4 — Friday, January 24, 1992 - North Shore News Does WV care enough to build its own theatre? ALL RIGHT, all zight, | was more than a step behind in my column about the West Van Odeon a couple of weeks ago. And, though I still have my reservations — not for seats in the theatre, which is dark these days, but about prospects of saving it from conversion into a financial centre — I admire the energy and enthusiasm of its would-be sav- WED. They may even pull it off, thus proving to mv that skepticism is not always tk< vest policy. Among those sparking the cause are James Hazell, owner of Ar- tifax Design, directly across the street on Marine Drive; Mary Caple, a past president of long- homeless Theatre West Van; Mien van Heek, meimber of Theatre B.C.; Pat Edwards, of the Actors Company, West Van; Scott Swann, impresario, director and playwright who brings in the in- terests of professional theatre; Linda Nelson of Dramaworks, devoted to children’s and educa- tional theatre; Susan !oki, curator of the gallery at the Ferry Build- ing; Ron Falcioni, of Gallery Alpha; Pat Lepp, member of ACTION (Acknowledging Cre- ative Talent in Our Neighborhood); and Ray Mainland, who runs the Ridge Theatre in Vancouver. Not that there isn't a business element, lest this artistic group be carried away by its own rhetoric. That's provided by Don Youngson, president of the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and a strong backer. And there's also Elaine Fonseca, president of the Ambleside Ratepayers Association. Oh, yes — then there's the mat- ter of money. On one hand, the present owner — a young man variously reported to me to be aged 19, 20, or 22, and not the Odeon chain as I stated a couple weeks ago — wants what I'd call a hell of a lot of it. Money, that is. The asking price is $3.5 million. I'd say that was way overpriced. But then the figures named as more realistic, between $2 million and $2.5 million, also sound overpriced to me. Remember, | belong to the generation that went to the movies for a dime. On the other hand, the group trying to save the West Van Odeon apparently has an ‘‘angel"’ — a well-known benefactor of West Van projects who, I've learned, has tentatively offered a donation of a cool $1 million. At this point the gap looks huge and unbridgeable, But the principal owner, who has been represented in talks with the theatre rescue group by a part owner, Lucas Kai, may not get a serious bite at the asking price. An option on the propercy ex- pires in March, and James Hazell said that he was told this week that the prospective principal te- Certainly che need for a finan- cial centre on the site looks far from desperate. There are already no less than four financial institu- tions on the block. The Save-the-West-Van-Odeon group thinks it would be only a little less than tragic if the theatre was junked for yet another finan- cial institution. And what does the group envi- sion? Plenty. The dreams are horizon-wide. Mainland, who runs the cinematic Ridge and shows high- quality European and other films, has expressed interest in using one of the existing West Van Odeon screens for the same purpose — bringing some good and rarely seen art films to the North Shore. Both the professional and ama- teur theatre groups are zealous about using part of the theatre too. Theatre West Van was founded in 1946 but has never had a home. And Mary Caple and Pat Edwards cite both the difficulty of finding 1991 HOLLYBURN Trevor Lautens GARDEN OF BIASES performance space elsewhere and the interest of theatre groups from across the bridge, where space sometimes has to be booked 12 months in advance, in performing in West Van. There's also the prospect of us- HYUNDAI EXCEL CX 3-DOOR Features: Power brakes : 5-speed manual transmission: 5-year 100,000km warranty: 1.5litre fuel injected engine + 4 speaker AM/FM cassetta sterea: Michelinall-saason tadials « Rear defroster $10,450 oaveanay ‘THIS IS NOT A LEABE AND THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO ADDED CHARGES $290” MONTHS o% | oe INCLUDES ALL TAXES, FREIGHT ANDPOI ing some space during the day for a seniors’ arts centre, for some ethnic cultural groups that at present are hardly visible in West Van, and other artsy uses. The savior group is currently putting together a business plan intended to show that a new role for the theatre would be both business-like and a strong boost for existing business in the area. By Feb. 5 the plan would be passed on for study by the North Shore Arts Commission. Then the proposal would go to West Van council by the end of next month. Ah, yes. Council. Council’s view of all this would seem to be enigmatic. Put Mayor Mark Sager down as a cautious, tentative, conditional supporter — who, I would say, would be openly enthusiastic if he could stickhandle the politics and the finances through the shoals. A couple of aldermen are very guarded about the project, ac- cording to Hazell. But it’s possible — I’m still cautious myself — that the richest community in the country is about ripe to be shamed into finally get- ting its own theatre. Then again, if the very well- located West Van Odeon is turned down for that role and council isn’t interested in, say, buying the property and leasing space to various tenants, citizen momen- tum might carry the idea forward and drop it on another site. In the meantime I've been at productions at our existing North Shore theatres, most recently to see No More Marriages, depicting the relationship between actress Ellen Terry and Sir Henry Irving, a very pleasant entertainment for a crisp hour and three-quarters at Presentation House written by the North Shore’s David Rodgers and well played by Sarah Rodgers and Timothy Hyland. I recommend it — while wondering, like other residents of Greater Tiddlycove, whether we care enough to build a theatre of our own. 1992 HOLLYBURN HYUNDAI SCOUPE L Features: L5litre OHC mutti_point fuel injec: iain air senapersienk suspension witiscblizer bass Verto brakes - Standard ETRAM/FM stereo cassette with 4 speakers + Michelin alt-eeason radial tires, FRICEDOWN rnom $10,595 1992 HOLLYBURN HYUNDAI reohues ELANTRA GL New Model for 92! Lelie 1évalvedul OHC engine: Power assisted steering raleana » Flush nalogenheadiamps nant, Royal Trust, has dropped 1991 HOLLYBURN out. 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