Prelude To A Kiss by Craig
Lucas, directed by Sherry Bie.
At the Arts Club Mainstage to
july 10. Res: 687 1644.

Martin Millerchip
THEATRE REVIEW

~ HE PRELUDE to
Prelude To A Kiss in
this Arts Club produc-
tion is one of the most
delightful openings to a play
that you could wish.

Jennifer Clement and Andrew
Wheeler as Rita and Peter conjure
the early moments of an intense
relationship with such joy and
wonder that ! immediately wanted
to fall in love again myself.

Clement and Wheeler create a
tension that is so exquisite, a
freshness that shines so brightly, |
didn’t want them 19 kiss for fear of
losing something.

Well, of course, not only do
Rete and Pete wind up kissing on
the first date, they wind up in bed
together, living together and mar-
ried.

And, unfortunately, they do lose
some of that tension along the
way.

The explanation in hindsight is
simple enough. The Rita of the first
scene changes (it's another of
those damned plots where you
can’t give too much away) leaving
Wheeler pursuing a ghost for
much of the play.

The plot thickens, the stakes in-
crease, but the magic dies once
Wheeler and Clernent are sepa-
rated,

instead of a love story that is
immediate and affecting — a play
of feeiing and emotion, the play
changes gears and becomes a
mystery — a play of intellect and
ideas...”

Perhaps some of that early velvet
tension which ripples back and
forth between Clement and

Wheeler might have been main-
tained by director Sherry Bie if this
production could have achieved
the knife edge of a thriller in its
second act.

Perhaps Barney O'Sullivan,
despite his likability, lacks the
physical edge necessary for his
character's contribution to the
play.

Whatever the reason, Wheeler is
left by himself to hold up a second
act that does not live up to the
promise of the first.

Nevertheless, the ideas contain-
ed in Lucas’ script are exciting
enough that | was quizzing other
audience members for their inter-
pretation when it was all over.

The supporting cast of Denis
Simpson, David Petersen, Suzie |

wast

SS end BRT en

Photo submitted

ANDREW WHEELER as Peter and Jennifer Ciement as Rita know
little what the future holds as their wedding day unfoids. North
Shore actress Suzanne Ristic is part of a fine supporting cast in
Prelude To A Kiss.

Payne, David King, Suzanne Ristic
and sax player Ross Barrett is quite
excellent in a variety of roles.

Here, Bie and company manage
the difficult balance of quirkiness
and naturalism with ease,

Special mention must be made
of designer Alison Green’s con- .
tribution to this production.

Her simple set, ably supported
by the colors of Marsha Sib-
thorpe’s lighting design, embodies
the intertwined ideas of reflection,
reversal, and self-created image in
a series of three installations that °
invite the connections to be made.

if you have ever questioned the
true nature of love, and whe has
not, there is ‘‘a gentle cry”
waiting at the Arts Club.

TAL

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Players remount work

THE NORTH Vancouver
Comrnunity Players are inviting
the North Shore to a sneak
preview of their winning work,
Philadelphia, Here | Come,

The group is remounting the
North Shore Zone Festival
winner at Hendry Hall prior to

Mainstage ‘93 (the work will be
showcased Wednesday, June
30) as a fundraiser for the
company. Yickets, at $10 jor
adults and $8 for seniors and
students, are available for June
18, 19, 24 and 25, David Meln-
losh directs. Phone 963-2633.

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