HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-10-10, Page 18On the stand
From left: James Blendick, as Matthew Harrison Brady, C.
David Johnson as the Judge and William Hutt as Henry
Drummond appear in the Stratford Festival productiop of
Inherit the Wind, which closes Nov. 3. (Courtesy photo)
Theatre review
Powerful performers
deliver power words
of 'Inherit the Wind'
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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2001.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Compelling words delivered in
compelling performances highlight
the Stratford Festival's production of
Inherit the Wind.
The 1950 work of fiction written
by Robert E. Lee and Jerome
Lawrence, based on the 1925 Scopes
Monkey Trial, creates the intensity
and circus atmosphere of courtroom
drama. With William Hutt and
James Blendick leading the cast
there is power behind the words.
Bertram Cates is a small-town
teacher, who finds himself on trial in
"the buckle of the Bible belt", for
reading to his sophomore class from
Charles Darwin's Origin of Species.
In his theory of evolution he pro-
posed that over millions of years the
human race descended from a com-
mon ancestor with modem apes:
In teaching the existence of this
theory, it was believed that Cates
violated a state law, Butler's Act,
which made it unlawful for any
teacher to present a theory that con-
tradicted the Biblical account of cre-
ation.
Prosecuting the gentle, mild-man-
nered educator is former presidential
candidate Matthew Harrison Brady
(Blendick), a fundamentalist, who
rides into town with as much cele-
bration as Jesus on Psalm Sunday.
An expeditious conviction is antici-
pated until a Baltimore newspaper
hires Brady's one-time friend, long-
time adversary, Henry Drummond
(Hutt) as the defence.
Drummond, known as an atheist
and agnostic, soon makes it clear
that his passion for the argument lies
less in the theological than in the
right of an individual to be free to
think what they choose without fear
of reprisal.
Blendick gives a tolerant perform-
ance as the devout politico, who
takes every opportunity to advance
his career, yet seems sincere in his
beliefs. He appears both genuinely
amused and confounded by his pro-
tagonist, conveying the bittersweet
of lost friendship and patronization
of one who feels they walk the only
right path.
Hutt as always is enigmatic. Even
By Jim Brown
Wingham Advance-Times
Security has been tightened at the
Wingham and District Hospital.
Given the events of the past few
weeks, the WDH is requeSting all
staff, volunteers and board members
wear their photo identification tags
when. they are in the hospital.
Vice President and site administra-
tor Margret Comack informed the
September meeting of the Wingham
and District Hospital Board of
Governors last Thursday evening.
they will also be providing name
tags for any individuals who are at
the hospital on work contracts.
She encouraged all board mem-
bers to wear their name tag to meet-
ings and when they are at the hospi-
tal.
Board members who did not have
one were urged.to contact executive
assistant Brenda Ritchie and arrange
to get one.
Comack said many people think
that just because Wingham is a small
town everybody knows everyone at
the hospital.
She indicafecl that some staff
members do not know all the physi-
cians who work at the facility. And
with shift work, some staff members
are not acquainted with other staff
members.
Comack stated the hospital' was
put on alert on Sept. 11 following the
terrorist attacks in the United States.
The hospital has an up-to-date emer-
gency preparedness plan and 'that
plan went into effect.
She was in communication with
London hospitals and there was. a
possibility of thousands of people
being affected.
If required, Wingham would triage
out-patients to London.
"Just because we live in a small
rural area, does not mean we are
immune to disasters," she stated.
"We are all going to have to be more
aware of what is going in the
world." - -
RISK MANAGEMENT
Comack reported the hospital
recently signed a contract for the
purchase of an automated risk man-
agement system- that will provide
consistent reporting of incidents,
trends and issues across all eight
sites of the Huron Perth Hospitals
Partnership.
The partnership is also developing
a program for risk management,
with a clear focus on safety in indi-
vidual practices and within the hos-
pital.
The information is currently large-
ly collected by hand, usually by
nurses.
The automatic input would pro-
vide a more comprehensive data
base which will allow for the track-
ing of issues and incidents in order
to: uncover system errors.
The program will help identify
future areas of concern and assist the
leaders in decreasing the number of
errors.
Comack said they will have a bet-
ter . understanding of what is going
on at the hospital.
This will help improve the safety
for both the person and the hospital
environment.
There will also be better reporting
on a more regular basis.
The quality and communication.
committee of the WDH board i:
undertaking a more comprehensive
role in the review and analysis o
information related to performance
reports in the coming year.
At the management level of tht
HPHP, a reporting framework fo
processing • information from tilt
joint executive committee am
out to the local boards has beer
designed.
Wingham hoop. tightens security
a few fumbled lines fail to diminish
the work of this theatrical great. He
knows the stage and commands it.
His performance contains the perfect
balance of passion and rationale, of
the realist and the idealist, of respect
and cynicism. His wit sparkles in
light of Harris's unwavering faith.
The pair is supported by a solid
group of performers. Tim
MacDonald is an effectively bewil-
dered Cates, while Claire Jullien is
demure as the minister's confused
daughter and Cates' love interest. -
One-time Blyth Festival actor
Robert King (Garrison's Garage
and Country Hearts) plays her father
with a fear-Of-God intensity. Also
noteworthy is Peter Hutt as the caus-
tic reporter from Baltimore, whose
rapier wit leaves no one unscathed.
With its huge cast there is often a
feeling of the lush musicals Stratford
mounts each season. As the 40 or so
performers mill about, one expects
them to break into song and dance,
which some occasionally do, as a
chorus of folk link the scenes togeth-
er.
Artistic Director Richard Monette
keeps the play running smoothly and
audiences will be spellbound as the
power of the courtroom, the tangle
of science and creation unfold in a
well-crafted story.