The Mind with the Dirty Man August 17 - 21
RETURN OF LOCAL BOY TURNS TOWN UPSIDE DOWN Clayton Stone, the prodigal son, returns home without repenting his ways. Rather, he brings back his porn star fiancée and buys the local movie house to show his latest adult film The Shoe Fetish --much to his parents' dismay. And Buckram, Maryland will never the same. A clash of generations, a clash of values --and a barrel of laughs! J.M. Drama's 1999 summer production features a raucous adult comedy. Set in the 1970's, this year's play explores the relationship between a rebellious son and his parents, the parents' own relationship and the changing values during the sexual revolution. Director Allan Hoch wanted to direct this play for many years but lacked a suitable occasion. When it came time to submit plays this year, Allan took a chance on submitting this comedy and was met with enthusiasm. While J.M. Drama has carved itself a niche as a top-notch presenter of amateur musicals, it has	not always presented musicals. It was time to show our comic shtick. The play runs August 17 -21 at 8 p.m. at the Waterloo Stage Theatre. Tickets cost $12 ($10 for post-secondary students). Order tickets from cast or crew members or call our new ticket hotline: 741-5089. This year's cast features Sam Varteniuk (Guy's and Dolls) as Clayton Stone and Amy Neufeld as his porn star fiancée Devina. Clayton's plans throw his hometown in turmoil but nobody more than his parents Gordon James as his father Wayne and Carolyn Parks as his mother Alma. The local Movie Review Board weighs in with their opinions to add to the hilarity. Board members include: Steve Buttery (Guys and Dolls); John Canhoto (Something's Afoot); Doris Firman and Sandy Hannaford. Come on out and have a good laugh! Tell everyone you know about this summer's raucous adult comedy smash --The Mind with the Dirty Man!
Presidents Message J.M. Drama's New Home
Registry Building presents exciting opportunities for J.M. Drama J.M. Drama has its own Millennium Project in the works. On June 28, the Community Services Committee, Kitchener City Council approved in principle J.M. Drama's proposal that the Registry Building be used for community arts purposes. J.M. Drama proposed that it lease the Registry building, occupy the basement and renovate the main floor into a performing arts facility for community use. For those who do not remember where the Registry building is, it is on Frederick Street, between the Waterloo County Court House on Weber Street and the Regional Police building on Frederick. The Governor's House, Gaol and Gaol courtyard are behind the Registry building towards Queen Street North. When the St. Jerome's project died last year, J.M. Drama continued to work on possible sites and partnerships for a community arts facility. The Registry building is not perfect but it has a number of important features to its credit: It is downtown and easily accessible to our audiences, participants and other performing arts groups. And yes, parking is readily available in the thousands of spots within a few minutes leisurely walk, It is owned by the City of Kitchener, which has proven to be a strong supporter of the concept of a community arts centre and, as a landlord, will bring that support and the public interest to bear, The main floor has a 16 foot ceiling and that floor can be made into a 2,000 to 2,500 square foot space for stage and house, There is sufficient room in the basement to accommodate most of J.M. Drama's storage and workshop requirements. It is a facility that J.M. Drama can bring on stream for the new Millennium. The City should be commended for its ongoing support for a community arts centre in downtown Kitchener. This support has been consistent over the last few years both to improve the downtown and to provide needed facilities and stability to performing arts groups in the Region. Initially, we all looked forward to the community arts centre in the College Street building at St. Jerome's. As you will recall, J.M. Drama, the Friends of St. Jerome's, the City and others expended substantial amounts of money and time developing that proposal. It died when the owners refused to sell the building for reasons that are still a mystery. The Registry building provides a new opportunity, albeit on a much smaller scale. The proposal involves one performance space with an audience of under 200 seats --likely in the 120 to 150 range. This smaller scale recognizes a number of important factors. First, Theatre & Co.'s proposal for a 500 seat theatre on the former Sauder's and Goudies sites in effect replicate the "black box" that was to be built at St. Jerome's in the gymnasium. The "Registry Theatre" will meet the need for a smaller facility that was to have been met by the "Edwardian Theatre" at St. Jerome's. Second, without Theatre & Co. or a similar tenant, the St. Jerome's model was not feasible. J.M. Drama needed to find an opportunity for a community arts facility that did not require a major tenant.	We believe that the "Registry Theatre" will provide that opportunity. Although plans are in their infancy, we are confident that renovations to the Registry building can be carried out at minimal cost. J.M. Drama has retained The Walter Fedy Partnership, a major architecture and engineering firm in the Region with an international reputation and clientele. The Walter Fedy Partnership had also designed and costed the St. Jerome's Community Arts Centre. Our intention is to make the performing arts space available to other community groups, schools, churches and others. To this end, we are considering a "partnership" with the City that would allow it to schedule the performing arts space. This partnership would maximize use of the space at minimal cost. J.M. Drama will be working with City staff, our architects and others over the next several weeks to develop a design and cost it. We will also be developing appropriate governance models, capital and operating budgets, lease criteria, use guidelines and so forth. Our intention is to provide to our membership a package at the Annual General Meeting for a final decision on proceeding with the project. If you are interested in helping with this project, please call me at (519) 893-1564. Grants, Scholarships & Sponsorships If the "Registry Theatre" were not enough, J.M. Drama has continued to be active in many other areas to promote the performing arts in the Region. The J.M. Drama Performing Arts Education Sponsorship Fund provided grants 28 projects in 26 schools received $6,300 in 1998 to engage their students in the performing arts. The Elora Festival, Open Ears Festival, YWCA and SECONDcompany were supported by our Community Sponsorship Fund. And J.M. Drama's Adie-Jane Bergauer Scholarship recipients included Jennifer Hoch, Cyrus Lane and Julia Turzanski. Technical Equipment Renewal We are also part way through our equipment renewal project. We have spent over $23,000 towards this $75,000 project to renew our lighting equipment, sound equipment, costumes, flats and so forth. We will hear from the Trillium Foundation in the next few weeks on our application for a grant for $25,000 for lighting fixtures and a 48-channel dimmer control. Of course, the lighting equipment will be a fine addition to the Registry Theatre that will benefit not just J.M. Drama and our audiences but dozens of other organizations and their audiences. Website I encourage you to visit our new website at: www.jmdrama.org. James Howe logged long hours with Montana Publishing to build on Tim Farrell's work. One of the advantages for J.M. Drama is the willingness of our members to bring their expertise to our activities, be it in publicity or computers or several other fields, such as teaching, management, accounting, theatre and bingo. Summer 1999 And let's not forget the most important events of the summer - The Mind with the Dirty Man and the annual Car Rally. I hope to see you at both. Don Bourgeois, President
Bill Klos and Deb Hoch dare you to enter the 1999 J.M. Drama Car Rally Saturday, August 7 Meet at the Warehouse at 6:30 p.m. BBQ and Beverages to follow at "el Presidente's casa" "No one will be able to do the rally since it will take logic, planning, intelligence, common sense (without the revolution), an up-to-date map of Kitchener-Waterloo, patience between the driver and the navigator and an expectation of a completely new type of rally." Bill & Deb Are You up to the Challenge?
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