Submitted by Will Arscott

 

 

The meeting was held once again in the Main Dining Room at the Saskatoon Club. Emcee for the meeting was President Wendy. All of us were properly greeted at the door by Jack Brodsky who also introduced visitors and guests. The meeting began with members singing O Canada.  Our singing was led by Gary Rusu who set a reasonable key and the members sang with some gusto.

 

The blessing was asked by Maureen Torr who talked about the importance of compassion. In many ways compassion is what drives our lives in Rotary. Cashier for this meeting was Wayne Palmer. Paul Gauthier handled technology.

 

 

There were three guests brought by Jim Weber. We welcomed Jim Winkay (Sp?)  and Karen Weiter who were checking out our club (in a good way).  Jim has been a student sponsor in Mexico, and both have been involved in a water project there. We were also introduced to Tina Bowle who has specialized computer/marketing knowledge and is coming on board to assist with the administration of the Becas Program.

 

Our guest speaker was Kenn McLeod, Executive Director of Saskatoon Summer Players, who was introduced later in the meeting.

 

There was no news club reported.

 

 

The next meeting is in two weeks on June 24. It is the President’s Dinner to recognize the work Wendy has done over her year and it will be an evening meeting at the Saskatoon Club. Please try to attend. There is a choice of chicken or fish please RSVP to Wendy with your choice as the club needs to know numbers ahead of the dinner. It should be a great social evening.

 

Donna Gauthier announced that all the grocery cards are now sold. Thanks to everyone who purchased cards. This project made about $2,000 for our club. Thanks to Donna and Paul for their work on this project. It has been a continual commitment, and the club greatly appreciates their dedication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our speaker was introduced by Will Arscott. Kenn McLeod, is an award-winning performer, director, educator, intimacy director, dramaturg, and clown.  He received his BFA in Acting at the University of Regina and his MFA in Directing from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.  You might have seen his work around Persephone Theatre recently as Chef Louie in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ Chester and Clark in the ‘Fiancée’ or as the director of ‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. He is a sessional lecturer at the U of S Drama Department, the Executive Director of Saskatoon Summer Players, and Co-Executive Leadership of ‘On the Boards.’

 

In 2024 Saskatoon Summer Players (SSP) celebrates its 60^th anniversary bringing Broadway musicals to the people of Saskatoon.  Over the years they have done 120 shows. Initially it was started by a group of high school teachers as an early summer project doing a single show each year. It has evolved into a community-based organization still built around a major summer show but with a smaller show in the fall. The group started out performing at Castle Theatre at Aden Bowman Collegiate. Today the big productions take place at Persephone Theatre with the smaller productions at the Broadway Theatre. In recent years a third event has been added which is a Review done at the Refinery or The Basement around February.

 

SSP is intended to be an all-volunteer company. The company can hire for specialized needs or if something just isn’t available locally. There are only two part-time employees. There are many jobs involved in mounting a large musical and the audience sees only a part of the company involved.  A full production may require as many as a hundred or a hundred and twenty people.

 

It is the people who make SSP special. The energy can be amazing. Families have come up through SSP. Kenn’s own son Laughlin is in the current production.  Recently SSP signed a three-year agreement for space in a strip mall off Idylwyld. In the future they are hoping to be part of a redevelopment of the bus barns.

 

SSP has been well run and remains financially solid though attendance numbers are down.

 

The show for this summer is the 1957 classic ‘Music Man.’ The show is set in River City Iowa in 1912. River City is a very forthright and uptight community. The plot beings when a conman and flim-flam artist who goes by the name of Dr. Harold Hill arrives in town.  Hill’s plan is to sell the town on purchasing instruments and uniforms for a boy’s band which he will organize and direct. Once the purchase is made, he will skip town because he knows nothing about music.

 

Of course, things don’t go as planned. He is able to make people believe his flim-flam. First, he converts the town council, who have squabbled and hated one another for years, into a barbershop quarter.  He announces, “from now on you will never see one of these men without the others.”

 

He finally converts even the most strait-laced Marion the librarian to his message. She knows he is a conman but likes the way he changes the town.  In the end everyone is redeemed and the only one that is surprised is Harold Hill himself.  It is a great story. It runs through to June 21 at Persephone. Tickets are available through the Persephone box-office.

 

Wendy thanked Kenn and the regular donation will be made to Bethany homes.

 

 

Next meeting is the President’s Dinner on June 24.