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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-12-06, Page 27Review THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1989. PAGE 27. Oldtime classic stands up better than today’s acting BY KEITH ROULSTON When you go to a new production of a 50 year old play, you worry that perhaps the play will have grown a little stiff and stilted with the years. In the Grand Theatre’s production American classic Nancy Palkand Peter James Haworth areamong thestars in the Grand Theatre’s production of the American classic The Philadelphia Story playing until Dec. 30 at the Grand in London. The production marks the return of Robin Phillips to the theatre for the first time since he was artistic director for the 1983/84 season. of The Philadelphia Story, how­ ever, it’s the acting that’s stiff and stilted not Philip Barry’s classic script. Maybe it was just opening night jitters (there were a few slips like balloons and imitation petals fall­ ing from above the stage at several times during the show) but this production seemed too much like a wonderful old classic car that has a clutch that slips: every time it seemed to be getting up speed, it would lose momentum again. The Philadelphia Story tells the story of aristocratic young Phila­ delphian Tracy Lord (Nancy Palk) who is about to be married for the second time, this outside her class to an up and coming businessman who seems to be full of the drive and good intentions her first hus­ band, who designed and sailed boats, never had. The complica­ tions arise when Destiny magazine sends along a reporter and photo­ grapher to cover the wedding for a major article on Philadelphia it’s planning (there’s a delicious satire of Henry Luce, founder of Time, Life and Fortune magazines and the biggest thing in publishing when the play was originally per­ formed in 1939). To make things more complicat­ ed for Tracy, her first husband C. K. Dexter Haven returns for the wedding, uninvited. The complica­ tions get worse when Tracy finds herself attracted to the reporter (he also writes poetry) and lets her hair down on the night before the wedding to the consternation of her groom to be. The challenge for any cast and director taking on a famous play that has been turned into an even more famous movie (a 1941 version Bring the Whole Family Work Gloves 4 LITRE JUG LEATHER PALM FULLY LINED tor the kiddles Windshield Washer Anti Freeze MIXED-10 KG. SAVE S2.00/BAG Something for Everyone! RED, PINK lOR CREAM 16” DELUXE 1 POT Coffee, cookies & Hot Chocolate k will be served I Treat Yourself... ' . A Great ( BEAUTIFUL ~~ Idea... I POINSETTIASWed. Dec. 6/89 nq tO Be^3 Santa 1 ThUfS. t-J Bi iny lliu kids to see Santa & AUBURN BELGRAVE starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart) is to make the audience forget compari­ sons. Unfortunately, Robin Phillips in his first return to the Grand since his critically acclaimed but finan­ cially disastrous season as artistic director in 1983-84, and his cast don’t make you forget. Unless it was opening night jitters the problem may lie with the classical backgrounds of Mr. Phillips and leading stars Nancy Palk and Joseph Ziegler, both of whom have extensive classical experience at Stratford and Shaw Festivals. Too often, particularly when these two hold the stage, the pace slows and the quick, witty lines of Barry’s script lose their effectiveness. Miss Palk makes you wonder how three men could be infatuated with her while it’s easy to see why she divorced the character played by Mr. Ziegler, but hard to see why she has never gotten over him. In one scene that’s supposed to tell about their past life together and their present fascination with each other, the lines are delivered like a scene from Macbeth. The pace of the comedy pick ups when others come on stage. Peter Donaldson as Mike Connor, the reporter makes the witty cynical lines work whiel Dixie Seatie as the wisecracking photographer is per­ fect for the part. Lewis Gordon steals scenes as bottom-pinching Uncle Willie. Peter Jame Hawarth as George Kittredge, the husband­ to-be, manages to keep his charact­ er from being such a stuffed shirt that his marriage to Tracy would have seemed ridiculous. Marguer­ ite Pigott makes an energetic Dinah, younger sister of Tracy. Stewart Arnott as brother Sandy, William Webster as father Seth and Marilyn Boyle as mother Margaret, all turn in steady, if unspectacular performances. The sets of Elis Y. Lam and the costumes of Ann Curtis and the lighting of Louise Guinand, all add to the quality of the production but the weakness comes back to the two stars who, although married in real life, fail to give any sense of urgency of their attractiveness to each other. The Philadelphia Story continues at The Grand in London until December 30. Writers’ workshop Continued from page 26 writer to visualize the piece; or simply a director and writer in a room together talking through the text. Today, our new play develop­ ment programme embraces scripts and playwrights from across the country and while the focus contin­ ues to be the search for the perfect play for our particular audience, writers whose work is better suited to other theatres are also includ­ ed.” Carol Sinclair’s new script Fire­ ties soon begin, particularly when Emily decides to go to work as an operator. Carol Sinclair, no stran­ ger to Blyth audiences, has per­ formed in The Mail Order Bride, Fires In the Night, The Right One and Dreamland. Deborah Kim- mett, who appeared in the premier production of Garrison’s Garage is currently writing a new play, Broken Record. Colleen Curran’s new play. Local Talent, puts the spotlight on a Mrs. Canada Day pageant and its preliminary try­ outs. Field of Flowers is Laurie Fyffe’s new play, which is set in the depression. WED. 8:30 A.M.-9:30 P.M. THURS. 8:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M.. SPECIAL STORE HOURS WED. 8:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. THURS. 8:00 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.