HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-07-25, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1990.
Entertainment Inuit art at Bayfield
Albertine two times
An optimistic, tranquil Albertine at 50, right, played by Anne Anglin, shows the 30-year-old
Albertine, Cheryl Swarts, how much beauty there is in th is scene from Michel Tremblay’s Albertine
In Five Times which opened in Blyth last Wednesday.
Theatre review
Once, in a very long while,
comes an artistic phenomenon, a
rare talent that can take your
breath away.
Simeonie Killiktee is such a
talent. A Canadian Inuit native who
lives on Baffin Island, this sixteen
year old has been carving since he
was eight years of age. His art is
filled with a depth and passion
\vhich is rarely seen, and his work
is very quickly gaining recognition
by the international artistic com
munity. Recently, Simeonie was
chosen as a featured artist at a
Washington, D.C. exhibition and
his work received outstanding re
views.
His subjects are the animals that
he regularly sees at home such as
muskox, polar bears, birds and
arctic hare. While his work shows a
surprising sophistication, the
humour and gaeity of youth comes
surging through.
Simeonie’s taicut perhaps comes
naturally is his father, Shorty
Killiktee, and his uncle,
Newquilliak Qiminpik, are re-
knowned Inuit artists.
Marg Makins, owner of Times
and Places in Bayfield, has com
missioned a collection of works by
Simeonie for an exhibition and sale
in her shop from August 4 to 10.
His work is presently being accum
ulated from across Canada and the
United States for this occasion.
Hotel California
Live at B. M. & G. Centre
SAT. AUG. 18 9-1
Advance Tickets $10.
Call 887-6572 or 887-6072
Play probes into heroine’s soul
BY BONNIE GROPP
Albertine in Five Times, the
award-winning, highly acclaimed
play by Michel Tremblay which
opened in Blyth on July 18, is a
disturbing, emotionally intense
portrayal of a woman at five
different stages of her life.
Tremblay probes to the soul of
this tragic, courageous woman as
she evolves over five decades.
Through conversations between Al
bertine, portrayed by five actresses
on stage, and her confidante, sister
Madeleine, we are provided with a
graphic profile of women and
society.
A complex drama with a very
complex heroine, director Janet
Amos has tapped into the spirit of
the talent performers extracting
emotion and passion so fierce, that
one imagines they are drained at
the end. It is a demanding play and
all six meet the challenge admir
ably.
Albertine at 30 portrayed by
Cheryl Swarts, is a confused young
woman, trying to understand her
children and the anger she feels
building inside of her. Describing
to Madeleine the event that led to
her beating her wilfull daughter,
Therese, she states, vehemently,
“It wasn’t Therese I was hitting, it
was my whole life.”
Lynn Woodman does a wonder
ful job as the embittered, Albertine
at 40. She seethes over the hus
band who died in the war leaving
her alone, fumes over her crazy son
and troublesome daughter, and
rages over everything.
The 50-year-old Albertine is
optimistic and cheery, happy with
the life she has made for herself.
Anne Anglin gives a solid perfor
mance as a woman who has come to
terms with who she is, after having
her son committed and severing
ties with Therese. Yet, she is
ridiculed by her 60-year~old self
played by Meg Hogarth. Having
had to identify the body of her
daughter, she is overwhelmed with
guilt and remorse. Hogarth takes a
whining complainer, asks for our
sympathy and we respond.
At 70, Albertine is alone, yet,
now possesses a matter-of-fact
approach to life that counter
balances the others. Norma Ed
wards is the voice of reason, the
Albertine who has weathered the
personal storm. That is the one
thing about growing old. It will
cure you of everything, except your
memories,” she says.
Sharon Dyer as Madeleine lis
tens to all five Albertines as they
lament and laugh, rage and
reminisce. She is the antitheses of
Albertine, solidly married, happy,
complacent and accepting.
This is not a light-hearted romp
and as such may not appeal to
everyone. Some may find it dis-
Stratford welcomes
touring company
The tradition of the tent returns
to Stratford! David William, Artis
tic Director of the Stratford Festi
val, and the entire Festival Com
pany are looking forward to wel
coming the Shakespeare On The
Saskatchewan Festival’s touring
Company when they present
Romeo & Juliette,'' their acclaim
ed bilingual production, in a tent,
July 27 through August 12. The red
and white tent will be raised on
Wednesday in Stratford’s Upper
Queen’s Park.
In this production of William
Shakespeare’s greatest love story,
Romeo & Juliette is set on the
Prairies, the Capulets are franco
phones and the Montagues are
anglophones. Juliette drives a '52
Ford pick-up and a leather-jacketed
Mercutio swills tequila and passes
out on the hood of Romeo’s ’65
Pontiac.
Non-traditional but true to the
intent of the original, this dynamic
presentation played to critical ac
claim and sold-out houses through
out the summer of 1989. It comes to
Stratford directly from Saskatoon’s
innovative Shakespeare On The
Saskatchewan Festival as the last
turbing due to its intensity. Certain
heated exchanges involved swear
ing and ribald comments that had a
few of the older people around me
tittering nervously.
While written by a man, Alber
tine offers insight into the role of
women, the insecurities, the pain
and guilt. Woman can identify with
snippets of each Albertine though
for most of us, the problems have
not been so great.
It is a strong play that stimulates
the thought processes, and stirs the
emotions, demanding, if not your
enjoyment, at least your compas
sion.
BILL & ELAINE
MELICK
Love, Brian,
Sue & Allan
"We’ve got a big surprise for
you on JULY 2dth!”
For more information call 524-9237 after 6 p.m.
BE SURE TO ENJOY OUR SPECIALTY
All. YOU CAN
EAT
CHINESE
SMORGASBORD
rr
engagement of a very successful
provincial tour.
Romeo & JUliette is co-directed
by Robert Lepage and Gordon
McCall, translated by Jean Marc
Dalpe, designed by Don Griffiths,
Robert Lepage. Gordon McCall and
Del Surjik, with costumes designed
by Irene Coupland and Robert
Lepage.
Opening Night and nightly ex
cept Mondays, curtain time is 8:00
p.m. with two shows Fridays at
6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Tickets
are $20.00 each and are available
through the Stratford Festival Box
Office by calling 273-1600.
%
F
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