The Citizen, 1996-07-03, Page 31E ntertainmen
The inventor and his belle
In this scene from the Blyth Festival production Mabelle Mabel, which opened last week,
inventor Alexander Graham Bell (Ted Johns), his wife Mabel (Wanda Graham) and engineer
Casey Baldwin (Rustey Davenport) look at a model of a tetrahedral cell. Photo by James Hockings
Theatre review
`Mabelle' enlightening
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1996 PAGE 31.
Grand plays win big
By Bonnie Gropp
I did not laugh until I cried. I did
a little of each.
Mabelle Mabel which opened
last Wednesday evening at Blyth
Festival, is the heart-warming,
story of the love affair between
inventor Alexander Graham Bell
and his Mabel. But it is also about
the challenges two strong-minded,
intelligent people face in building a
life around that love.
Bell met the hearing impaired
Mabel as her teacher. He was
impressed by her ability to
communicate through lip reading,
she was enamoured with his genius.
This attraction ironically becomes
one of the more contentious issues
of their marriage as she pushes him
to create and invent, while he still
considers himself to be first and
foremost, a teacher of the deaf.
Mabel's desire to be "normal" is
confronted each time she sees him
focusing his attentions on someone
deaf.
The couple also struggles with
Bell's night owl tendencies. His
genius works best when the rest of
the world sleeps. Mabel wants him
to spend those silent hours beside
her.
Despite these differences the
Bells share a devotion that
exemplifies the commitment of
marriage. They struggle and
endure, they confront and respect,
they are independent of, and
dedicated to, each other.
Playwright Cindy Cowan has
illustrated the strength of affection,
the power of values. Commissioned
to write this story for Expo 86, she
researched the Bells' lives and
provides some insightful bits of
history.
Wendy Graham, who plays
Mabel knows her part well, having
originated it. Though, as Mabel she
must speak in the hollow tones of a
hearing impaired woman first as a
young inexperienced girl, then later
as a senior, she handles the
challenge admirably.
Ted Johns fits the clothes of the
larger than life inventor well,
portraying the often manic mind of
a genius who carried the tender
heart of a lovestruck schoolboy, as
if born to the role.
Jocelyn Zucco is a dignified
Elsie, one of the Bell's daughters. A
self-assured woman she has been
protected by a security blanket of
family values.
Rounding out the cast are the
bubbly Mayme, zealously played
by Liza Balkan and the eye-
catching Rustey Davenport as Bill's
assistant Casey Baldwin.
Directed by Festival Artistic
Director Janet Amos, Mabelle
flows smoothly with slide
projection lasing the transition from
past to present.
The humour of Mabelle is subtle,
that of family and inside jokes. The
poignancy is less so. Mabel's
emptiness following Bill's death is
an almost physical thing that
reaches out and pulls you in to feel
her pain.
Mabelle Mabel, is not necessarily
as entertaining as it is an
enlightening and interesting look at
history, resilience and a bond
forged by love and mutual respect.
BUCK & DOE
tor
BILL PATTERSON
AND FRAN SMITH
Saturday, July 20, 1996
Elma Logan Arena, Monkton
Lunch Provided Dancing 9 -1
Tickets: $6.00 each
Age of majority required
For tickets call: Steve 348-9509
Scott 887-6558 or Rob 347-2814
A Little Night Music, directed by
London's Grand Theatre Artistic
Director Michael Shamata, in co-
production with Toronto's
Canadian Stage Company, was
awarded the Dora Award for
"Outstanding Production of a
Musical".
Other nominees in this category
were: Sunset Boulevard and Kiss of
the Spider Woman (Both Livent
Inc. productions), Beauty and the
Beast (Walt Disney Theatrical
Canada) and Jacob Two-Two Meets
the Hooded Fang (Young Peoples
Theatre).
Mary Ellen Mahoney who played
the droll-but-lovelorn Countess
Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night
Music took home the Dora Award
for "Outstanding Performance by a
Female in a Musical", while Susan
Benson, costume designer for A
Little Night Music received the
Dora for "Outstanding Costume
Design".
For 16 years the Dora Mayor
Moore Awards have been
honouring outstanding theatrical
achievements for productions seen
in Toronto. This past March A
Little Night Music was mounted at
The Grand Theatre before
transferring to The Canadian Stage
Company in Toronto.
BUCK & DOE
for
MIKE PRESZCATOR (ROUSKE)
AND MELANIE MCCONE
Friday, July 5
9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Age of Majority
Lunch provided
For tickets call
526-7411 or 482-5548
GREAT SEATS
STILL AVAILABLE
FOR
BARNDANCE LIVE!
AND MABELLE MABEL
CALL
BLYTH FESTIVAL
BOX OFFICE
523-9300
Frida K, a Tarragon Theatre
(Toronto) production was presented
in the McManus Studio at The
Grand Theatre as part of the past
season, and was awarded two Dora
Mayor Moore Awards: Allegra
Fulton won for her "Outstanding
Performance by a Female", and
Bonnie Beecher won for her
"Outstanding Lighting Design".
BUCK & DOE
for
TERRY GREIDAN1JS
& KIM ELLIOTT
Friday, July 12
Age of Majority
For information call
523-9660 or 9533
CAPITOL
THEATRE
291-3070
All Seats $4.25
LISTOWEL
Dolby Surround Sound Stereo
STARTS FRIDAY
July 5 - 11
7 & 9:15 p.m.
The Rock
Not recommended for children
(AA) Violence
7i
i,
Starting Friday,
July 5
Cable Guy
with Jim Carey
Rated AA
Two shows (Fri. & Sat.)
at 7 & 9 pm
Sunday Tuesday,
Wed., Thurs. 8 pm,
dosed Monday
BUCK & DOE
for
Dave Franken & Lisa Noble
THIS SATURDAY JULY 6
At The Franken Farm - Auburn
watch for signs
8:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. - Age of Majority only
BEEF BARBECUE INCLUDED
Tickets g5.00 each. For more information call
Days 482-7869 Evg 233-9237 523-4986
WED.-THURS., JULY 03-11 6:45 & 9:15 PM NITELY
The question of whether or not we are
alone in the universe has been answered,
L0116 INSTAIIICE?tAW1-1100-VO94311A0O,T11,11 VINE MOVIE IVO