S YOU read this, I’m on a photographic safari in the

wilds of California wine country. | don’t drink wine,
but I'l! have plenty of shots of pie-eyed friends to

print when | get home.

In the meantime, | can talk about two events that took
place this summer but for which | didn’t have room before
(Indy can wait until next week).

This year’s Vancouver Comedy
Festival was a huge hit, but | saw
only one event — the Vancouver
debut of Penn and Teller at Hugh
Harrison's Vogue theatre.

Penn Jillette and Arthur Teller

-are billed as ‘a couple of eccen-

tric guys who do a few cool
things.”

Their show is for people who
hate magic because it’s non-tradi-
tional — they‘re not “aging hip-
pies who shove women into
boxes.”

They're not nice to their au-
dience. Their point, they say, is to
make people laugh and give them
chills.

| didn’t get any chills, but they
were funny, in a macabre sort of
way (their heroes are Harry
Houdini and Edgar Allan Poe).

There was lots of blood. The
foul-mouthed Jillette was hilari-
ously cruel to the nine-year-old
assistants he pulled from the au-
dience and unprintably rude
remarks were made about David
Copperfield and Doug Henning.
' We've seen them do needle-
swallowing and fire-eating | on Let-
terman.

Gallery.

At the Lynn vay Centre Sewellers

ANNUAL JEWELLERY
REPAIR SALE

off

PLUS
off

Sale dates Sept. 10-30/93

Louise Aird
BRIGHT LIGHTS

Here, they settled for a stunning
stunt in which Teller dismantled a
silhouette, and an inexplicable fi-
nale where they stripped com-
pletely naked, donned paper-thin
T-shirts, then pulled a bunch of
stuff out from who knows where.

Their levitation act was
awesome, Penn & Teller are
known for breaking the magician’s
code by showing how their tricks
are done. {t was hoped that they'd
divulge their levitation secret but if
they did, } missed it (I'm always
the jerk in the back saying
“How'd they do that’).

They did use plexiglass to show -
us the trap-door-under-the-stage

includes all jewellery
& watch repairs

custom made rings
with your stones or
choose from our wide
selection of gems

trick and the ball-under-the-cup
trick.

And they did their most famous
trick, where Teller holds his breath
in a water-filled cage for 10
minutes.

Part of their schtick, of course, is
that Teller never speaks. Here, he
spoke once, when he told Penn to
“shut up.’

Offstage, Penn is much more
foul-mouthed. According to a
friend who spent the day with
them, both men are extraor-
dinarily bright and astoundingly
well-read.

Also offstage, Teller speaks very
little, usually only venturing con-
versation when Penn has been
quiet for a minute, which is not
often.

Diane Farris held a nice little
party at her gallery to introduce ar-
ty types to Brooks Joyner, the new
director of Vancouver Art Gallery.

The Baltimore native comes to
us from the Museum of Fine Arts
in Montgomery, Alabama.

Prior to that, he taught in
Calgary, which is how he met his
wife Louise — she was-his student.

They now have a daughter,
Shelley, and are renovating their
newly purchased North Van
home.

Presumably, he’s used to hand-
ling all of the goopy politics which
invariably crops up at arts institu-
tions.

| did ask him about the percep-
tion among some Vancouver ar-
tists that the VAG is a closed shop
— that it runs on a who-you-know
basis.

His reply was quick — surprise,
surprise — he said he looks for-
ward to bringing all of the arts
venues togethe

Yeah, | think he'll be able to
handle the politics.

Other Northshorites at the party
included Vicki Gabereau with her
film producer husband, Tom
Rowe.

Tom's partner Matthew O’Con-
nor was there with his wife Diane
Patrick O’Connor, and Colleen
and Howard Nemtin were just
back from the states where snappy
dresser Howard purchased a tie
from Barney’s New York which
was “too expensive to discuss.”

lt was a typically American tie,
though — its main feature was a

gun,

consider the proposal at a later date.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING

An apartment development is being proposed for the property at

#3785 - 3919 Dollarton Highway

United Properties Ltd.

at a meeting to discuss the project
Location of the Meeting: Mount Seymour United Church

Formal Presentation to be at 8:00 BM.

This is not a Public Hearing. Couneil will receive a report from staff on issues raised at the meeting and will formally

photos Louise Alrd

ARTHUR TELLER is one of two ‘‘eccentric guys who do a few
coo! things," otherwise known as Penn & Teller.

VOGUE THEATRE’S Hugh Harrison (left). with Penn Jillette of
Penn & Teller.

and you are invited to join

DATE: September 9, 1993
TIME: 7:30 P.M.

1200 Parkgate Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C.

The project includes 215 units with underground parking tor the 430 cars. A
public pathway and amenity areas along the foreshore have been incorporated in
the design

The: meeting is being held by the applicant in compliance with the District of
North Vancouver cuttncil policy. The applicant will present details of the pro-
posal and discuss any concems residents may have.

information packages are being distributed to residents within 350 im of the site.
Mf you would like to receive a copy or if you would like more information contact
the Planning Department at 987-7131 or United Properties Ltd. at 736-3864 or
bring your questions and comments to the meeting,