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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993. PAGE 23.
Theatre review
Fine acting fails to spark 'Moon'
Rascally pair
Roland Hewgill (left) plays the rascally Phil Hogan and
Mary Walsh, his wild daughter Josie in Eugene O'Neill's A
Moon for the Misbegotten which opened at the Grand
Theatre in London, Friday. The two are the highlight of the
evening with their conniving plots.
By Keith Roulston times you're not so maybe it was
Sometimes all the pieces are just that I was too tired to enjoy A
there that should make for a stun- Moon for the Misbegotten at its
ning performance: great director, opening night at The Grand Theatre
fine cast, stunning set and the script in London (but that doesn't explain
of a classic play, but the mixture the couple across the aisle who
just doesn't work. walked out before intermission).
I should qualify this review by Still, it all started well. The first
saying sometimes you're just in the scene of act one is a rollicking,
right mood for a play and some- funny, ensemble scene that gets the
Slippery, a new children's play
about one of London's most famous
residents, Slippery the sea lion,
receives its world premiere on
March 2. Written by London native
Herman Goodden, Slippery will be
presented in the McManus,
downstairs at The Grand as part of
the Theatre For Young Audiences
series.
Commissioned by The Grand
Theatre as its contribution to
London 200 celebrations, Slippery
features Lani Ashenhurst, Tony
For the past several years the
Gallery/Stratford, with the support
of Lawson Killer Insurance, has
presented this show case exhibition
for the many talented artists in
Perth and Huron counties. The
Lawson Killer Perth Huron
Exhibition offers the opportunity
for artists, both amateur and
professional, to present their work
for exhibit at the Gallery/Stratford
from March 5 to April 11.
Beginning in 1989 the exhibit has
alternated between a juried and an
Martin and Phi Bulani, performing
with the Grand for their first time,
and Laurie Rice whose previous
McManus credits include The
Crackwalker and Alligator Pie,
with Simon Richards marking his
Grand Theatre debut performing
the title role. Slippery is directed by
Grand's Artistic Associate Charlie
Tomlinson. The set and lighting are
designed by Grand Theatre
technical director Craig Blackley
with costumes designed by Grand
newcomer Paddy Richardson.
It is April, 1967 as Slippery the
open show. This year's exhibition
will be a juried competition. Tony
Urquhart, artist and professor at the
University of Waterloo and Marnie
Fleming, Curator of the Oakville
Galleries, have been invited to jury
this year's competition. Artists
throughout Perth and Huron
counties are encouraged to submit
entries to the Gallery/Stratford on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday -
February 26, 27 and 28 from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m.
The jurying will take place on
play off to a roaring start. Phil
Hogan (played by Roland Hewgill)
is a tenant farmer on the estate of
the Tyrone family in New England
in the 1920's. The Hogans are more
interested in having a good time
than working too hard. Phil is a
schemer who spends as much time
as he can at the local inn. His
daughter Josie (Mary Walsh, veter-
an of the Newfoundland comedy
troupe Codco) has a reputation as a
wild woman as well, strong enough
to beat up men, but more likely to
take them to her bed. They humili-
ate the stuffy owner of a nearby
estate (Hardee T. Lineham, veteran
of the early years at the Blyth Festi-
val), and set up a scheme to force
James Tyrone Jr., the dissolute heir
of the Tyrone fortune (Colm Feore)
into either marrying Josie, or being
blackmailed into selling the Hogans
the farm.
The problem is that after this
upbeat start, full of sound and fury,
the play settles into smaller scenes,
usually with only two actors giving
long, long monologues in place of
conversations. The first act also
goes on for 90 minutes, making it
hard to sustain the interest of the
audience.
The great critic Walter Kerr, in
his book "How Not to Write a
Play" once advised playwrights to
take their time setting up the story
and characters well because the
audience is willing to put up with a
slower pace at the beginning of the
play than later. Eugene O'Neill
does the opposite, getting things off
to a swift start, the bogging down
in the second half of the play when
he concentrates on the devils that
drive James Tyrone to drink him-
self to death (the character is based
on his own brother Jamie O'Neill
who died in November, 1922, two
months after this play is supposed
to have taken place. He is torment-
ed by guilt he feels over the death
sea lion (Simon Richards) recounts
his daring escape from Storybook
Gardens for the benefit of Annie
the Otter (Laurie Rice). Slippery
and his Storybook Garden friends
(Lani Ashenhurst, Tony Martin and
Phi Bulani) re-enact his incredible
nine-day journey as he traverses
rivers and lakes in a daring bid to
return to his home on the Pacific
coast. Along the way Slippery
meets a host of bounty hunters and
other curious on-lookers before he
is finally captured and returned to
Storybook Gardens.
Monday, March 1. Two works may
be submitted by each artist in any
media for an entry fee of $5 per
work. Artists will receive a fee of
$20 for each work selected for
exhibition. Cash awards, also
selected by the jurors, will be
announced at the exhibition
opening on March 5, 8 to 10 p.m.
In past years most of the entries
have come from Stratford and
surrounding area. This exhibition is
however, open to all artists living
in Perth and Huron counties.
of his mother months before, and
by the riotous life of booze and
floozies that he has lived to the
point he cannot give his love to
Josie.
The problem is that either Mr.
O'Neill has failed to make us care
about Jamie, or actor Colm Feore
has failed to find the key to the
part. Feore is only one of Canada's
top actors so one has the feeling the
problem may be in the script, not
the actor. After listening to him
bemoan his fate for a while you just
want to get on with it.
The liveliness of Roland Hewgill
as the scheming Phil Hogan blows
the Jamie Tyrone character right
off the stage. He may be just as
wasteful of his life but at least he
seems to be having a good time at
it and you can hardly wait for him
to come back on stage.
Although she seems small for the
"giantess" Josie mentioned in the
stage directions, Mary Walsh also
is a highlight of the evening. Hers
is perhaps the best part of the play,
getting to be a roustabout in the
early going, then getting to be ten-
der and vulnerable in the latter part
of the play when we find out she is
not quite what she appears. Ms
Walsh manages to bring off both
parts of her character.
The strength of the cast can be
seen by the fact two fine actors like
Hardee T. Lineham and Andy
Jones (another Codco veteran) are
in minor roles, appearing on stage
for only a few minutes each.
The set design is by Ange Zhang
who designed "Hometown Boy" for
the Blyth Festival last summer. It's
a shack of a house that manages to
be both realistic and fantastical at
the same time.
There are lots of good moments
full of wit in the early going as
when Phil Hogan suggests to his
daughter that she and Jamie Tyrone
are both a disgrace so "you'd have a
happy marriage because neither of
you could look down on the other,"
but on the whole, a good beginning
bogs down in too much maudlin
soul-searching by the time the long
evening ends.
Love Dad, Mom & Ann
BUCK & DOE
for
Sandra Sholdice
& Rob Sangster
Sat., March 6, 1993
9 p.m. -1 a.m.
Lunch Provided
Tickets $5.00
For more information call
527-1639
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ntertainment
Slippery makes Grand splash
Exhibit showcases local talent