25 - Friday, December 12, 19 "Robin — bobs to NV PAGE 26 UPCOMING PERFORMANCE IN WIZARD OF OZ The world’s a stage for NV actress NORTH VANCOUVER ac- tress Donna Ford likes old movies, especially the origi- nal Wizard of Oz. “Right now my influence is Judy Garland,’’ says 18-year-old Ford, who will be playing the part Pty. By STEPHEN BARRINGTON News Reporter of Dorothy in a stage version of the Judy Garland movie. The Windsor Secondary School graduate rehearses seven days a NEWS photo Nell Lucente NORTH VANCOUVER actress Donna Ford holds up a script that she has been memorizing for her lead role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. A veteran of several television commercials and feature movies, Ford will be performing at Richmond Gateway Theatre during the play's run from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4. week, usually for about four hours a day. ‘‘And all day Saturday and Sunday,” she says. Ford manages to squeeze in a part-time job betwee: her daily rehearsals and puts her figure skating experience to good use giv- ing lessons in the sport. But after almost 10 years on the ice, Ford decided to do something a litle bit different. ‘‘It’s a sport that's very hard to get far in,”* ex- plains Ford. MAGIC WOOD In December 1984, Ford stepped from the ice to the stage as Pepper, one of the orphans in the musical Amie. Next, she appeared at Van- couver’s Metro Theatre in Babes in the Magic Wood, a production in the vein of a British pantomime. Her list is Jong, including a spot in a Marlo Thomas television movie and a part in a series about a robot family now being shown in France and Ensfand. Although she took drama classes in school, Ford never really took to the stage. ‘‘Up to Grade 10 1 was skating and just didn’t have the time.”* {n September next year, Ford jets to Los Angeles to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. ‘*That’s where the business is,”’ she say's excitedly. STAGE STRESSED A three-year program, the schvol stresses the stage with not too much emphasis on the silver screen of television films, which is how Ford prefers it. ‘They travel all over,’’ she says of the school’s scouts. “‘I went down and you have to prepare monologues.’ After her audition, she spent a torturous few months waiting. At last the results came — she was one of 109 new students. Her favorite actor is Gene Kelly; her favorite film is Gene Keily’s Singing in the Rain. But she rejects suggestions that any one star has influenced her. Every time there is an old movie on the late show she runs to the video recorder and makes sure she captures it on tape for her liorary of classics. “T have about 15,’’ Ford ex- Restaurant at Granville Square, =. 3) gf plains. The Los Angeles school costs about $5,500 U.S. a year. ‘‘Then you have to live,’? she laughs. But I’m lucky because I have friends down there.” As school policy prohibits any students fram working in the entertainment industry, Ford an- ticipates she will ‘‘have to work in a Store or something.”’ This will be the first time she has taken any serious drama training. “When you’re young it comes naturally; when you get older it's more difficult. MGM SCRIPT “That’s why I’m going to this school,’ she confides. The Richmond Gateway Theatre production of The Wizard of Oz, for which Ford is now practising, follows the original movie almost exactly. “They have the original MGM script.’” The show, complete with 15 munchkins, runs from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4. Tickets to any of the shows are available at all of the VTC/ CBO outlets in town. Dinner & Dance 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Easy Listening and Dancing Music by the Bo Conlan Trio Party Favours & Door Prizes Dinner Menu Includes: Appetizer, Entree, Dessert & Beverage for $35.00 per person Along with the dinner and dance celebration activities featured at Forster's on this evening for your convenience Forster's will arrange for overnight accommodation at the Pan Pacific Hotel (double occupancy} and include you in our New Year's Day Champagne Brunch for $90.00 per person Please call: 689-8888 Free Parking after 6:00 p.m. 200 GRANVILLE STREET GRANVILLE SQUARE ooo ee 0,9, «at the foot af Gronyille St. and Cordova next door to the ‘ * * SeaBus Termin! and the SiyTrain Watertrant Stn We. wish all our patrons 2 very MERRY: - CHRISTMAS and 2 HAPPY NEW YEAR. . Facilitied for pre-Christmas parties availabie... Reserve now for Christmaas dinner, Dec. 24 and