“I used to have a plan,” Molly tells Bud the first time they meet.  25 years later, Molly finds herself a widowed empty nester, and still without a plan. Bud, however, has a plan that includes both of them, and has had 2 1/2 decades to mull over his inextinguishable longing for a woman he only met briefly three times.

Much to Molly’s dismay, Bud relentlessly pursues her, starting with an awkwardly amusing interaction at her late husband’s graveside on the day of the funeral.  She is determined to rebuff him and live out her days alone, feeling that she is “too old’ for love and romance. Bud is adamant about breaking down her walls and relighting her passion for life and love with the flame he has been holding for her all these years.

Through a series of endearingly awkward encounters, both present and past, Old Love’s characters will force the audience to face issues of infidelity, divorce, bucking the status quo, and what it means to really be alive.

Come fall in love all over again!

On Friday, January 19th a truly remarkable duo formed by 20 year old cellist Bryan Cheng and his sister, pianist Silvie Cheng will demonstrate their “virtuoso fireworks” and “impeccable technique” at 7:30 pm on the Frank Venables Theatre stage. Known as the Cheng2 Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) they will present a program called Russian Soul that features Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. Bryan believes that music is like a layer of glue that holds human spirits together. He and his sister make this easy to believe.

The dynamic siblings, named one of CBC Music’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30” have quickly become an audience favourite wherever they perform. The obvious affection between the two who have made music together for the past 14 years extends into the music itself. It is hardly surprising they have established a reputation for being invited to return engagements at prestigious venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Your entry to a magical winter evening of superb music can be secured by obtaining tickets online www.venablestheatre.ca or at the theatre box office Tuesday – Thursday between 10 am and 3 pm. Buy any 2 or 3 tickets in advance for $21/ticket. An advance single ticket is $23 and a single ticket at the door the evening of the concert is $25. Children and Youth are $2.50. If you come early (6:15) you can enjoy hearing local music students play in the theatre foyer.

Silvie and Bryan are quintessentially Canadian. Silvie describes their background as international as do so many Canadians. Born in Tokyo, Japan, she moved to Ottawa as an infant with her parents who are of Chinese heritage. Bryan, 7 years younger, was born and raised in Ottawa too. Both are multi lingual. Silvie now lives in New York where she performs and also uses advanced video conferencing technology to give weekly lessons to students around the world. Bryan lives in Berlin where he studies music in German and performs worldwide. Silvie remarks, “We are proud Canadians wherever we go.”

Surprisingly the siblings, despite living now on different continents, manage to see each other every few weeks. Nonetheless, the present 8 weeks of touring in B.C. and Ontario is a luxury of time together for the two.

Bryan was mentored from age 8 by Yuli Turovsky, a famed cellist from Moscow who moved to Canada in 1976. At Turovsky’s funeral in 2013, Bryan explained that Turovsky “didn’t want an average cellist”. He had Bryan make his orchestral debut when he was 8 years old. Bryan says, he (Turovsky) told me not to lose my artistic side; for him playing music with your whole heart was important.” Bryan will bring that perspective to the program of Russian music on January 19th. Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to peek into the Russian soul and to do it with two amazing young Canadians already recognized for their mature impassioned musicianship.

An exciting 25th Anniversary for the annual Mainly for Women Trade Show is coming up on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Oliver Community Centre Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This show is a major fundraiser for the Women of Oliver for Women (WOW). All monies raised work “to enhance the lives of women and children in our Community and beyond” including bursaries to help disadvantaged women return to post-secondary education and enhance their careers. These empowering projects are what give the trade show its name. The trade show, however, has something for everyone: men, women and children.

The Trade Show hosts 55 and more vendors bringing a spectacular array of products to view and purchase. A sampling might include healthcare, arts and crafts, fashion jewelry, hair care, preserves, clothing, insurance, real estate, home care products and much much more.

Admission is free! Refreshments are also available from the kitchen to enjoy with family and friends.

Want to be a vendor? $50 gets you a table. Download the information package and application here:

WOW Trade-Show-Info-Sheet 2018

WOW Trade-Show-Entry Form 2018

Deadline for vendor entry forms and payment is February 7th.

Info: Sally Franks, 250-498-0104

Local quilter Marianne Parsons and fabric artist Janet Bednarczyk appear in this upcoming exhibit at the Peachland Art Gallery. The show, Ekphrastic, is features quilts based on 10 Canadian poets with 4 quilts for each poet. There is an opening reception Saturday January 13th from 12 noon – 3 pm at the art gallery with many artists in attendance. So what is “ekphrastic”? Seethe Wikipedia explanation below…

Ekphrasis, from the Greek for the description of a work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, often used in the adjectival form ekphrastic, is a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or imagined. In ancient times, it referred to a description of any thing, person, or experience. The word comes from the Greek words for ‘out’ and ‘speak’ , and the verb ekphrázein, “to proclaim or call an inanimate object by name”.

According to the Poetry Foundation, “an ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.”[2] More generally, an ekphrastic poem is a poem inspired or stimulated by a work of art.

Ekphrasis has been considered generally to be a rhetorical device in which one medium of art tries to relate to another medium by defining and describing its essence and form, and in doing so, relate more directly to the audience, through its illuminative liveliness. A descriptive work of prose or poetry, a film, or even a photograph may thus highlight through its rhetorical vividness what is happening, or what is shown in, say, any of the visual arts, and in doing so, may enhance the original art and so take on a life of its own through its brilliant description. One example is a painting of a sculpture: the painting is “telling the story of” the sculpture, and so becoming a storyteller, as well as a story (work of art) itself. Virtually any type of artistic medium may be the actor of, or subject of ekphrasis.

In this way, a painting may represent a sculpture, and vice versa; a poem portray a picture; a sculpture depict a heroine of a novel; in fact, given the right circumstances, any art may describe any other art, especially if a rhetorical element, standing for the sentiments of the artist when she/he created her/his work, is present.

The Frank Venables Theatre, operated by the Oliver Community Theatre Society, is very pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

The grant has gone towards acquiring specialised equipment to enhance and upgrade the theatre. The funds received covered in part the purchase of a synthetic Marley dance floor, condenser microphones and twelve LED light fixtures.

The Marley dance floor provides a safe, non-slip surface suitable for all genres of dance. It also protects the stage from damage caused by tap shoes or rosin for ballet pointe shoes. Having a Marley floor makes the theatre more attractive to renters as they no longer have to provide their own, saving time and labour.

The condenser microphones have been installed over the stage. The purpose of the microphones is to captures acoustic instruments and un-amplified voices and feed them into the sound board in the control booth, where the sound from the stage can be enhanced if required for all patrons, and be sent into the existing hearing loop system for broadcast to patrons who use hearing aids. 

 The twelve light fixtures are now available to be used as “side lights” to light the stage from the wings or as extras on stage. These lights offer designers increased options and flexibility, and provide an ease of use as lights do not have to be removed from the existing lighting grid.

The Frank Venables Theatre is a modern, fully-equipped community theatre available for rent for a wide range of performing arts activities from dance and music, to theatre, children’s events and community activities. With its spacious lobby and ample stage, the theatre boasts sophisticated lighting and audio systems. We are proud to welcome groups from within the Okanagan and around the globe. The theatre opened in 2014, literally rising out of the ashes of the historic art-deco style Venables Auditorium which burned to the ground in the fall of 2011. With 400 seats and state-of-the-art theatrical equipment, Frank Venables Theatre is the premier performing arts facility of the South Okanagan.

In loving memory of

Marie Evelyn New (nee Evans)

October 8, 1923 – December 7, 2017

Evie was born in New Westminster, moving to Oliver at the age of three with her pioneer family in 1926. They settled on a ten acre farm west of the Town.

Evie attended school becoming very involved in sports, later to become an avid golfer and bowler.

Evie married Wheeler New, April 10, 1941. Both enlisted in the Army. Wheeler was sent overseas, Evie became an office clerk in Victoria. After leaving the army they lived in several locations in the Rock Creek, Mabel Lake areas. When they returned to Oliver in the sixties, Evie worked for the High School while Wheeler became a school bus driver.

Evie started painting with her mother Georgiana in the 1950s and became an accomplished artist. Evie has been a member of the Oliver Art Club (Oliver Sagebrushers) and the Oliver Community Arts Council for many years. As well as attending numerous workshops she also instructed, her forte being Pastel Portraits and Watercolor Flowers. Her paintings may be seen in many homes and businesses. Her passion for art kept her painting until now at 94.

Evie became an honored member of the Elks Royal Purple, a long time member of the Oliver Legion, and the Oliver Senior’s Center. She and Wheeler spent many years coaching bowling. She was a member of the Fairview Golf Course and later the NK’MIP Canyon Golf Course. Her home is decorated with many trophies from both sports. Bridge and Bingo were also favorite pastimes.

Evie (L), Agnes (C) and Sally (R)

Evie was predeceased by her husband Wheeler, Father David Evans, mother Georgiana Evans, sisters Agnes Sutherland, Esther Dawson, and brothers Tom Evans and Clark Evans.

Evie will be deeply missed by her brother David Evans, and sister Olive Barrett, nieces Sally Franks, Leslie Potter, Linda Payne, Teresa Sommerville, Judy Harpur. Mary Wills, Peggy Lindgren, Gloria Crookes, Lorraine Anderson, Corrine Jones, Barb Evans, and Rene Sutherland, nephews Fraser, David and John Sutherland, Andy and Mark Evans, Rob Evans, and Wade Kohl. The Ackerman family, Eddie, Eileen. Alma , Muriel and Jean.

Aunt Evie was great aunt to many and loved by all. Her greatest desire was to be able to remain in her own home as long as possible, this was made possible by Linda who lived with her this past year and her niece Sally whom she called her “Manager.” Her delight was to spend time on the Ranch with Judy and golf with her nieces. Cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska with her nieces and their spouses were very special times for her.

Thanks to Dr.Yves Thomas and the awesome, compassionate nursing staff for making her life as fulfilled as possible.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Heart and Stroke or the charity of your choice.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday December 16, 2017 at the Oliver Legion Hall.

Condolences and tributes may be directed to www.nunes-pottinger.com

Arrangements entrusted to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Services& Cremation, Oliver Osoyoos.

At the end of life what really matters is not what we built;

not what we shared;

not our competence;

but our character;

and not our success, but our significance.

Live a life that matters.

Live a life of love.

Two spectacular evenings of dance await audiences this season when the Frank Venables Theatre continues its annual series of local, national and international dance. Each year professional artists and their companies are invited to Oliver to present a range of dance styles from classical to contemporary, cultural to fusion.

This year’s Passport to Dance travels from Mexico to Spain then back to Canada with the renowned Flamenco Rosario. Share these artists’ passion for flamenco’s raw, emotional power and disciplined musicality. Their newest work, “La Monarca – The Monarch and the Butterfly Effect” is described as emergent, beautiful and unexpected.

The celebrated Okanagan dance company Ballet Kelowna returns this year with four stunning new works by four female choreographers. The evening, entitled “Elles – Extraordinary Dance created by Women” demonstrates Ballet Kelowna’s continuing success in encouraging, promoting, and developing Canadian dancers and choreographers.

This season’s Passport to Dance makes a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer. Passports offer tickets to both dance performances for only $20 for students and children, while adult passports cost $55. That’s a 40% discount over the door price for young people and over 20% for adults.

On Tuesday February 6th Ballet Kelowna will deliver the very best of contemporary ballet while Flamenco Rosario, with their mix of authentically traditional and contemporary dance, arrive on Oliver’s Frank Venables stage on Monday April 9th.

The Passport to Dance is available at www.venablestheatre.ca or through the box office Tuesday thru Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm. Drop by or call 250-498-1626. The box office is in the theatre lobby at 6100 Gala Street, on the corner of Fairview Road, Oliver.

Take a voyage into the performing arts with the Venables Theatre Passport to Dance.

The arts council has entered the Festival of Trees on display now at the Frank Venables Theatre lobby. The tree is decorated in three of our logo colours: a perfect colour triad of purple, orange, and green. Quails play a large part of the decorations, including the tree topper by JoAnn Turner. Thanks to our Tree Team: JoAnn, Bernice Myllyniemi and Caroline Whyte!

Thank you Janet Bednarczyk and the CreatAbility class for all the paper crafted ornaments.

Many member groups and businesses also contributed ornaments to our Festival of Trees entry. Gelato spoons, film canisters and rolls, along with beaded, painted, knitted, quilted, and musical ornaments grace its branches. To see more of the tree, watch the  video here:  Festival of Trees Facebook video or here: Festival of Trees Adobe Video

Please drop by the theatre and enjoy all the trees on display. Vote for your favourite! You can make a donation with your vote, supporting BC Children’s Hospital.  Vote before January 3 during open hours at the Frank Venables Theatre (Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m – 3 p.m.) or at any performance.

Another instance of the wonderful array of talent found in our little town of Oliver is found in Helen Wollf. Wollf’s background in music has led to an invitation as one of the clinicians at the BCGEHR Spring Ring 2018 where she will present on Beginner Solo Ringing and Small Ensembles with Bells.

“Having such an opportunity as this is really exciting. I was introduced to solo ringing by a performance done at a Guild Spring Ring more than 20 years ago. This is full circle for me,” says Wollf.

Starting private music lessons as a child at the age of 2 before she could read the alphabet and broadening her music training into voice, wind instruments and handbells, and also to conducting under the auspices of Lars Kaario, conductor of the Capilano Singers, Wollf has broad experience and training in music to share.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have a wide variety of learning opportunities in my music education and I enjoy being able to invest that into the South Okanagan both as an elementary school teacher and as a musical director in a community group,” continues Wollf.

Currently Wollf is on partial maternity leave from School District 53, Wollf shares her time and talents as the Musical Director of the Oliver Handbell Ringers and will be performing a solo as part of their Christmas concerts entitled “One Winter’s Night” held at Christ the King Catholic Church, Friday, December 15th at 7:30 p.m and Sunday, December 17th at 3:00 p.m.

“Handbells are such an amazing instrument – impressive to see and brilliant to hear. They thrilled me at age 11, and still do the same today!” says Wollf, “Come experience their magic this Christmas season!”

David James and Big River are often described as one of the most authentic Johnny Cash tribute shows touring today. Thousands of fans agree with those reviews, as they routinely sell out shows in venues large and small across Canada and the U.S.

James and his band – Todd Sacerty on bass, Duncan Symonds on guitar and pedal steel, and Colin Stevenson on drums – look and sound like the legacy of the Man in Black, and when they step on stage, they live it.

From the way David James holds his guitar to the way he talks to his audience, the legendary musician lives again when James steps to the mike and says, “Hello – I’m almost Johnny Cash.”

Tickets $30 advance, $35 same day can be purchased here;  Frank Venables Theatre

The lively Community Christmas Concert, on Sunday November 26, bursts with energy and surprises. The variety show’s lineup includes some special guests, several new performers, and the return of local audience favourites. “We want to create a flow of festivity from the lobby to the stage and back again, so the fun never stops,” explains co-producer Andrea Furlan. From ballet to belly dancers, cherubic carollers, country rock, jazzy singalongs, and a certain red suited gent with a belly laugh, the revue’s celebration of the season is delightfully fresh.

The stage show begins at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday November 26 at the Frank Venables Theatre. But the lobby activity starts much earlier. Arrive up to 45 minutes early to enjoy entertainment in the lobby. The Festival of Trees has its public opening that afternoon. Stroll with friends among the dazzling display and vote for your favourite Christmas tree. Sing along to seasonal melodies by a musical quartet in the lobby, featuring trumpet, violin, clarinet and piano.

The OES Children’s Choir kicks off the stage show at 2:30 with some jolly singing. Audience favourite Rebel Luv returns with some Christmas country rock. Expect Mikie and Ken to get folks clapping and tapping along. The toe-tapping continues with some lively numbers by Leah Moen’s Oliver Dance Studio. Dancers strut their stuff on the new Marley floor, courtesy of the Oliver Community Theatre Society. Catch your breath while JoAnn Turner recites some Christmas poetry. Then it’s a new twist on “Jingle Bells” with a jingly belly dance by Halawa (pictured).

During intermission, the lobby hums with more festivity: Aimee Grice provides background on vocals and guitar. And who’s that arriving with a “Ho Ho Ho”? Bring your cameras to capture the grand old elf himself!

Special guests from Ballet Kelowna (pictured), perform the lovely Arabian Dance from The Nutcracker to open the second half in style. Bluesy singer and pianist Bianca Berkland leads an audience singalong with her dad Noel accompanying on guitar. The Yamaha C3 grand piano gets a workout, courtesy of the South Okanagan Concert Society. Ringing in the season will be the Oliver Elementary Handbell Team. In a swirl of Victorian gowns and top hats, the Sage Valley Voices sing a stunning concluding set of carols, under the direction of Lori Martine. Santa is set to send all children home with bags of treats at the end of the concert. Prize-winning games and quizzes will entertain the kids during the show as well.

Admission is by cash donation. All cash proceeds go to the Oliver Food Bank. Goods for the Oliver Food Bank are also welcome.

The Community Christmas Concert is a co-presentation between the Oliver Community Arts Council and the Oliver Community Theatre Society.

Musaic Vocal Ensemble presents: “A Christmas Collage”
Join us to experience a sound collage of Christmas choral music. From 16th Century Renaissance polyphony to brand new compositions, from a bit of jazz to a bit of folk, from Benjamin Britten to the Pentatonix – whatever your choral tastes, you’ll be filled with the joy and beauty of the season. And if you love to sing, you’ll even have the opportunity to sing along with some favourite Christmas carols.

December 8th, 2017, 7:30 p.m.
St. Savior’s Anglican Church
150 Orchard Ave,
Penticton BC

December 9th, 2:30 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church,
15244 Victoria Rd N
Summerland.BC

Oliver is a small town with plenty of talent. Filled to the brim with artists, it’s no wonder that two young musicians are getting set to represent the community this Christmas.

Nicole Thorp and Devin Riley are members of the Oliver Handbell Ringers (OHR). The pair have been selected to join the Okanagan Handbell Chorus, an elite group of ringers cherry-picked for their talents, to accompany the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.

Both have musical backgrounds in piano, which is certainly an asset with the handbells.

Thorp’s ringing career began in 2007, as a charter member of OHR. Nicole began piano lessons at 8 years old, and carried that love for music throughout her entire life. She earned two separate music degrees in college. When asked about the differences between performing an instrument, such as the piano and performing with a handbell choir Thorp informed, “It is a VERY different experience than playing on a keyboard instrument. In an ensemble situation you may be responsible for 2 or 10 tones in the entire piece. You rely on body cues from other players and develop a real awareness of the entire group.”

Riley has been swinging the bronze since 2010. This was his grad year in high school and when his piano lessons, which commenced in kindergarten, also culminated by completing his grade 8 in the Royal Conservatory of Music program. 

When asked what draws Devin to this unique instrument he stated, “I find that handbells are deceptively complex. I might only have four bells in a piece, but once you add five or six different ringing techniques, or hand chimes it gets complicated in a hurry. I don’t think I’ve ever been bored playing bells…and then there is the added challenge of making it appear easily done to the audience.”

Okanagan Handbell Chorus (OHC) was organized in the early months of 2011 by ringer and director Nikki Atwell of Westbank, BC and directed under the watchful eye of Susan Carscadden-Mifsud, an Ontario ringer/ director (and president of OGEHR). Maestro Rosemary Thompson of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra approached Atwell, knowing she had connections to musicians with enough passion and drive to produce high quality handbell pieces to be incorporated with the Christmas production. 

Unlike being a member to a regular choir, the ringers of OHC study and rehearse their music individually. There are no weekly practices to slowly brush up on the material. The group only gets together to ring as an ensemble two days prior to performance. The week of performance is gruelling both mentally and physically.  But, the pieces come together by show time to be absolutely top-notch. 

Okanagan Symphony Orchestra’s “Ringing in the Season” treats the public to a second insertion of the Okanagan Handbell Chorus on December 21, 22 and 23.

Nicole and Devin have busy lives with work and family commitments, yet both continue to ring with their regularly scheduled handbell group on a weekly basis. The members of OHR are busy preparing for their own big Christmas event. 

Christmas and bells will forever go together, hand in glove. Musicians dedicated to creating quality music to help others celebrate the season have no shortage of things to practice and brush up on. Let us all be thankful for the talent, commitment and passion of young people like Mr. Riley and Ms. Thorp. Look for the pair with their bright smiles and tinkling bells on Thursday, Dec 21(Vernon Performing Arts Centre), Friday, Dec 22 (Kelowna Community Theatre) and Saturday Dec 23 (Penticton’s Cleland Community Theatre).

The Oliver Handbell Ringers are working diligently on producing their own Christmas program entitled “One Winter’s Night” held at Christ the King Catholic Church (Oliver, BC), Friday, December 15^th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 17^th at 3:00 p.m.