The Arts

Scott Carpenter, one of the organizers and performers of “Old Folk Favourites 3,” has a personal reason for helping out at the joint fundraiser for the Nord-Bridge Centre and the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.
“All of our parents use the services of either Nord-Bridge Seniors Centre or the LSCO. And my dad, Don Carpenter, teaches carving at the LSCO. I go for lunch there every day,” he said, showing off a couple of his father’s carvings, which usually sit on his desk at City Hall, where he his responsible for booking city facilities such as hockey rinks and theatres.
“I’ve been performing in Lethbridge for 20 years, so I’ve personally been supported by Lethbridge’s seniors community and I’m always being stopped in the street by seniors who talk to me about it. So knowing the proceeds go back to the seniors community is very near and dear to my heart.”
The all-ages family show at Yates Theatre, Feb. 17-18, also stars Jeff Carlson, Jordana Kohn, Erica Hunt, Arlene Bedster, Andre Royer and Kelly Roberts, who have been “reuniting” for the past two years just for this event and to revisit some of their favourite moments on stage together. Fifty volunteers are involved in putting on the performances.
“The way it started is we were asked to do some entertainment for the Seniors Games and Jim Hahn from Nord-Bridge thought it would make a great fundraiser,” Carpenter said.
“These shows are a lot more intimate. A grand piano, a few chairs, and us and our instruments is the only set.”
Organizers decided to have some fun with the “old folk” theme. As most of the songs that will be fall into the folk or acoustic vein, they thought they’d throw the word “folk” in between the show’s title “Old Favourites” and have some fun with the double entendre. Selections include “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “California Dreaming,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “King of the Road,” “Landslide,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “Walk Right In,” and many others.
As in past years, all of the profit from this event will be shared equally by Lethbridge’s two senior centres.
“The first year we did two soldout shows; the next year we did three shows. Two sold out and one almost sold out. This year we hope there will be three sellouts,” Carpenter said.
Last year’s fundraiser brought in $23,000, which was split between the two centres.
Marcie Stork, volunteer co-ordinator at the LSCO, said the money helps keep membership and meal costs affordable.
“Any money we make through fundraising means less we have to charge our members,” she said.
“Just knowing we have such a group of very talented people who are willing to help us out means a lot to us.”
Tickets are available for $37.50 for the Feb. 17-18 shows, which begin at 8 p.m. There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 18 for which tickets are $32.50. Purchase tickets at the Ticket Centre or by phoning 403-329-SEAT (7328).

The Galt Museum is going green for its latest exhibition, “Earth’s Climate in the Balance.”
Wendy Aitkens, Galt Museum curator, notes the purpose of hosting this travelling exhibit, which will be at the Galt until Earth Day on April 22, is to spark some discussion about environmental issues.
“There is a difference between weather and climate change. Weather is what you see when you step outside your door. Climate change is long term over millions of years,” she said.
She noted the museum plays an integral role in educating the public about issues like this through its exhibits.
“We have pretty serious environmental concerns. This exhibit tells you how to mitigate your environmental impact,” she continued.
The exhibition comes from the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Southampton, Ont. and explores the historical aspects of climate change. There are a variety of displays explaining the history of climate change as well as the materials and methods scientists utilize to study climate change.
Aitkens was interested in the display featuring extinct species.
“We had a number of extinct species here in North America,” she said.
Another interactive display examines how humans can reduce their eco-footprint. Activities include a test of environmental knowledge and a calculation of one’s environmental footprint.
A special activity allowed the Galt Museum to “recycle” leftovers on Jan. 21 for its Saturdays at 1:00 program — volunteers and staff helped make tiny terrariums, or mini-ecosytems, using rocks, charcoal, black dirt, a plant and a screen.
Former mayor Bob Tarleck, who attended the museum’s Community Day on Jan. 22 said this is another example of the Galt Museum “providing leadership for helping  us come to terms with issues that are going to be critical.”
Janet Youngdahl was also excited about opening day.
“This is a special exhibit because it is an important issue for the community. I think it is important that our children learn about them  when they’re young,” she said, while watching her six-year-old daughter Jasmine Mazidi build her terrarium.
On Feb. 15, the Wednesdays at the Galt program features “Greener Alberta Where No One is Left Behind” which sees Shannon Philips, economic policy analyst for the Alberta Federation of Labour, explore a practical plan for building a greener economy, keeping jobs in Alberta, and stablizing Alberta’s revenues to continue to deliver high-quality public services such as health care, education and children’s services. The programs runs from 2-3 p.m. Admission is free for annual pass holders; others pay admission for the week: $4 for seniors and $5 for adults. For more details, contact the Galt Museum at 403-320-3954.

Playgoers of Lethbridge is revisiting “How The Other Half Loves” Feb. 1-4 at the Yates Theatre.
   “It’s a play about infidelity and I am the infidel,” grinned Stephen Graham, who plays “Office Romeo” Bob Phillips.
“It’s just so cleverly written. It’s a farce but without the slamming doors,” he described.
Director Linda Bayly said the play was done about 35 years ago but as a fan of playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s work, she wanted to take it on.
“It is so funny so I was looking forward to doing it. I wanted a challenge,” she said.
The play, which premiered in 1969 in London and on Broadway in 1971, examines the lighter side of infidelity as three different couples, the Fosters, the Phillips and the Deteilers, cope with two of them having affairs. The challenge comes in having the sets for two households on the same stage. There is one scene taking place on two different days around the same dinner table with all six of the cast members.
She didn’t change much in the play, other than not having all of the couples as English.
“I wanted to stay true to Alan Ayckbourn’s words,” she said.
The production also stars Jane Meaker as Terri Phillips, Naomi Snelgrove as Mary Detweiler, Josh Hammerstedt as William Detweiler, Sheila Mattson as Fiona Foster and Ed Bayly as Frank Foster.
Ed was in Playgoers’ original production of “How The Other Half Loves” as William Detweiler.
“I played the husband of the younger couple, now I’m playing the older husband,” he said.
“Frank is the senior partner of the business. All of the husbands work for me. He doesn’t really realize what is happening.”
He admits while good intentioned, Foster’s misunderstandings end up causing complete chaos.
“It’s a very cleverly written play and Alan Ayckbourn is a very accomplished writer of comedies. He’s still alive and has written over 80 plays.”
Frank is enjoying not only being back on stage for the first time in several years since “Moon Over Buffalo,” he is also enjoying working under his wife’s direction.
“She’s doing a great job. The first time Playgoers did it in Coaldale and we brought it to Lethbridge. Linda was working backstage on it,” he reminisced.
Mattson, who plays Fiona Foster is enjoying her role.
“It’s a really wonderful opportunity to be performing with my favourite people,” she said, even though she thought she was “too long in the tooth” to play Fiona.
“She’s in a boring, humdrum co-dependent relationship. They want nothing to do with each other, so she has an affair with Bob Phillips. They both blame other people.”
Hammerstedt, who has been in numerous productions with Playgoers including “Send Me No Flowers in October, is enjoying his role as William.
“I’m an obsessively controlling husband. And I’m absolutely positive I’m always right,” Hammerstedt said of his character. “If there’s something to know, I know it.”
As a complete contrast, Snelgrove, a veteran of numerous main stage productions, plays his wife Mary.
“She’s a slightly backwards wife who puts her trust in her husband,” she said.
Graham is looking forward to opening night.
“I’m wearing less clothes than I ever have before,” he laughed.
“It’s such a funny play. When you make the jokes and the audience laugh in the right places, that’s when I feel the biggest rush. I feel the energy coming back from the audience.”

Celeste Pryde, a.k.a. Lady Celeste, is a pretty inspirational woman, so it’s no surprise the Lethbridge Life Drawing group is using her as the subject for its latest exhibition “Lady Celeste” at the Yates Memorial Centre, Jan. 23-Feb. 24. The opening reception is Jan. 28, 7-9 p.m.
“It’s not my show; I’m just the muse,” said Pryde.
A number of local life drawing artists will have works in the show including Amy Dodic, Eric Martens, Donna Gallant, Karina Mak, Helen Fileg, Gherhardt Beyer, Sylvia Klassen, Blake Wilson, Bev Mundel-Atherstone, Bob Webb and Bev Mazurick.
“I’m just happy to be part of the process,” she said.
Mazurick describes Pryde as an “excellent model.”
“She can sit still and she’s beautiful. She poses in costumes she created. They’re phenomenal and very interesting.”
While Pryde is good at sitting down to model, she doesn’t like to be idle.
“I’m not good at sitting down,” she said.
“When I was first diagnosed, the doctor told I’d have to quit work. I went out and began volunteering,” she said.
Pryde suffers from several types of arthritis, and was diagnosed with temporal arteritis, the giant cell disease, last February. She isn’t letting that slow her down.
“What’s the point in just lying around? If you do that, you’re already dead. The more you do, the less you think about your pain,” she philosophized.
It’s hard to believe Celeste can sit still as she always has a dozen different projects on the go, from 27 different types of Christmas baking to volunteering on numerous boards.
Lady Celeste not only has been modelling since she was four years old, appearing in catalogues for Eatons and Sears, but is a fashion designer and artist in her own right.
“My oldest sister moved to Toronto, so I went to visit her,” she said, adding her sister was a model.
She became a model after one of the other models working with her sister was injured and unable to do the shoot, so they let Celeste do it. She impressed them by showing she could “sit still.” She continued to work as a model up into her 20s, appearing in ads for everything from pink insulation to Monsanto products.
She also believes in contributing to her community, playing a variety of important roles on boards as volunteer co-ordinator for organizations such as the Special Olympics. She has also been involved with the Girl Guides for 35 years. She is also involved with L’Arche, which assists youth with intellectual disabilities. She has also travelled the world and started her own charitable business, selling clothing created by women in Syria, with all of the proceeds going back to them.
“Life is for living. You must live life to its fullest,” she said.
“You have to get out and talk to people.”
That is why she started her business selling Syrian women’s clothing, which appealed to her love for fashion.
While touring the Middle East with her husband, she met some of the women over there and started admiring their work.
When she expressed interest in selling their clothing, they settled on a price of $60 as she said if they received any more money, chances are it would have been taken from them.
“Women are art, so they need to dress as such,” she said, adding if women dress well, it helps them feel good about themselves.