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The Blyth _ Festival announced today that The Outdoor Donnellys, the festival‘s proven smash hit, will kick off the 30th anniversary season in 2004. The outdoor extravaganâ€" za kicks off the season June 16, 2004. Tickets for The Outdoor Donnellys are already on sale now, and are expected to go very quickly, after sellâ€" ing out in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The Outdoor Donnellys is only offered for a limited run from June 16â€"25, as a special celebration of the ix Shakespeare plays, Salong with seven other productions will be mounted at the Stratford Festival of Canada in 2004 as artistic director Richard Monette moves toward his goal of producing all the plays Shakespeare ever wrote. "It has been my ambition to produce every play of Shakespeare during my time as artistic director at the Stratford Festival, and this season moves me very close to that goal," said Monette, who believes Festival enthuâ€" siasts as well as new playgoâ€" ers deserve the opportunity to see the full range of works written by the world‘s greatâ€" est playwright. Outdoor Donnellys return to Blyth stage for 2004 season In addition to Macbeth and A Midsummer Night‘s Dream, which have been produced in other seasons of Monette‘s tenure since 1994, the Festival will mount four Shakespeare plays not seen in many years at Stratâ€" ’I’he Waterloo Community Arts Centre will transâ€" form itself into a lively Spanish nightâ€"spot Nov. 12 with the thythms and artistry of Flamenco guiâ€" tarists Arsen Torlakovic and Neil Douglas Decorated â€" with the colours and props of Spain. the evening festivities will include a Salsa and Latin dancing demonstration, a beer tasting by Brick Brewâ€" ery and a wine tasting from Stoney Ridge Estate Winery. as well as a live and silent auction Proceeds from _ the fundraiser will support the many programs and events offered at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre at 7 Shakespeare will be centre stage in Stratford for 2004 season Included in the live auc tion segment will be art works and paintings by some of Waterloo region s most talented artists Tickets for this event may be purchased at WCAC Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m The fundraiser will begin The Canadian Classic for 2004 is David French‘s Saltâ€" Water Moon. French‘s play 30th anniversary. Heat Wave is an overâ€"theâ€" top romantic comedy conâ€" cerning a Mayâ€"December romance between Giselle, a recent widow, and her new beau who is the same age as her children. This saucy bedroom farce is sure to heat up the summer at the Blyth Festiâ€" val. Heat Wave opens July 7 and runs until Aug. 20. There will be two musiâ€" cals: Guys and Dolls and Anything Goes. â€" Next on the lineup is Heat Wave by Michel Marc Bouchard. ford: Henry VIII, Timon of Athens, King John and Cymâ€" beline. At the Avon Theatre, the Festival will also present the farce Noises Off and The Count of Monte Crisco, a swashbuckling stage adaptaâ€" tion of Alexandre Dumas‘ novel. "The classic musical, in many ways, is the heir to Shakespeare in the way the stories are told," Monette said. "In a musical, you have songs, in Shakespeare, you have soliloquies. There is an immediacy about the charâ€" acters and the action that is like little else in the theatre between Shakespeare‘s time and the 20th century." "It is deliberate programâ€" ming to suit the strengths of each stage," said executive director Antoni Cimolino. "The Avon is a traditional prosceniumarch house and was the winner of the 1985 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding new play when it first took the counâ€" try by storm. This classic love story is sure to please as the engagâ€" ing story creeps up on you like an unexpected kiss on a summer evening. â€" Saltâ€" Water Moon runs July 14â€" Aug. 21. Perennial Blyth Festival favourite Ted Johns has penned another world preâ€" miere: Cricket _ and Claudette. Johns examines amalgamation and the postâ€" Walkerton bureacracy. it‘s a place that lends itself to musicals, comedies and spectacular entertainment." While the 1,824â€"seat Fesâ€" tival Theatre allows artists to examine the "scope and size" of Shakespeare‘s works, the 487â€"seat Tom Patterson Theatre affords the chance to take an intimate approach that "comes very close to the text," Monette said. At the 260â€"seat Studio Theatre, the Festival will mount two new Canadian works: the third part of Peter Hinton‘s Swanne trilogy, titled The Swanne: Queen Victoria (The Seduction of Nemesis), as well as The Eleâ€" phant Song by Quebec playâ€" wright Nicolas Billon. "This is an amazing play we‘ve workshopped through our new play development program and the script is a real pageâ€"turner," Monette Rounding out the Studio offerings is The Triumph of Love, The Festival‘s firstâ€"ever Cricket and Claudette will be making the audience how! with laughter from Aug. 4 â€" Sept. 4. The rules of harassment are rewritten and ignite scandal and romance at the village dumpsite. This show is playing for a limited engagement from July 20â€"23. â€" Canada‘s musical treasâ€" ure Anne Lederman brings oldâ€"style fiddling to the Blyth Festival with Spirit of the Narrows. Through stories and song, Anne delivers a surâ€" prising and powerful fidâ€" production of a work by 18thâ€"century French author Pierre Marivaux. "Richard Monette continâ€" ues to demonstrate his extraordinary ability to build California ~»â€" SPA & > tb % "~ F ~[+0 M _ Consider the benefits of excercizsing J _ in the privacy of your own home. 1s.com Kitchener/Waterioo 519â€"747â€"7754 490 Weber St North Waterlag. Ontano PRE SEASON FITNESS SALE dling jamboree second to none. Rounding out the season is Test Drive by Dave Carley. Blyth Festival artistic direcâ€" tor Eric Coates takes the stage as Earl Hughes, a car salesman whose love affair with Nash and American Motos products is a close second to his love of family. This show will appeal to anyone who‘s ever loved cars, spouses, children or all of the above. Coates says,"This is an ambitious and exciting seaâ€" a wonderful and diverse playbill around the works of William Shakespeare," said Cimolino. "With six Shakeâ€" spearean plays, musicals, new Canadian works and Test Drive opens Aug. 11 ~Sept. 4. Goliger‘s TravelPlus and Sunguest Vacations invite you to our Riu Resorts Presentation Come and see why Riu Resorts are the finest resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. Sungquest Vacations will show you how you can make a Riu Resort part of an unforgettable vacation experience. Presentation will be at Goliger‘s TravelPlus in Waterloo on while walching TV hstening to a CD or tallung to family or fnends improve your haalth and hiness level No crowded changeroom No lineups No annual fees October 30th at 7pm Goliger‘s travel <plus: 234 King St. South, Watertoo 741â€"0770 Please RSVP to John at 741â€"0770 ext. 221 eel aood sto Voucher packages for the five main stage shows are available now and make great Christmas presents. Buy now and save up to $7 on each ticket. son that will appeal to all ages. It‘s a great way to celeâ€" brate our first 30 years." Packages can be purâ€" 2 chased by calling the Blyth 3 Festival box office at 1â€"877â€" 2 862â€"5984. 3 Tickets for The Outdoor Donnellys are also available by phone. _ â€" classics from world literaâ€" ture, the Festival offers a broad range of theatreâ€"going experiences for our loyal patrons as well as new visiâ€" tors to Stratford." _ More information on the 2004 season is available at www.blythfestival.com.