If last week we listened to great jazz, as well as sang and danced, this past weekend we laughed for three nights running.

Thornbury Community Theatre, which has its home base in the MSC, entertained sold-out houses from Thursday to Saturday. We gave them a standing ovation for their wonderful work in Fred Carmichael's entertaining and cleverly funny play Exit Who? on Saturday night.

It would be hard to single out one actor as being especially good - they all filled their roles so very well with each one's comedic talents just shining. Well done TCT members! Congratulations and tip of the hat to the actors, and also to all those who worked behind the scenes as well.

It wouldn't have been such a success without the set, the lights and sound, the costumes, the props, the ticket sales and publicity, the makeup - which means there were lots of people behind the scenes making sure that all these things were taken care of in top notch fashion. A great theatre troupe - such a credit to the community!

Tickets going fast - Lunch at Allen's
"Lunch at who?"

"Who's Allen?"

"Do I know him"

"What's it all about?"

Those were the sorts of questions both Bev Lapointe and I heard during our separate attendance at the TCT play over the weekend.  We know that those who read this column are aware of the upcoming concert which is the kickoff to Marsh Street's major fund raising for the next two years.

(Haven't I written enough about it that you're bored, yet?)

But for those of you who might not know about Lunch at Allen's - it is a musical group of four of Canada's premier singer/songwriters - Murray McLauchlan, Ian Thomas, Marc Jordan and Cindy Church. They have kindly agreed to perform for us on Saturday, May 10 - that's this coming Saturday - at 8 p.m.

Tickets are going very quickly. It seems as if everyone in town buys tickets to events the week or the night before the event. But it looks as if we will have a sold-out house - and that would be wonderful - not only for Marsh Street Centre but for the group - a compliment to them.

It should be a terrific evening. This group is not only musically talented but also engages the audience in the performance. I've seen them and they are very funny. The doors will open at 7 p.m. and there will be wine and beer available as well as some snacks, tea, coffee and water. Thank you, Lions' Club for managing this for us.

Isn't it great when there are such wonderful partnerships around to make things happen in this town?
So if you want tickets please call the Centre 519-599-7837. You can use Visa or MasterCard on purchases at MSC. Tickets are also available at Jessica's Book Nook in Thornbury,  Stuff to Read, in Meaford, and the Crow's Nest, in Collingwood, but we have very few  tickets left. (Please note tickets purchased at the three commercial outlets are on a cash-only basis.)

So hopefully, I'll see you all at this concert, and then I'll be pitching our next one - The Arrogant Worms, set for  Thursday August 14, just before they go up to play at Summerfolk in Owen Sound.

The reason we are putting on these fundraising concerts and events is that we have many items that come under the heading of capital costs, like upgrades to the electrical system, installation of a new kitchen floor (and we desperately need new commercial-grade appliances in the kitchen) and installation of a new security system.

While our income from programs, events and rentals covers the operating expenses, we need to raise capital to cover these huge costs. And then of course there will be a large cost when Clarksburg gets water and sewers. So you can see, we have a couple of years ahead of us to raise money. But hope to do a lot of this fund raising through events that will entertain you and give you good value for your money.

AGM on June 10
All members will have received a notice that our AGM is on Tuesday June 10 at 7:30 - I hope there will be a lot of members there and that some more people will come forward to volunteer with us. It is really a lot of fun at the Centre.

Acting Out Youth Theatre Company
This wonderful group of youngsters is already in rehearsal for their next performance. They will be putting on The Princess and the Pea - one of my favourite fairy tales! Performances are scheduled for Friday June 13, Saturday June 14 and a Sunday matinee on the 15th.

We are so lucky to have such a terrific outlet for our local kids to experience theatre in their own community. Taking any role in an theatre troupe can give a child so much in the way of developing imagination, creativity, self-confidence. But then you know all that! I'm preaching to the converted. I do think though that Lindsay Clark (granddaughter of Marsh Street Centre's own Irene Gibson) and Kevin Lutz her partner really are providing a wonderful opportunity for these young people.

Kevin, by the way, also has helped out with the Thornbury Community Theatre productions and is helping us with lights for the upcoming Lunch at Allen's concert. He is a Ryerson graduate. He tells me that tickets will be available soon for the performances and can be purchased at BeMused.
Relay for Life

And finally - don't forget to give Linda Potter a call at 519-599-3649 and sign up for the MSC team that she is organizing to participate in the Relay for Life on July 18. There are many runs, walks and relays to raise money to combat cancer, and each one of them deserves support, but this one is particularly moving. Do please consider it when you're making your summer plans.