Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, November 27, 1996, Page 13 OLT's 'Death' dunting, fascinatingn By George Kaufman Death and the Maiden le juat as sombre and depressing a play as the title sounds. That Oshawa Little Theatre decided to mount it at ail was ambitious, and my 'Messiah' rendered in local collaboration We need serlous, contemporary theatre with a message, as much as we need the entertaining fluif that makes up much- of community theatre progranxming. PETER AND SUE CULLEN pose in front of the giant Christmas tree that will be the centre of attention this Saturday night at Cullen Gardens duigthe Starlight Foundation fundraiser kick- off. People can buy bulbs to decorate the tree, with the money going to the foundation, and kids atteniding can meet Polka-Roo fromn the Polka Dot Door and Mike Levine from the band, Triumph.Photo by M4ark Reesor, Whltby Free Pres l2 Days of Wishes soon begins at Gardens This Christmas season, Cullen Gardons and Toronto radio station Q107 have joined with the. Starlight Foundation to ligiit up thi. liveis of seriously 111 children. They hope to rais. $125,000 for the. foundation that grants wishes for children aged four to 18 Who suifer frlom long-term sickness and diseases such as leukemia, cystic fîbrosis, spina bifida and cerebral palsy. On average, eacii wisii granted costa $2,500, and tiiey range from a trip to Florida to a shopping spree. Tiie 'Tres of Wishes,' a 35-foot blue epruce, will b. ceremoniously lit by the. 125 childr.n of the. Starligiit Foundation at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30. Several of the. children taking Part ini the festivities are from Whitby. Polk-A-Roop of the. children's television show Polka Dot Door, will also take part in tree-ligiiting ceremonies. Mike Levine from the. Triumph rock band will meet kids, and there will b. clowns and face painting. At the. end of the. evening the. lighte will b. put out and eacii time a donation ie made during the. 'Twelve Days of Wisiies," a new string of ligiits will b. lit. [t le hoped that by the. end, the. Tree of Wisiis will b. filled witii twinkling lights. The Tre. of Wisiies symbolizes 'Tii. children's dreams and wishes come true," says Carol Pud.lis, marketing manager of Cullen Gardons ic. "The Starligiit Foundation ie an excellent charity," Baye Pudlis. "Ini some cases thie children have been sick for a long tie wc can b. emotionally and financially draining on the. familles. "Starlight helpe the. familles by granting the. children the. on. wisii that they really want. »"W. hope that we will b. -able to continue helping Starligiit,so0 that everYOne will know what wonderfuj work the. Starligiit Foundation i. doing." Ail of the activities on Saturday'are open te tthe public. "Everyone can play a part izi ielping tii... children, who deserve ta have a wish come true," Pudils stresses. Donations can b. made Dec. 5 ta 20, the. Twelve Day. ofWisiies, bY calling the foundation (416-502-WISH) or Q107. The Durham College Community Choir, along with the Toronto Classical Singers and the Talisker Players Orchestra, will present a Christmas concert of G.F. Handel's Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 7, 8 p.m., at the Salvation Army Temple, Thornton and Rossland roads, Oshawa. The concert will feature as soloists the director of choir, Wendy Hedderwick-White, mezzo-soprano; Patricia O'Callaghan, soprano; Edward Franko, tenor; Bruce Tree-lighting next week Parkwood's annual tree lighting festivities will be held on Dec. 4 at 7 pan., followed by carol-singing. In addition to the lighting of three 75-foot epruce trees, Oshawa-based recording artiet Gary Getz will performn original Christmas music as well as old favourities, starting at 6:30 p.m. Those attending should bring a non-perishable food item which will be taken to Simcoe Hall Settlement House for distribution. Heirloom discovery Parkwood Estate will present a Sotheby's Heirloom Discovery Day on Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tii. public le invited to bringiln a farnily heirloom (or flea-market find) and talk to the experts, ta trace its Ke-lly, bass. "It l gratifying to se. the enthusiasm and excitement Of Our community Participants Who have blended together to form a choir," says Hedderwick- White. The choir is comprised of mnore than 50 citizens from ail areas in Durham Region. They range from high school students to senior citizens, somne wlth singing and performing experience and somne with little or no experience. For tickets, caîl 723-6442. geographic origin ar approximate age, the nar, of the artist if it is a worki art, and an estimate of whi its value would b. at auctioi Reservations are requre for appraisals, an appointnients may b arranged by calling 43M 4309. There is ' a limitc three appraisals per persor and a fée of $10 for eac) verba appraisaL. Large itexn may be appraised withà good photograph and a notÀ of identiifring features anc dimensions. The event is a fundraisinl program of Parkwood, tx further its peevainani presentation efforts, Sotheby's offers its Heirloon Discovery Days a few timeE each year at no cost to the presenting institution. An additional attraction that day will be the Parkwood Volunteers' Christmas Tea, offered froir 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tickets for the event include afternoon tes and one appraisal witli Sotheby's. Tickets are $15, and are available at .the Parkwood gift shop, Tuesday through I'Lunch from $4e25 - -Dinner Reservations Recomznended - Open 7 days a week - LLBO 1101 Brock Street South (i blockN. of Hwy. 40 1) Take out 0 668-0778 rid ne Of rid 3- Of n, ,h ls a e id Ig d ri ambitious, since a popular production played In Toronto a few years ago, and a movie of the play was recently released. But their audacity was worthwhjle if only a few members of the audience stop -and think about the profound human themes brought; to llfe by playwright Ariel Dorfinan: love, trust, betrayal, revenge. Deczth and t/w Maiden' explores these themes through the central character of Paulina, a woman who stili, has not recovered psychologically from impiisonment and torture 15 years before, at the hands of a military government. One night, when her husband brings a stranger into the home, she recognizes his voice as that of the man who tortured ber. She decides to put hlm on "trial" in their home. There are many complicating factors that make Dorfman's script fascinating, and Wo tell any more of it would be unfair. The three-actor cast le up to the challenge of this.bleak, daunting play. Sidney Lang .s intensely believable in the pivotal role of Paulina and Kevin White is appropriately earnest as ber husband, Gerardo. Michael Roantree's part has its own unique challenges, since he spends nuch of the play tied and AUDIO!1 VIDEO 1AUl Serving Brands ~Durham On Premnises Since 1973 r y -s * * Written Guarantee *Low carry-in rates Factory Trained TechnicjasSee *ÇD Ployer *Casete *CordsPhone *Ampller *Walkman *Car Stereo VCRSPECIAL * Rth hisaddonly II * Expires Dec 31/96> Custone-Electromotive 1150 Champlain Court Whltby 668-6429 gagged, but he handies those deceptively simple scenes with effective facial expressions. I was happy to see designer Colin Hughes' namie on the front of the program along with director Nina Foxaîl and producer Sandra Bosse, since bis convincing set and imaginative audio- visual contributions really add to the atmosphere of the production. Deat& and t/we Maiden continues at the Oshawa Little Threatre the next two weekends. SINGLES DANCE EVERY ERIDAY NIGHT at Masonie Hall 91 Centre St., Oshawa (corner of Centre & Metcalfe St.) 8pm- lam A dmission $ 10. 00 Includes: Buffet, door prizes, spot prizes Special Christmas Dance Fri. Dec. 2Oth For info. cati 571-6481 or 430-6841 Dress code ln effect. * *- * <~1*1 ~fte±Ire Chriistias Fundraisers DON HARRON Lauglîter abounds as Don presents /zis new one-man s/zoi v i/j i'5iends" Ghli /j Farquliarson and Va/eie Rosedale DECEMBDER 14 - 8:OOpm - $20.00 & $25-00 MUREEN FORRESTR T/mil 1Io one of tlie îost beautifid contr-a/to voices in t1/e wor/d as Ms. Foriester celebrates the passion ofnzusic -DECEMBER 15 - 2:OOpm e $25.00 & $35.00 The Academy Theatre, 2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay Box OfFice:705-324.9114 1 1 il - .< > ý 1 r