| Marriage of spirits pleases No More Marriages, at Presentation House, directed by Michael Fera, To February 8, phone 986-1351. O MORE Marriages was first performed as a one-act play at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 1989. In that version, the two main characters, Sir Henry Ir- ving and Dame Ellen Terry, sat separately on the stage reading biographies of each other and gradually became engaged in a drama of their lives. North Vancouver's Denis Rodgers has reworked the earlier scripts of Stephanie Berkman for a new two-act version which has the two famous actors meet in purgatory to “‘sort through their baggage’”’ and reflect upon their lives and careers. Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, played by Timothy Hyland and Sarah Rodgers, were renowned stage actors in Victorian England. They made a marked contribution to the development of theatrical technique. The couple acted op- posite each other for almost 25 years at Irving’s Lyceum Theatre. - The play begins with Terry bursting in on Irving who sits in a Victorian anteroom. It is a sort of Purgatory Green Room where the two will act out scenes from their professional and private lives, opening up their motives and mis- givings to mutual scrutiny. The audience are the witnesses to this theatrical atonement and are addressed by the characters as they describe the events of their theatricai careers. Since the play is mostly a series of recollections, it is the timeline which dictates the structure, dividing the action into short se- quences of recall and interpreta- ~ tion. | enjoyed the scene in which Terry and Irving each offer their idiosyncratic versions of the cou- Theatre West Van hoid WEST Van will be THEATRE Barbara Black THEATRE REVIEW ple’s first meeting — naturaily, the teller comes out squeaky clean in the telling. And on a more serious note, | liked the scene in which Irving begs Terry to marry him and Terry pleads ‘No more mar- riages,”’ satisfied that the integrity of their union is enough. Timothy Hyland's performance in this production is excellent. He brings both grandeur and humani- ty to Irving, a combination which is somewhat lacking in his counterpart’s portrayal of Terry. This causes an imbalance in the play. ; Rodgers struggles all the way through to reach the eminent ac- tress’s stature but falls short. And although Rodgers manages to convey the charm of her character there is 2 depth of maturity miss- ing. A stronger Ellen Terry might have added some zest to the ex- construction and costumes. changes between these two in- timates. More repartee is called for. And — hell — this is purgatory, time to fet the super- ficialities drop. One expects the stiff Victorian facade to crumble to reveal more interior stuff. Perhaps Denis Rodgers wanted to mainiain the ambiguities of their relation, but ! expected more physicality between the two, little glirapses of the secret language of lovers. What we do witness, however, and admirably played, is a mar- riage of spirits, a marriage of tal- ents which, fettered by Victorian convention, was not to be match- ed by an actual marriage, much to Irving’s regret, which is deeply felt by the end of the play. In the beginning of No More Martiages, Irving recalls having been warned that ‘‘theatre is a slippery slope to... Hell.” But wher the two characters finally exit from their purgatorial green room it is doubtfui that, after len- ding such dignity to their proies- sion, Hell would | be their final des- tination. The backdror for all this histori- cal bluster and bare-all is a sump- tuous set designed by Cathie MacNeill which includes a pro- scenium with half-shell foottights, faux marble columns and an opu- lent red drape over the stage. Cen- tral is a fireplace flanked on both sides by tall leaded windows. A clock on the mantelpiece reads forever three o'clock. Lighting design, also by MacNeill, is clev- erly integrated with the set. No More Marriages continues to Feb. 8. Also, from Feb. 4-8 Pres- entation House presents Beyond the Written Stage, readings of new plays by focal writers. The ‘ readings take place at Anne Mac- Donald Hall (next door) one hour prior to the play. ng auditions Argyle Ave. in West Vancouver at Wednesday, January 29, 1992 — North Shore News - 27 19 John R. Taylor TIMOTHY HYLAND and Sarah Rodgers star as Henry Irving and Even Terry in the Presentation House production of Ne More arriages. . ; Na More Maries DIRECTICN: MR. MICHAEL FERA By Daas gen rt Sore rr 0 yp i earings. S Ege ae Se Try : JANUARY 17 TO FEBRUARY 8 TUESDAY TU SATURDAY AT 8PM 2 FOR 1 ON TUESDAYS | <3 MIND TE TATE SG READINGS OF NEW PLAYS BY LOCAL WRITERS 11 am. on Feb 1 and 2, and at 7:30 p.m. on Feb.3 For more in- formation, cail 926-9693. The plays will be part of the North Shore Theatre Festiva!. Auditions will be held at 1564 AT ANNE MACDONALD HALL ‘(NEXT DOOR TO PRESENTATION HOUSE) holding auditions at Argyle House on Feb. 1 - 3. Casting for The Diary of Adam and Eve by Dave Birney, The Col- :. lectors.adapted from the novel by fa John Fowies,and an original script will be conducted. Men and women in their early eens . ne ; . . _— " nD are a Dee apa RENOVATION SALE | pean to audition for any parts in the the- atrical productions including set Further & Final Reductions . Now in North Van TAOIST B 2i.Ch Suits, Coats, Blouses, Jackets, Pants, Skirts, For Dresses & Evening Wear ! HEALTH and RELAXATION Begitiners class starts Wed. Feb. 5, 7-9 p.m. : formation phone a SPECIAL CLEARANCE #& = 0 FRC RODIER SWEATERS ume maunaras 681-6609 | | All Sales Final meee boutique | En | ommZ8O PARK ROYAL NORTH 022521) es A Non-profit Organization