HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-06-28, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2000. PAGE 23.
Entertainment^ Leisure
Theatre review
Festival’s ‘Anne’a delightful beginning
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Together on stage
At the Blyth Festival bosom friends Diana (Birgitte Solem),
left and Anne (Samantha Reynolds) listen to the wind in the
trees in Anne. (Photo by Off Broadway Photo)
We should all live in Anne
Shirley’s world.
The irrepressible heroine of the
much loved Green Gables story
delighted the opening night audience
at Blyth Festival on Friday with her
wit. imagination and dreams.
Paul Ledoux's Anne is a nice start
to the Festival's 26th season.
Though those familiar with the
movie and television series may be
unable to not make critical compar
isons, for this reviewer, who
unabashedly admits never having
seen the above-mentioned, the pro
duction was a delight.
Samantha Reynolds is an enchant
ing Anne. Making this even more
noteworthy is the fact that no one
would ever guess the age of this
young woman as she adroitly makes
the transformation to a gushing child
some 15 years younger than herself.
Her endearing delivery of such
'Anne-isms' as “I'm in the depths of
despair”, keep the audience waiting
for the next verbose rhapsodization.
Though Reynolds’ performance
could easily steal the show, she is up
against some formidable talent, par
ticularly Terry Tweed. She is the
quintessential Marilla, the spinster,
who along with her brother Matthew
‘Corker’ brings humour to issue
decides to adopt a young orphan boy
to help on the farm only to find
themselves with Anne.
While Thomas Hauff gives a like
able turn as Matthew, he seems less
suited to this low energy perform
ance.
Caroline Gillis is entertaining as
the gossipy Rachel Lynde, while
Caleb Marshall is good in the role as
the charming Gilbert.
Anne’s three friends played by
Jenn McCaw, Clare Preuss and
Birgitte Solem, though not as young
looking as the play's perky heroine,
manage to make the subterfuge
believable.
Shawn Kerwin’s set design is bare
bones, but effective. Directed by
Diana Belshaw, Anne moves
smoothly from scene to scene, and
despite its minimalistic approach
carries you back from the past to the
present without obscuring either.
Leaving the audience to make the
distinction without or with slight set
or costume changes seems in keep
ing with Anne’s own imaginative
verve. We are invited to remember
that sometimes to see things as they
should be we only have to use our
imagination.
It is that ingenuous view through
the eyes of a child that makes Anne
special. With it Blyth has extended a
heart-warming invitation to family
viewing.
Anne runs until Aug. 6.
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WE’RE HAVING
A PARTY
Krista, Terry & Tamara
would like to invite you to
help us celebrate
Mom & Dad's
25a ClnniiwiAaiy
(Ken & Linda Bird)
Saturday, July 8
8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Brussels Legion
Casual dress
Children welcome
Best wishes only please
a
s
s
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
It's not always easy to find the
humour in life. But in Corker, which
opens this week at Blyth Festival,
playwright Wendy Lili proves that
on occasion even the most sensitive
issues can make you smile.
Ross Manson, who is directing
Corker, said, “Humour is Wendy’s
tool for opening a social issue to an
audience and making it accessible.
They leave thinking that there are
things in that play they should be
thinking about.”
Manson says Lili recognizes that a
social issue won't reach people if it
doesn’t somehow touch them per
sonally. “Making the audience like
these people is Wendy’s wa/ of say
ing look what happens to someone
like Corker if we allow the system to
abandon them.”
Mason said that Lili as the mother
of a Down’s Syndrome child drew
on personal inspiration to create the
title character. Played by Jamie
Robinson in the Blyth production,
Corker is a mentally challenged
young man, left alone after the death
of his mother.
After being placed in a facility that
is low-staffed and where he is teased
and tormented. Corker eventually
ends up with his mother’s sister, who
is now a clerk of Cabinet for the new
Tory government in Nova Scotia.
Manson says Robinson has done a
lot of research into playing a mental
ly-challenged character. Both men
spent time with John Guido of
L’Arche Daybreak, an organization
of group homes in Toronto. “He lives
in a house with mentally disabled
people. The waiting lists are years
long now because of the lack of
funding from the province,” says
Manson. “And we’re better off here
than most of the provinces. It’s a
huge problem.”
However, Manson notes, this play
is not simply a criticism of govern
ment. “There is a personal responsi
bility too. It’s one way to open your
self up to the value of these people in
our society.”
“John Guido told us that a lot of
these people have the ability to burn
bridges. They don't have the same
kind of inhibitions we have so they
can open people up. Corker has that
and that’s where a lot of the humour
comes from.”
Though when playing someone far
removed the actor and director must
ensure that the portrayal is fair and
not cliched, Manson credits Lili with
making the task easier. “The play is
so well-written it takes care of itself
that way. The key of being delighted
by someone rather than laughing at
him is getting to know him. Corker
is part of the audience’s family. You
see him in all kinds of life, his sense
of humour, his love. You get to see
his full portrait.”
Robinson, he says, has been dili
gent in his research to make sure that
he is playing someone with a special
disorder that has special issues.
“Once you have that in place, you
go to the text,” says Manson,
“Corker is not a very linguistic char
acter but you have to figure out how
he uses the words he uses. In his
world he’s exposed to a whole range
of risks so some of his language
reflects that he’s trying to please so
he doesn’t get into trouble.”
Then says Manson there are the
other times. “He feels safe. Then he
just comes alive. He’s absolutely
delightful and his true worth is evi
dent. And that’s the story. If you pro
vide a safe environment for these
people you're a61e to see their
worth.”
“Really that is the play’s message.
'It’s not going to be easy to do, it’s
complicated. But it’s worth it.”
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