Bi The School for Scandal by RB. Sheridan. Produced by Presentation House Productions at Presentation House until April 24. Information: 990-3474. The History of Things te Come by Morris Panych with Gary Jones and Shawn Macdonald at the Vancouver Playhouse until May 1. Information: 873-3311. Martin Millerchip Curtain Call EXPECTATIONS! You can never count on them. I wasn’t really looking forward to The School far Scandal. It’s a longish play that [have never been fond of and | was fighting a cold. Had a great time! A new play trom Morris Panych in collaboration with Gary Jones and Shawn Macdonald and audience participation at the Vancouver Playhouse sounded like tons of fun. If f hadn’t been reviewing I would have been tempted to leave at intermission! Richard Brinsley Sheridan is remembered tor four of the plays he wrote, of which The Rivals and The School for Scandal are revived most often. Another, A Trip to Scarborough is based on the Restoration comedy The Relapse by Vanbrugh. Despite a gap of some 80 years, (Restoration comedy reached its peak i: the 1690s while Sheridan began writing in 1775) the evo eras often blend in the mind of the casual play- goer. A closer study reveals the latter age to be considerably less licentious and acerbic, although wit and honour remain the driving force behind many a plot. Sheridan’s play at first seems complicated as characters gather to trade malicious gossip about people we haven’t met, leaving the audience feeling it needs a road map to keep all the relationships straight. . Don't fret. Trying to keep it straight gets in the way of the fun. Enjoy the deliciously manncred performances and eventu- ally it all boils down to two parallel plots: an old bachelor six months into a marriage with a temperamental and “tempted” young wife and brothers who are to be tested as to their wor- thiness for inheritance purposes. Director Barry Duffus has assembled what amounts to an all-star cast of North Shore com- munity actors and added a couple of faces new to me who are equally excellent. You know this cast is good when well-known character actor Grahame Andrews is sensibly content to under- play the moncylender Moses and Paul Savage in the minor role of the servant Trip manages to . pull focus from two of the most natural actors on stage, Roger Kettyls as Rowley and the impeccable Gavin Landsiedel as Sir Oliver Surface. The other winner in the supremely natural category is Simon Fothergill’s Charles Surface who is well sup- ported in his unhypocritical wastrel ways by Callum Henderson. The sleaze stakes is a much more difficult race to call with so many excellent performances challenging for “best.” I would go back for a second time to sec Damon Calderwood and, especially, David James, as two old roues whose very existence is built on the love of gos- ‘sip. They mince about the stage lecring and winking like a couple of mad March Hares high on nail polish remover who were let loose in the cosmetic depart- ment of The Bay. Don’t sit close to the stage unless you want to be embarrassed by these two. Applause too for Estelle Nendick’s Mrs. Candour, the tattle-rale who cannot abide to have people attacked behind their backs and Vince Callaghan’s slimy Joseph Surface. Besides the nervousness of neophyte actors in the small roles of maids, there is, however, one big hole in the proceedings at present. Why an actor of Rob Santo’s considerable experience would leave so many of his lines in the dressing room is beyond me, bur even assuming this is rectified I am still not clear on the central relationship in the play he shares with Cyndi Janzen as Lady Teazle. Janzen is magnificent, delivering the difficult epilogue with all the grandeur of a young Queen Elsabeth II, but a clearer choice needs to be presented as to whether she is tempted or committed to betrayal — otherwise the happy ending doesn’t make a lot of sense. One other concern that could be rectified before the Theatre B.C. Festival, in which the play will compete, is that of the set and the scene changes. ' ‘There is painted representation of period panelling on the upstage wall and on screens that are moved around stage to change locale. Deubtless, the chorcography of these changes will improve from opening night when we were treated to the always-hilarious spectacle of dancing scenery as pieces that had been incor- rectly placed during a change were readjusted from the rear by someone out of sight. But beyond this minor glitch is the huge hole around a projector screen that allows slides of period paintings to signify change of locale. Two problems liere. The smaller screens on stage don’t come close to matching the expecta- tions introduced by the slides, while the projector screen itself sits in the middle of a black hole that could so easily be finished with swagged fabric of the period and better blend with the set. Sensibly, costurnes, wigs and make up have obviously been the focus of the production bud- get. They are full of colour and a heap of impressive fun — just like che production as a whole. Definitely worth seeing. . I wish I could say the same about The History of Things to Come. Yes, there are many things to admire in this production, but J left bored and disappointed, In fairness, I should state my experience was coloured by my expectations. If the play had been promoted as a modern variation on a Christmas pantomime for instance, | might make some suggestions about the overly longwinded second act and offer cautious praise. But a new play from the pen of Panych who has previously delighted with 7 Stories, The Vigil and The Overcoat was something to which I was looking forward. Collaborators Jones and Macdonald are no slouches either when it comes to writing comedy having penned the award- winning World’s Greatest Guy. _ The premise is promising. Victorian inventor Desmond Entwhistle creates a time machine and has his concept ripped off by author H.G. Wells for his novel The Tine Machine. Meanwhile the machine itself is ripped off by the Wildean anarchist Edward Philby and we're off on a chase to the future of mankind. Throw into the mix several audience members who are asked to play cooks, friends, butlers att ete photo David Cooper SHAWN Macdonald and Gary Jones act in and co-wrote The . History of Things to Come. et ee ee a Bm ee ements eS ee ee eee FWA hee ee A < “a NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge DAMON Calderwood (from lett), Cyndi Janzen, David Jones and Beth Coleman are part of an all-star cast that make the Presentation House Productions production of School for Scandal hugely entertaining. The play will be one entry in the Theatre 8.C. Festiva! of Plays at Deep Cove’s Shaw Theatre May 3-8. and captives while the cast reacts to their improvisation and you should have a recipe for fun. Well, maybe. : Tuesday it didn’t work too well as the audience volunteers were either static or obnoxiously narcissistic. In fact, the integration of improv is tightly controlled to the point that not much “play” can pe-ssibly happen. Meanwhile there is br too much tedious chat about the nature of culture, politics and morality that outweighs the skewed wit that is the Panych trademark. The cast —- Jones, Macdonald, Roman Danylo, Allan Morgan, Beatrice Zeilinger and the inimitable Leslie Jones -- are excelient. All the Victorian twits we love to laugh at. But their tal- ents are wasted on a play in which NOTHING HAPPENS for long stretches. Congratulations to the design team of Ken MacDonald (set), Nancy Bryant (costumes), Alan Brodie (lighting) and Ian Rye (sound) for disguising this basic fact so well. EK Wine Kit MADE ON PREMISE 28, 1999. Not valid with any other promotion, Nol valid on sale tems. = = 4-Weex Wine Kit MADE ON PREMISE! Exp. Apsl 28, 1999. Now valid with any other promotion. 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