HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-08-16, Page 19THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2000. PAGE 19.
Entertainment & Leisure___
Theatre review
Intriguing ‘Lives’ moves briskly through to end
Foreshadowing
During a performance of Blyth Festival’s Stolen Lives:The Albert Walker Story, Ronald Platt
(John Fitzgerald Jay), left, shows Sheena Walker (Samantha Reynolds) the watch he says he
will die in. Peter James Haworth as Albert Walker and Jamie Reynolds as a waiter look on. (Jim
Hockings/Off Broadway photo)
who final broke open the case of
Platt's murder.
Despite the tragedy detailed in
Stolen Lives, there were comic
moments which lightened the mood
and elicited ripples of laughter from
the audience.
One of the best probably came
from Ronald Platt and Elaine Boyes
as they stood shivering in the snow
upon their arrival in Calgary. A
chuckle-of understanding arose when
Elaine cried. “But it's April.”
The British cops also brought
laughter as they tried explaining why
they hadn’t thought Canadian
instead of American when searching
for background information on
Walker/Davison/Platt. “How would
we know he was Canadian. He was
n't wearing a lumber jack coat and
guzzling maple syrup.”
For those familiar with the story of
Albert Walker, the play also includes
appropriate foreshadowing, fortu
itous statements which eventually
aid in the demise of Walker.
One weakness in the production
was the use of accents as both
French and British were required at
various points. Though the distin
guishing dialects were evident in the
beginning, the accents slipped on
occasion as the speech progressed.
The ending also seemed to take the
audience by surprise. The abruptness
was unanticipated, but then for a
story which has not yet fully played
itself out, there cannot always be the
storybook ending, just the satisfac
tion that the one who has wronged is
punished.
Stolen Lives runs through Aug. 19.
TWIN jCINEMA
MfsiJRROtJM) SOUND STEREO ^1
IJSTOWEL 291-3070
CINEMA 1 7 P.M. Family
SUNDAY MATINEE - 2 PM
THOMAS AND
THE MAGIC
RAILROAD
CINEMA 1 9 PM
SHAFT
SAMUEL L. JACKSON
AA
CINEMA 2 7 & 9 PM
SUNDAY MATINEE - 2 PM
NUTTY PROFESSOR
II: THE KLUMPS
EDDIE MURPHY PG a
1 Happy 60th I] Ej Anniversary f
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
It is a piece of Canadian history,
the sad tale of a trusted neighbour
absconding with the entire life-sav
ings of friends and family, a secret
identity, family betrayal and murder.
Stolen Lives: The Albert Walker
Story which opened at Blyth Festival
Theatre, Aug. I, chronicles Walker’s
rise from a frustrated insurance
salesman in southwestern Ontario to
a trusted financial planner and his
ultimate failure.
With his personal and business
schemes unravelling, he vanishes,
taking with him his 15-year-old
daughter Sheena as a means of mak
ing his wife Barbara suffer.
Once at his new location, he
quickly assumes new identities for
them both. When Sheena becomes
pregnant, a new plan is needed to sti
fle the obvious questions.
In a gesture viewed as gracious,
Walker sends friend Ronald Platt and
his fiancee Elaine Boyes off to
Canada to recapture Platt's child
hood dream. However, Platt’s early
return causes new problems for
Walker as the Platt name had been
assumed and father and daughter
were masquerading as husband and
wife.
Again Walker takes desperate
measures to protect himself.
In a story which covers almost a
decade with numerous settings,
director Linda Moore and set
designer Brian Perchaluk have creat
ed a wonderful backdrop around
which the eight actors move.
Simplicity is the key to the crisp
ness and rapidity with which the 70-
some scenes are differentiated.
With retractable screens, mood
lighting and a basic wooden table
and chairs shifted about the stage,
the scene is quickly and smoothly
transformed from home to office and
European hotel room.
Rarely was there a lag in the
changes, keeping the audience
caught up in the tale of intrigue.
Lighting was used superbly to
define scenes and moods. The best
example was the red which flooded
the stage as Walker rages at Platt,
blaming him for creating the murder
ous situation.
With only eight players and more
than two dozen roles; the characteri
zations were kept clean and easy to
differentiate.
In the role as Albert Walker, Peter
James Haworth depicted perfectly a
man overwhelmed by the need to
succeed and the arrogance of believ
ing he had done no wrong by achiev
ing wealth on the backs of others.
A little
exercise on
go a long way!
Walking 3 km in 35 minutes
can do wonders for your health.
It's that simple.
Sharing a Healthier Future
— - - ^ paRTicipacrion
BUCK & DOE
for Cheryl Franken and
Chris Bromley
Saturday, August 19
Blyth Community Centre
Music by DJ
9:00 to 1:00
Lunch provided
Age of Majority
Tickets $5.00
Call Tanya 887-6290
Brian 357-1890
His cavalier air was ruthless as his
failings were repeatedly blamed on
those around him. The failure of the
financial business was due to the
lack of creativity by his accountant.
His need to vanish the result of a
scheming soon-to-be ex-wife. The
murder, Platt’s fault for returning to
England.
To the end, Walker believed his
charisma and hold over his daughter
would prevent his downfall and each
of these aspects Haworth brings to
life. He was a man to be disliked.
As Sheena Walker. Samantha
Reynolds was somewhat stiff at
times, though she was portraying a
young girl, trapped in a situation she
was neither comfortable in nor
understood.
Caroline Gillis was good as the
betrayed wife, left wondering exact
ly what had become of her life and
family.
The remainder of the cast was
strong in their numerous roles, par
ticularly Jamie Robinson as
Detective Inspector MacCIenahan
JIappy -50th
Anniversary
The family of
Ross and Barbara Anderson invite
all friends and relatives to share in
the celebration of their parents’
50th Wedding Anniversary
on Saturday, August J9th.
An Open House will be held in the
Belgrave Community Centre from
1:30 p.m to 4:00 p.m.
Best wishes only, please.
1
1
Crnest (C /Inna /nd/
The family invites
you to an
OPEN HOUSE
Sat., August 26
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
at the
Westfield Hall
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GOTCHA!
Happy 30th
Birthday!!
August 19th
Love Tricia & all
your family & friends