Long struggle for N

CATHERINE CAINES is back living in Deep

Cove, but this time with a whale asy lifestyle and a
greater sense of self worth than she’s ever. had

before.

Caines, who now teaches
and directs theatre at
Capilano College, University
of B.C. and Ramona
Beauchamp Studios, 1s quick
to point it’s been a long
struggle since those days
when she *‘practically lived in
the Deep Cove Stage (an
amateur theatre company),
and did everything from
scrubbing floors to cleaning
loos.’

Married in England at 19
and with two young sons, she
describes herself then as a
‘*struggling housewife.’’
Deep Cove Stage was to be
her re-incarnation in the
theatre.

In 1976 she was at Simon
Fraser University working
towards a BA in English but
soon switched to the drama
program at UBC. As she im-
mersed herself in the
academic world Catherine
went through months of soul-
searching — being pulled in
two directions.

Her conventional role of
wife/mother was in direct op-
position to her life in the
theatre. While the marriage
broke up, she still enjoys a
close relationship with her
sons (one of whom recently
asked ‘‘did we ever tell you
how ‘proud we are of you,
mum?’')

Studying at UBC, Caines
sull thought she would be an
actress, but audited a course
in directing. It was then that
she veered towards directing
because ‘‘as a director you
can give more than you
would as an actress.”*

Of course, when somebody
said to her ‘tas a woman,
you'll never get work as a
director’ that clinched it.
She graduated with a BA in
theatre in 1980 and went on
for a Masters degree. She

changed to Masters in Fine
Arts since teaching was also
something she wanted to do.

She credits Jerry Wasser-
man with introducing her 10

By ROSALINDA PRYNN

Canadian writers and her
ongoing interest in Canadian
productions. Of Tremblay
she says ‘‘he writes as | would
write. He writes for me and
all women.”’

While at UBC she was ina
number of productions which
also added credits towards
her degree. Despite her heavy
schedule, she taught at
Langara’s Studio $8 where
she had the opportunity to
mount Canadian
productions.

‘*Creeps’’ in 1981 was her
first play as a director, and
both director and students
received good reviews. The
success was due in part, says
Caines, to ‘‘Rick Watson, a
cerebral palsy victim who
coached the actors and
chaired the discussion groups
after each performance.
Some of the discussions
lasted longer than the one
hour play.’’ Initially, people
had told her ‘“you can’t have
students doing plays about
cerebral palsy.’’ She proved
them wrong. Productions of
**Hosanna’”’ (’82 and’83) and
‘‘Joe Egg’’ (’84) followed,
both to strong critical
reaction.

Now married to Antony
Holland, theatre co-
ordinator of Studio 58 and
actor/director, Caines works
twice as hard as she needs to,
to prove to others (and
herself) that any job she gets
is on her own merits, and not
because of her husband.

Holland, though, is one of»:

her staunchest admirers. In
his professional opinion
‘‘Catherine is, quite simply,
one of the best teachers |
have ever met.’’ He is very
supportive of her efforts, but
they both assert that ‘‘no
matter how you get the door
to Opportunity opened, it 1s a
person's own talents/skills
which keep a job.”’

Caines is committed to

theatre and shares with all
her students the belief which
drives her: ‘‘theatre is an
energy between two actors
which is like a ball going out
to the audience and being
returned. If the energy
doesn’t "exist the theatre
won't work.’’

Teaching and theatre are
Caine’s absorbing interests.
This year she is teaching at
UBC where she broke new
ground (again) by currently
being the only woman on the
theatre faculty plus she went
straight from being a student
to a faculty member.

She’ll also be teaching two
courses at Capilano College,
and directing their next pro-
ject Candleford: ‘‘seen for
the first time in Canada, a
promenade play, rough
theatre at its best.’

Her new appointment as
School Director of the
Ramona Beauchamp Theatre
School adds another dimen-
sion to this already crowded
life. Having approached
Holland with her idea of a
‘legitimate theatre school,’
Beauchamp wanted
Catherine to be = involved
because she ‘‘has enormous
ability. She has skills plus
talent but above all is devoted
to her students, to whom she
gives 500 per cent of herself.
That kind of dedication can-
not be bought. Catherine is a
rare person.”’

The courses at this new
Trade School were outlined
and scheduled by Caines and
Holland in such a way as to
enable students to financially
support themselves during
their studies. If a student sup-
ports himself, Caines and
Holland believe this demon-
strates his commitment to his
art.

‘Commitment’ and ‘op-
portunity’ are frequently us-
ed by Caines. She is commit-
ted to putting more Canadian
plays into production.
‘““Canada, and the theatre,
gives the opportunity to ex-
pand my horizons, fulfill my
potential. My goal is to pro-
vide theatre of the people, for
the people and by the people.

C NCO prese
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One of the stories she tells
is of the day she went into her
new faculty office at UBC for
the first time. *‘It was a mo-
ment of fulfillment. | felt
when | opened that dodr and
went over the threshold that 1
was striking a blow for all the
women in England who
would never have the oppor-
tunities | have had. It was a
blow for my younger sister,

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B19 - Sunday, September 23, 1934 - North Shore News

director

who sull lives near where we
grew up. She now scrubs
floors for a living with no
hope of a higher education. It
was a blow for all women.’’

Catherine Caines is a
woman on the move and, one
suspects, the Canadian
theatre will be a= richer
environment when she
finishes knocking down the
barriers she finds.

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