Loading...
Times Advocate, 1994-12-14, Page 30Page 30 Times -Advocate, December 14, 1994 The Secret Garden - a classic for the family The Grand Theatre breaks Christmas Carol tradition By Heather Vincent T -A Staff LONDON - The Secret Garden at London's Grand Theatre is a classic story that still has the abil- ity to delight. The Grand has taken a respite from the time honoured tradition of staging A Christrnas Carol during the holiday season. Scrooge has played at this time of year for the past two consecutive seasons. "We are giving Christ- mas Carol a rest this year but it will probably come hack next sea- son," says Megan Cameron, Di- rector of Development for the Grand. Christmas Carol is a very expensive production which needs at least a two season run to justify the cost. Secret Garden was chosen to appeal to children as well as adults in an attetnpt to get the whole family out to the theatre during the holidays. Events like this provide a much needed break from the likes of The Power Rangers so prevalent in our pop culture. Maggie Blake as Mary plays an excellent spoiled brat who just needs someone to love her. When she finds a friend in the cham- bermaid Martha, played by Kate Hennig, Mary begins to show signs of warmth. An unfailing sense of curiosity leads Mary to discover the truth responsible for all the mysteries of her uncle's gloomy mansion. Behind the wall in the courtyard, lies the secret garden. A place haunted by tragic events but with the ability to heal the sick of heart. With the help of Martha's broth- er Dicken and the gardener Ben Wcatherstaff, Mary is able to con- vince her cousin Colin he is not dying. The garden comes alive with roses as Colin gains his strength and wins his father's love. The director and well known actor William Hutt, creates a stage adaptation which does jus- tice to this classic favorite. The sets, designed by John Thomp- son and Charlotte Dean ef- fectively portray the evolving Hood of the play. From the dark forhoding atmosphere of the house on the moors to the sum- mer splendour of the garden, the set is an integral part of the play. Through careful attention to de- tail the set actually comes to life before the audience's eyes. Flowers can be seen to burst into bloom from the tree and on the garden walls. The revolving set smooths the transitions between in and out of doors. The lighting and sound also provide empathy with the action on the stage and cohesiveness between scenes. Attention to detail captures the audiences attention and imagina- tion. The fox pup rescued by Dicken, is creatively dealt with through the use of a realistic pup- pet. The fox although obviously a prop, delight the au fence with a mixture of amusement and appreciation. The Secret Garden plays at London's Grand Theatre Your Views Letters to the editor MP criticizes gun control Criminals and those with crimi- nal intent don't register their fire- arms and don't purchase their guns from licensed gun dealers. • Dear Editor: In recent months many stories have been written and much speculation given to the direction the Government of Canada would take in the matter of crime control and furthermore. the issue of regulat- ing the use, ownership and sale of firearms in Cana-' da. In the election campaign of just a little more Man I year ago, 1 made certain commitments to the constituents of Huron -Bruce. Those commitments reflected the recommendations made in our Red Book. They arc as follows: I. Those convicted of an indictable drug related offence should he prohihitcd from owning or pos- sessing a firearm. 2. Anyone convicted of stalking type offences and/or any violent act against a person would be prohihitcd from owning or possessing a firearm. 3. The federal government would work with the provinces to establish a system of mandatory train- ing so that in the future no one is issued a firearm without proper training. 4. Make it mandatory to report all lost or stolen weapons. 5. Take measures to counter the illegal importa- tion of banned and restricted guns into Canada. 1 applaud the measures announced in the Minis- ter's undertaking with regards to the penalties and sentencing of those convicted of crime particularly as it relates to crime committed with a firearm. However, I have major concerns on the master of registration of all firearms and the intended confis- cation of certain armament without compensation. Allow me to elaborate. Register or not to register The tactic employed by firearm prohibitionists of comparing firearms with automobiles as an argu- ment in support of registration is not enlightening. Federal and provincial governments have never re- quired that every driver in Canada constantly prove their "need" for a car and provide a rationale as to why they can't rely on public transit. Transport Canada has never introduced policies designed to reduce an absolute minimum the number of motor vehicles in civilian hands. Automobile registration isn't feared, or even proposed, as the "first step" to- wards the confiscation of all privately -owned vehi- cics. Automobile registration is primarily a revenue generating tool. It's existence does little to prevent the theft of over 100,000 automobiles annually (over 25 percent of which are never recovered) or ensure that vehicles will not be stolen and used for criminal purposes. The same would be true of fire- arm registration. Handguns have been very strictly regulated fire- arms in Canada since 1934. Legal ownership re- quired registration and a host of other bureaucratic obstacles; however, over half a century of unrelent- ing and increasing control has had no mitigating ef- fect on the use of this class of weapon in violent crime. 1t is an interesting paradox that the shotgun, one of the most numerous and least regulated fire- arm types in Canada, has historically been used Tess in homicide despite the fact that they are easier to obtain and considerably more lethal. Registra on has no effect on the use of firearms in crimes o yr Icncc. In 1983, New Zealand abolished its' registration system for rifles and scrapped a proposal to register shotguns after police determined that it was value- less as a crime control tool and diverted limited po- lice resources from more important duties. Certain states in Australia are also considering dismantling their registration systems for similar reasons. "The reduction of police time spent on registration of firearms will allow more time for functioning within the community" New Zealand Police". Criminals and those with criminal intent don't register their firearms and don't purchase their guns from licensed gun dealers. They ignore mandatory waiting periods on firearm purchases, and have no need for Firearms Acquisition Certificates. This is precisely why our gun laws have been so ineffective at reducing violent crime. Requests for greater po- lice "firepower" is testimony to their failure. There is no evidence anywhere to show that re- ducing the availability of firearms in general like- wise reduces their availability to persons with crimi- nal intent, or that persons with criminal intent would not he able to arm themselves under any set of gen- eral restrictions on firearms. I conclude that the probable benefits of stricter gun control (itself a highly nebulous concept) in terms of crime reduction arc at best uncertain, and at worst close to nil, and that most such measures would .pose rather high social costs. For these and other reasons..., my view is that the prospects of ameliorating the problem of criminal violence through stricter controls over the civilian ownership, purchase, and use of firearms are dim. Paul Steckle, M.P. Huron -Bruce CHAIR 18111311 EE Desi ■ Area Rug With The Purchase fi Any, Chair r Chair and Footstool CI PALLISER $487 A quality chair will become a favourite in your home adding comfort and style to any room Anisl -f �• JC _ 1 $539 PAlUSER. $399 Plus Free CHRISTMAS BONUS fr°m Tiline9g FLEE CHRISTMAS THEE tt with any purchase of $100 or more (maximum 1 tree per customer) Get your tide now - Special offer ends Saturday Pick your own 6' to 8' Scotch Pine tree from the excellent selection at Canadian Tire. (Reg. $21.95 value) WitalisetaksetdilattakietaluttakettabAttarlatekittc • Fine Furniture, Fine Furniture, Flooring and Window Fashions 467 Main Street, Exeter 235-0173 OZI] 1 e