actor he believes is part Asian in one of the lead Asian roles, and then discovers the actor is fully White. Afraid he will be accused of yellowface casting but unwilling to fire the actor on the basis of race, DHH then creates an elaborate deception that has far-reaching consequences.
“DHH is the most foolish character in the show, giving audiences permission to laugh at controversies over race and culture,” Hwang wrote in The Guardian in 2014. “And perhaps laughter leaves us a bit more open to consider differing points of view.”
David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award winner, three-time Obie Award winner, Grammy Award winner, and three-time Pulitzer Prize in Drama finalist. His play “Yellow Face” is semi-autobiographical and tells the story of a character named after the playwright who unwittingly casts a White actor to play the Asian lead in his play, a common practice on stage and in film in the 20th century known as “yellowface” casting. (Photo courtesy of David Henry Hwang)
Yellow Face premiered in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum in 2007 before going Off-Broadway for the 2007-08 season. It won Hwang his third Obie Award in Playwriting and the play was a finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
Since then, the play has been produced in the United Kingdom and Australia, and in Toronto in 2011 by the fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company and Hart House Theatre. Yellow Face will be making its Broadway debut this fall, with Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-O) portraying DHH.
A story about race and culture, show business, anti-Asian racism in America, and family, Yellow Face is a “wickedly funny and provocative night of theatre,” according to New Stages Theatre Company.
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“You’ve never seen a play quite like Yellow Face,” says New Stages artistic director Mark Wallace in a media release. “I can’t wait to share it with our audience and see how they respond.”
Following the performance of Yellow Face, the audience is invited to stay for a special question-and-answer panel with the actors and the creative team to discuss issues raised in the play. Joined by Michael Walters of Toronto’s Dayton-Walters Castings, the panel will discuss authenticity in casting today, the roles actors should or should not be cast in, and how casting has changed over the years.
Priced at $22 ($11 for arts workers, students, or those who are under-employed), tickets for Yellow Face are available in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at tickets.markethall.org. Recommended audience is 12 and over due to some coarse language.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be media sponsor of New Stages Theatre Company’s 2023-24 season.
Alice, owner and operator of Cute & Cool Treats in Cobourg, was a participant in the 2023 "My Future My Career" entrepreneurship program for children and youth aged eight to 14. The Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (BECN) is again inviting young entrepreneurs in Northumberland County to apply for the program, which offers business guidance and a small micro grant of up to $500 to help fund their business expenses. (Photo: BECN / Facebook)
Young Northumberland entrepreneurs can kickstart their dreams this summer of owning and running their own businesses.
The Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (BECN) is calling on young innovators, creative minds, and kids with a passion for entrepreneurship to apply for the “My Future My Career” kids’ entrepreneurship program.
The free program helps children and youth, ages eight to 14, launch or grow their own business during the summer break. The BECN offers business guidance and provides participants with a small micro grant of up to $500 to help fund their business expenses.
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“The My Future My Career program launched in 2021 and has helped 32 youth begin their entrepreneurship journey so far,” noted Kailyn Coupland, Northumberland County business development co-ordinator, in a media release.
“Children who participate in the program will have access to free support to help launch or grow their business and will have the opportunity to showcase their business at our youth entrepreneurship showcase at the end of the summer.”
Each summer, Staples in Cobourg hosts the youth entrepreneurship showcase, which is similar to a trade show. The event, which runs from this year from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14, features young business people from the BECN’s two youth programs, including the “My Future My Career” program and the “Summer Company Program” — which is a similar program for high school and post-secondary students. Community members can stop by the event to check out the services and products and support the younger generation of entrepreneurs.
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The BECN strives to be Northumberland’s leading source for small business support. It connects entrepreneurs with information, strategy, resources, education, networking, and micro grant opportunities to help business owners succeed. The BECN offers multiple student-based programs, such as those above, and supports various school partnerships throughout the community.
Successful applicants will be notified on June 21. There is a competitive process and,due to the availability of funds, not all applicants will receive a micro grant, the BECN noted.
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The application is geared to children who are keen on entrepreneurship. The microgrant will help support costs such as marketing, supplies, and equipment.
“This program is a great opportunity for children to begin the entrepreneurship journey and potentially prepare for the next available youth program, Summer Company,” the BECN notes on its website. “Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, the program will help provide the confidence for kids to start or continue their own business venture.”
The BECN is a service delivered by Northumberland County in partnership with the provincial government.
While on a diving trip to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador in 2018, Peterborough veterinarian Kristy Hiltz (back row, middle) and her husband David McNab (front row, second from right) learned that one of their diving instructors was working overtime to support his 18-month-old daughter Johanita who had a brain tumour. Since then, Hiltz and McNab have visited the Ecuadorian family on many occasions, and Hiltz has raised thousands of dollars for Johanita's medical costs and treatment. (Photo courtesy of Kristy Hiltz)
You don’t often go on vacation expecting to make friendships so strong that you lean on them through the toughest of times. But, for Millbrook resident Kristy Hiltz, that’s exactly what’s happened.
For the fifth year in a row, Hiltz has sold hundreds of seedlings, plants, and produce in support of a family she met by chance on a diving trip to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador in 2018.
It was there that Hiltz — a veterinarian who owns Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital in Peterborough — and her husband David McNab learned that one of their “absolutely excellent” diving instructors, Christian, was working strenuous hours on the week-long cruises to financially support his 18-month-old daughter Johanita, who needed treatment for a brain tumour.
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“It just killed me that we were down there on a boat having the time of our lives, with people who were acting happy and pointing out whale sharks, when the reality of their lives couldn’t have been more different,” recalls Hiltz. “Christian was working himself into the ground with superhuman efforts to save his daughter. He would have done anything and, in fact, was pushing himself so far beyond his limits.”
Initially, Hiltz, McNab, and the other vacationers who were on the cruise donated money to the family to take away some of the financial burden, but even after returning home, they continued to stay in touch.
“We ended up really connecting with this family,” says Hiltz. “We’ve stayed with them several times, and their children, honestly, are like our grandkids. We’ve become extremely close.”
Calling gardening a “disease,” Kristy Hiltz has always gone overboard in the springtime. When she came across a family in Ecuador in need of financial support to pay for their ill daughter’s medical bills, it seemed only natural to sell some of the excess seedlings, plants, and produce she was growing across her massive gardens at her Millbrook home. (Photos courtesy of Kristy Hiltz)
Thing got even worse for Christian during the pandemic when travel was restricted, as diving instructors lost all of their income and his family’s savings were being depleted to pay for Johanita’s medical bills.
At the time, Hiltz was already a “gardener to the extreme” who says she gets in over her head every spring when she gets her seed catalogue. Always ending up with a surplus of plants, she knew she didn’t want to throw them out, so she started selling them and donating the proceeds to Christian and his family.
“I decided I’ll just sell these extra vegetables and plants and I’ll actually grow more, just as a thing to do, and then try to raise some money for these folks,” she says. “And that’s what I did.”
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Over the years, Hiltz has has used her large garden plot and greenhouse to grow and sell everything from heirloom seedlings to raspberry canes, many different types of cherry tomatoes, varieties of pepper plants and hot peppers, broccoli, corn, cabbage, beets, zucchini, and more.
In her first year, Hiltz raised over $3,000 for Christian’s family and, though every September she tells herself she won’t be doing it again, she continues to do so year after year. This year she’s already raised $1,800 for Johanita, who is now seven years old and has completed her chemotherapy.
“She’s just an extraordinary kid with a ready laugh,” says Hiltz. “She needs ongoing speech and language therapy as well as physical therapy, so we shifted from trying to raise money for her chemotherapy treatments to raising money for these treatments that help her to engage more fully in her life.”
VIDEO: Johanita and her mother in Ecuador (video by David McNab)
One year, Hiltz also donated some of the proceeds to the New Canadians Centre, as Hiltz and McNab are regular supporters of the organization.
The couple is well known for their philanthropic work, including helping to bring Syrian refugees to Canada, raising funds for earthquake medical relief in Turkey and Syria, supporting a young female farmer in Kenya and the education of her adopted son, and more.
In 2021, McNab — a retired OPP officer — received the YMCA Peace Medal for his acts of kindness towards other and, in 2023, was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Peterborough and was also inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame.
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As for Hiltz, she has raised more than $10,000 for Christian’s family in the past five years, with both her and McNab reaching out to their social media networks for support.
“They have been supportive in so many different ways, helping Johanita and through other fundraisers we’ve done,” Hiltz says. “Facebook friends always will come out and help and it’s always so fun to deliver those plants to them. They’re so excited about getting them in the ground, and then having their first tomato harvested — it’s so exciting all season long.”
One person purchased seeds for little planters which were then distributed as gift goodies following a baby shower. Similarly, another buyer purchased a plant after losing her own child to cancer.
“This was a very meaningful way for her to help out a child and a family who’s experiencing the same thing that she and her family have,” says Hiltz.
For five years, Kristy Hiltz has been selling everything from seedlings to peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cabbage to raise money for Johanita, a young girl in Ecuador who was undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumour. This year, Hiltz has already raised $1,800 for Johanita’s physical and language rehabilitation to help her live a regular life. (Photos courtesy of Kristy Hiltz)
Hiltz and McNab’s good deeds have come full circle, too. Through helping Johanita, they have deepened their relationships with others that had been on the cruise.
Hiltz has also been in a situation where she needed the help of someone she hardly knew, and that person didn’t give it a second thought.
“We’re been so blessed with the people that we’ve met,” Hiltz says. “We just see so much of the worst in people (in the news), but there’s lots of good out there too. Sometimes you do see it, and meet extraordinary people who just reach out, make sacrifices, and help people out they’ve never met.”
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Hiltz and McNab never seem to stop giving back. She will soon be launching another fundraiser by selling her pottery. Proceeds from the sale of the bowls and mugs will be split between the Brock Mission Primary Care Clinic and the Farley Foundation, which helps low-income pet owners. The latter will be done in memory of her friend and fellow veterinarian Dave Heaton, who passed away in March.
“My favourite way to give is an intersection of (monetary donations and volunteerism) — giving my time and energy to raise money for the various causes I support,” Hiltz says.
“I think the act of service — be it in volunteering or in fundraising — is the best way to build bridges between people, communities, and even countries. It is in the act of service to others that we forge the bonds that connect us all.”
For her next fundraiser to give back to the community, Kristy Hiltz will be selling her handmade pottery in support of Brock Mission Primary Care Clinic and the Farley Foundation. which helps low-income pet owners. The latter will be done in memory of her friend and fellow veterinarian Dave Heaton, who passed away in March. (Photo courtesy of Kristy Hiltz)
Canadian indie folk trio Wild Rivers is Devan Glover, Khalid Yassein, and Andrew Oliver. (Photo courtesy of Wild Rivers)
The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced indie folk trio Wild Rivers will kick off the 35th annual festival with a ticketed concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on Thursday, August 15th.
The Juno award-nominated band consists of Devan Glover on vocals, Khalid Yassein on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, and Andrew Oliver on lead guitar and synthesizers.
Now based in Toronto, Wild Rivers was originally formed by Glover and Yassein at Queen’s University in Kingston in 2013 as the duo Devan & Khalid. With the addition of Andrew Oliver on bass and guitar and Ben Labenski on drums (who has since left the band), they became Wild Rivers and released their self-titled debut album in 2016. That was followed in 2018 by the EP Eighty-Eight and a tour with Australian indie folk rockers The Paper Kites.
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In 2020, the band released their second EP Songs to Break Up To, which included their most popular song “Thinking ‘Bout Love,” a single certified gold in Canada in 2022 and platinum in Australia in 2024. In 2022, Wild Rivers released their breakthrough album Sidelines, which landed at #9 on the U.S. Spotify Debut Album Chart and earned them a nomination for breakthrough group of the year at the Juno Awards in 2023, with the band supporting American country music trio The Chicks on select dates of their world tour that summer.
Their Peterborough Folk Festival concert will not be the first time Wild Rivers has performed in Peterborough. The band’s first show in Peterborough was in 2016 at the former Garnet where they performed with local musician Caitlin Currie. In 2018, they performed at the Market Hall as the opening act for Canadian folk and country singer-songwriter Donovan Woods — who himself performed a kick-off concert for the 2019 festival.
“What better way to celebrate a milestone year for the Peterborough Folk Festival than to have a band of Wild Rivers’ calibre perform at the inaugural event,” says the Peterborough Folk Festival’s artistic director Ryan Kemp in a media release.
VIDEO: “Thinking ‘Bout Love” – Wild Rivers
Tickets for the August 15th concert, which starts at 7 p.m., are $63 with taxes and fees included. They go on sale at tickets.markethall.org/rivers24 at 10 a.m. on Thursday (May 30) for members and password holders and the following morning for the general public.
The Wild Rivers concert kicks off the Peterborough Folk Festival’s four-day celebration of music, culture, and community, and will be followed with events at various downtown Peterborough venues on Friday, August 16th before shifting to Nicholls Oval Park for the weekend.
The family-friendly weekend will feature four stages of live music, an artisan village, a licensed beverage area, and a children’s village. All weekend events are free, courtesy of granting agencies, community supporters, and sponsors.
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“We are thrilled to have Miskin Law join us as the main stage sponsor for our 35th year,” notes festival chair Rob Davis. “They’re a generous community partner and it’s because of this kind of support the festival is the longest-running free folk festival in Canada.”
Davis adds the festival is currently seeking additional volunteers and sponsors, as well as local artisan vendors and emerging artist submissions. For more information on the festival and how to get involved as a volunteer, artist, vendor, donor, or sponsor, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
Organizers say this year’s Peterborough Folk Festival will draw an estimated 15,000 people to Peterborough and the surrounding region.
To kick off its 21st season of professional theatre in Bobcaygeon, Globus Theatre is staging the world premiere of "The Dating Game," a romantic comedy about dating in the 21st century by Olivier Award-nominated playwright Peter Quilter. Featuring real-life couples Sarah Quick and James Barrett and Matthew Olver and and Lisa Horner, the play follows a recently divorced couple as they navigate searching for new partners. The play runs from May 29 to June 8, 2024 at the Lakeview Arts Barn. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre is kicking off its 21st season of professional theatre with a bang by staging the world premiere of a new play by Olivier Award-nominated playwright Peter Quilter.
The Dating Game opens on Wednesday, May 29th and runs for 11 performances until Saturday, June 8th at the Lakeview Arts Barn.
Quilter is one of the most widely produced young playwrights in the world, whose plays have been presented in over 40 countries. Globus Theatre is no newcomer to his work, having previously produced Glorious! and the three-time Tony Award-nominated play End of the Rainbow, which was adapted into Judy on the big screen with an Oscar-winning performance by Renée Zellweger.
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“I love it when we can bring a play that will go on to theatres around the world and have it start off in our little Bobcaygeon,” says Globus Theatre artistic director Sarah Quick, who also stars in the play. “Something I’m always looking to do is bring work that is brand new to our audiences.”
Quick explains that it was a “fluke” that Globus Theatre ended up having the opportunity to stage the play’s world premiere. Just as she was about to announce the lineup for the season in January, she received an email from Quilter with the script for The Dating Game.
“I wanted it to be the perfect season,” she recalls. “It was only last year that we extended our season from May until December for our 20th anniversary, so I needed to come up with something that could top last year. It just so happened that the week I was going to announce the season, his new play dropped into my inbox. I read it and straight away I knew that I wanted to do it.”
Peter Quilter is a British playwright whose work has been nominated for multiple Tony and Olivier Awards and has been seen on stages in more than 40 countries. Globus Theatre, which staged productions of Quilter’s plays “Glorious!” and “End of the Rainbow,” is staging the world premiere of his latest play “The Dating Game” from May 29 to June 8, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Peter Quilter)
As for Quilter, he is “delighted” that his play will premiere at Globus Theatre.
“There will be productions in Europe this fall, but Globus got there first,” Quilter says in a media release. “It is always exciting when a theatre company is ambitious enough to put on stage a play that audiences have never, ever seen. I hope it will make people laugh and feel good. It’s something we all need right now.”
The Dating Game follows a recently divorced couple as they navigate finding new partners in the 21st century. The story looks at the mad world of dating as the couple goes on unexpected romantic liaisons where nothing quite goes to plan.
“It’s a jungle out there and I think everybody who has been on dates recently — or not so recently — will have stories to tell of dates that maybe weren’t the most successful and hopefully eventually the ones that were,” says Quick. “It’s gentle, it’s positive, and it takes a nice view of life and how we should be looking for a little bit of humour and camaraderie.”
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Quick notes the play will “appeal to everyone” because it’s not just about romantic relationships.
“One of the themes of the play is thinking about if we really should just be looking for friends or for companions,” she explains. “Those are often the more long-lasting relationships as opposed to this torrid world of online dating.”
Quick (whose previous Globus performances include Sexy Laundry, Hurry Hard, and Shirley Valentine) stars as Julia, one half of the divorced couple, alongside Matthew Olver (Hound of the Baskervilles, The Foursome, Buying the Moose, The Three Musketeers) as Richard.
Joining them is Quick’s real-life husband, Globus Theatre’s artistic producer James Barrett (Mending Fences, Screwball Comedy, Buying the Moose, Funny Farmers) and Olver’s real-life wife, the two-time Dora Award-winning Lisa Horner (Buying the Moose).
As well as her Globus appearance in 2016’s Buying the Moose, audience members may recognize Horner from the “It’s Not a Mistake” IKEA commercial campaign (“Start the Car” as it’s more commonly known), which was recently named as Canada’s greatest ad of the 21st century by leading marketing and advertising magazine Campaign.
Globus Theatre’s world-premiere production of Peter Quilter’s “The Dating Game” stars real-life married couples Sarah Quick and James Barrett and Matthew Olver and Lisa Horner. The play, which follows a recently divorced couple as they search for new life partners, is being staged at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon from May 29 to June 8, 2024. (Photos courtesy of Globus Theatre)
“It’s actually been quite cool working on a play about relationships, marriage, and dating with two real-life couples,” says Quick. “What we look for at Globus is working with actors who are, yes, very talented but also good people. That’s what it’s ultimately all about, and I think the audiences can sense that as well. We just have a really good time during the rehearsal process and hopefully that will show on stage as well.”
Quick is hopeful the camaraderie and fun in The Dating Game will set the tone for the rest of season. The second mainstage performance, This Day in Sports, is another never-before-seen production that brings to the stage a popular Canadian sports podcast.
“I like to make sure that every time people come to Globus, it’s for something a bit different. I would hate to do a season that was the same sort of play, one after another. We have a lot of people now that come to all 13 shows that we’re doing this summer and they need to be able to see something different each time they come.”
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New this year, Globus Theatre has introduced an accessible way for youth to access the show with the “$30 under 30s” pricing. One performance of each of the 10 mainstage shows will be available for the promotional pricing, including the opening show of The Dating Game on Wednesday, May 29th at 8 p.m.
“We have more youth joining us over the last few years, so we just wanted to make it a little bit easier for them and give them a discount,” says Quick.
But as Globus Theatre has always done, those of all ages facing financial barriers can volunteer with the theatre company in exchange for free tickets.
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“We want everybody to come and see our productions — it’s not supposed to be an elitist form of entertainment,” Quick says. “Our main mandate is to make our theatre accessible, and that is geographical — so you don’t have to go to Toronto to see stars like Lisa — and also financially. We just want to make it as accessible as possible.”
The Dating Game is playing at the Lakeview Arts Barn every night at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, May 29th to Saturday, June 1st and again from Tuesday, June 4th through Saturday, June 8th, with two matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1st and Thursday, June 6th.
Tickets cost $50 for the show only or $100 for the show and a dinner before evening performances. Tickets can be purchased online at globusteatre.com or by calling the box office at 705-738-2037.
Northumberland Pride is gearing up for a busy June, which is Pride Month, with various events in Northumberland County including Cobourg and Port Hope. (Photo courtesy of Northumberland Pride)
With a presence during the upcoming Cobourg sidewalk festival and a 1980s-themed prom night on the bill, Northumberland Pride is gearing up for a colourful and busy June, with several activities to mark Pride Month.
The new organization is hoping for a successful series of events, and is already impressed by the embrace it has received from the Cobourg and Port Hope communities.
“The most exciting, and the most important, part of this year’s Pride events in Northumberland has been the overwhelming community engagement and support we have received as a new, local not-for-profit looking to bring community engagement on LGBT2QIA+ issues and programming,” Jason Schmidt, chair of the board for Northumberland Pride, told kawarthaNOW.
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“In 2024, we have received a community grant from the (Municipality) of Port Hope and sponsorships of various forms from over 30 local businesses,” Schmidt said. “Further, we have partnered with the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope, the Cobourg DBIA, The Mill Restaurant, Cultivate, Critical Mass: A Centre for Contemporary Art, and Sounds of the Next Generation to plan this year’s events.”
Schmidt said 2024 has already been an exciting year for Northumberland Pride. For example, in February, the group partnered with the Hibernate Festival to bring Shania Twink to the Ganaraska Brewing Company in Port Hope. In April, Northumberland Pride teamed up with the Capitol Theatre for an evening of music and discussion with Lucas Silveira.
The entertainment picks up again in June with “an exciting line-up of events for all ages to celebrate,” Schmidt said.
During June, Northumberland Pride will be hosting the following events:
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Saturday, June 1
Northumberland Pride is partnering with the Cobourg DBIA to hold its third annual day time family Pride event within the Cobourg King Street Pride Sidewalk Festival with games, bouncy castles, treats, face painting, a photobooth, and other activities.
As part of the Downtown Cobourg Pride Festival, Northumberland Pride and the DBIA are organizing a Pride parade at 11 a.m. The parade route begins at the Cobourg Police Station on King Street West and ends at Victoria Park on Division Street.
Also, as part of the Downtown Cobourg Pride Festival, there will be a Northumberland Pride stage, sponsored by Dr. Kate Everdell, Cultivate, Furby Books in Port Hope and Let’s Talk Books in Cobourg. It will feature musical performances by Lady Bird and Melissa Payne, drag performances by Oliver Klozoff, Babe Kelly, Sanjina, and Rocker Klozoff, drag story time and a DJ.
Thursday, June 6
Northumberland Pride is once again teaming up with the Capitol Theatre for Pride at the Capitol, hosted by Juice Boxx from Canada’s Drag Race. Tickets are available at capitoltheatre.com/events/pride-at-the-capitol/.
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Friday, June 7
Northumberland Pride hosts “Back to the ’80s Pride Prom”, an adult, costume-encouraged social event in partnership with The Mill Restaurant in Cobourg. The party features drag performances, prizes, specialty cocktails and more. Tickets are $45 and available at eventbrite.com/e/895610905327.
Saturday, June 8
Northumberland Pride is partnering with local youth, the Capitol Theatre, Sounds of the Next Generation, and Critical Mass to host Cirque De Slay, a circus-themed youth evening Pride event by, and for, local youth between the ages of 13 and 25. Tickets are available at capitoltheatre.com/events/northumberland-pride-presents-cirque-de-slay-youth-pride.
Also as a part of the Cirque De Slay event, there will be a drag 101 workshop for youth between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart in Cobourg. To register for the workshop, email Shannon Oliver at shannon@olivertalents.ca.
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“Accessibility is particularly important to Northumberland Pride, and we are pleased to be able to confirm that the family and youth events are totally free of charge,” Schmidt said, adding the Northumberland Pride family Pride event has grown steadily since it began in 2022.
“We estimate that there were about 400 people in attendance in 2023, and we expect many more this year as this year’s family Pride is being held as part of the Cobourg Downtown Pride Festival,” he said.
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When it comes to the Pride parade, the group is expecting local dignitaries, representatives of a broad range of local community organizations, members of the public school board community, and others to join the walk.
“Numbers are hard to predict but it will definitely be the biggest, proudest Pride parade Cobourg has yet to see,” Schmidt said.
Asked about the best possible outcome for Pride Month, he said it would be “continuing to develop and enhance meaningful partnerships with local organizations and (to) extend Northumberland Pride’s engagement with our local community into programming during all 12 months of the year.”
A rendering of the renovated building at 19 Cambridge Street South in Lindsay, the planned new home of the Kawartha Art Gallery now that the City of Kawartha Lakes has provided another $150,000 in funding for the gallery in 2024. (Rendering: Linborough Property Corp)
The Kawartha Art Gallery (KAG) has received an additional $150,000 financial boost for 2024 from the City of Kawartha Lakes — one which will allow the gallery to move into its own space in downtown Lindsay later this year.
Currently located on the second floor of the Lindsay branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library at 190 Kent Street West, the gallery intends to rent the building at 19 Cambridge Street South, across from the Cambridge Mall. Owned by Linborough Property Corp, the building with its 3,000-square-foot main floor space was constructed in the late 19th century, when it was as a livery stable.
“With the gallery remaining in its current space, it impedes not only our growth, but the growth of the library,” reads a business case that Kawartha Art Gallery executive director Susan Taylor presented to city council on April 9. “To shift to a location with more foot traffic, space, and control will fundamentally change the operations of KAG.”
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At that meeting, Taylor asked council for an additional $500,000 over the next three years, on top of the city’s existing funding of $150,000 over three years that began in 2023.
“This three-year investment allows KAG to build its staff and move into a new space, achieving a level of stability and increased/diverse revenue sources,” the business case reads, adding that the funding will allow the gallery to also hire additional staff, develop a strategic plan, and meet the growing demand for gallery programming.
With additional financial support from the city, the gallery would move into its new location in September. The City of Kawartha Lakes is currently conducting a feasibility study for a new cultural centre, and the gallery will have the option to relocate into the centre when it is completed.
“We have been given the flexibility of either moving into the centre or consider a hub and spoke model where we will have a satellite presence in the centre, in addition to our core new space,” reads the business case.
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At its April 30th meeting, council approved a staff recommendation to transfer $150,000 to the Kawartha Art Gallery in 2024 from the city’s 2023 surplus of $3.2 million, and to accommodate the gallery’s additional funding request of $150,000 in 2025 and $200,000 in 2026 in future budgets, with annual reporting to council by the gallery.
“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of the City of Kawartha Lakes,” said Taylor in a media release on Tuesday (May 28). “This funding will allow us to give back even more to our community, through exceptional exhibitions, expanded educational programs, and investment in community outreach initiatives. And perhaps most significantly, it will allow us to realize a space of our own in downtown Lindsay.”
“Council is proud to support the arts, culture and heritage sector in Kawartha Lakes,” Mayor Doug Elmslie said. “We believe that keeping creativity and our traditions alive is very important. Supporting the KAG at this time is crucial as they work to make art more accessible for everyone. We’re excited about the opportunities this investment will bring to our community.”
Ed's House is named after Cobourg business owners and community supporters Ed and Diane Lorenz in recognition of the couple's generous donation to the establishment of the hospice care centre. Ed passed away in July 2021 at the age of 91. (Photo: Ed's House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre)
The Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation is inviting Northumberland residents to help support local palliative care by joining the organization’s board of directors.
The foundation is extending an open call for “dedicated and passionate individuals” as it expands its board of directors. Those who are suitable are community-minded leaders who can bring a variety of expertise and skillsets to help guide and support Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre’s mission.
Trish Baird, CEO of the Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation, said those who lend a hand are making a valuable contribution to the community.
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“Volunteering for the Ed’s House foundation board is a deeply rewarding experience because it allows individuals to play a crucial role in raising the much-needed funds that ensure Ed’s House can continue providing exceptional end-of-life care,” Baird told kawarthaNOW.
“Our board members often express that the most fulfilling part of their service is witnessing the profound impact their efforts have on residents and their families. Being part of a compassionate team dedicated to supporting such an essential community resource makes every contribution meaningful,” Baird added.
The foundation plays a crucial role in supporting Community Care Northumberland’s (CCN) Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre, and the delivery of hospice palliative care programs for Northumberland County.
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According to a media release, those serving on the board of directors have the unique opportunity to make a positive difference in Northumberland County. Those who become board members will contribute their skills and expertise to support and enhance fundraising for hospice palliative care programs, collaborate with a diverse group of professionals and community members dedicated to making a difference, and help shape the strategic direction and ensure the sustainability of fundraising efforts.
The foundation is interested in community members who have experience with board and governance, legal issues, fundraising and donor relations, and communications and public relations.
“We welcome applicants from all across Northumberland County and are committed to building a board that reflects the diversity of our community,” the media release noted. “Our work ensures that individuals in our community receive compassionate and comprehensive care during some of life’s most challenging moments.”
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The foundation strives to ensure that everyone in Northumberland County has access to compassionate end-of-life care, surrounded by family, friends, and a caring community.
Ed’s House offers services such as the palliative care community team and visiting hospice, in partnership with the 24/7 end-of-life care and support provided at the hospice care centre. Hospice services are offered at no cost to clients and their families. Featuring a home-like environment, residents, relatives, and friends have access to all amenities at Ed’s House including a dining room, living room, quiet space, spiritual room, a kitchen and an outdoor space, along with shower and laundry facilities.
Located in Cobourg, Ed’s House opened in the fall of 2020. In addition to providing a comfortable setting to receive palliative care, the centre serves as a centralized “hub” for CCN’s interdisciplinary hospice services team by providing caregiver support, palliative outreach and education, health system navigation and grief and bereavement supports.
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