From page 24

who's made it,’’ Brazeau says in
the Arts Club dressing room,
relaxing in a faded jean shirt and
scruffy grey sweats.

“To Canadians, making it is
going to Hollywood. !’d love to
stay here and work.

: “} don’t think I'm a terrible ac-
tor," he reflects. ‘Even though |

&4 I felt good
knowing that | |
Burl Ives was only 39
-when he did it — the
same age as me. 99

didn’t go to theatre school, 1 had
raw talent.

“As an older actor, however,
you fall into a bind. ... People
think you‘re too busy, too expen-
sive, too set in your ways, too
much trouble.

“Who knows?" he says ina
near-solitoquy. ‘Talk to me in
two years and | might be working
in a video store. 1 might have to.”

Equally surprising is his dread of
auditions. Even afterall these
years, it’s still an incredibly sore

. Spot with Brazeau.

“| auditioned for (the Van-
couver Playhouse production of) A
Doll's House and | feit | was really
terrible because | didn’t know how
you go in for five or 10 minutes
and sell yourself. You need more
time than that. But I’m probably
not a very good auditioner,” he
says. :

*4 got a call the other day from
‘a guy casting a cop movie saying
he was looking for a Jay Brazeau-
type. So | went and auditioned for

it. | probably didn’t get it," he
laughs, “Alex Bruhanski (another
large local talent) probably did.

“Think of it this way: when you
call a plumber you don’t say,

‘OK, let's see what you can do in
five minutes.’ With auditioning,
it's the endless question: how can
they tell how good you are? All I
say to people now is, ask other
people.”

But at the same time, he is well
aware that competition is what it’s
all about. Unlike, he would say,
the organizers of the Jessie
Richardson Awards.

Brazeau, who turned down a
Jessie nomination this year for his
role in Cyrano, is still upset with
what he terms the new politically
correct Jessie Awards,

“T think the new system
(which, among other things, did
away with prescribed categories) is
awiul. | tried to make a point and
hoped that others would tollow
suit but nobody did,”’ he says, ad-
ding that he’s not about to make
reforming the Jessies a mission.

“| hope it will change, but my
feeling is I've done my bit. I'm no-
body's Great White Hope.”

Whether he can afford to or not,
Brazeau has become more selec-
tive about the work he accepts.

A vole has to be challening, has
to excite him, has to be something
he can sink his teeth into.

“Always available for interesting
work — | should put that on my
resume,” he chuckles.

That includes smal! Canadian
films like North of Pittsburgh and
The Grocer's Wife.

Brazeau would also like to play
Tartuffe again, ‘‘but I'm probably

‘too old and too fat now,” as we

as King Lear, although he believes
the ultimate Lear would be played
by a woman.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, in which
he is starring as the fleshy Big
Daddy, fits all three criteria.

Initially though, Brazeau was a
little ambivalent about taking on
the role because Tennessee:
Williams’ corpulent character
seemed so much older. “But | _
felt good knowing that Burl Ives
was only 39 when he did it — the
same age as me.””

(Ives starred in the 1958 film ver-
sion directed by Richard Brooks,
which starred Elizabeth Taylor and

she could
~ how to save

Paul Newman; Rip Torn took up
the role in the 1985 production.)
While the play, he says, is
worlds apart from the film version,
Brazeau has, nevertheless,
carefully studied the way different
screen stars have portrayed the
irascible southern patriarch.
“When you take on a role like
this you take all these people with
you. The most important thing is

to go forward. There's nothin
worse than banging your head
against a wall.’”’

What does he think of Big Dad-
dy? “I’m not very good at talking
about character,” he responds.
“I'm not an inteilectual — never
have been. A lot of my feeling
comes from the heart, from the
gut. To me, that’s much more im-
portant.” ‘

learn

a real life-her own. |

' (

Will your child spend this Sunday morning exploring a fantasy
world where strange creatures use supernatural powers
to battle evil? Or will she learn about a place where everyone

is saved by the only power that really conquers all?
Have some spare time? Looking for a place to ;

take the kids? Look no further than our
Community Bulletin Board. We'll report to you |
‘on activities taking place in your community today,
tomorrow or this weekend.

Parades, hoe-downs, the pony rides at
Maplewood Farm, summer camps, kids’ art,
jazz groups, places to visit, people to meet.
Published three times a week.

Search no more, just enjoy.

Show your spirit. Come back to church.
The Anglican Church

For more information call 684-6306
or outside Vancouver’ 800-665-1105.)

TISSTIES

-NORTH SHORE ANGLIi
ST. FRANCIS-IN-THE-WOOD ST. CLEMENTS ST. CHRISTOPHER'S |
4773 South Piccadilly Rd. 3400 Institute 1068 Inglewood Ave.
922-3531 _ | 988-4418 _ 922-5323”
ST. AGNES ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST ST. MARTINS
530 East 12th Street: 220 West 8th Street 195 East Windsor
987-0432 986-115) 985-5919.

ST. CATITERINES ST. SIMONS ST. RICHARDS
1058 Ridgewood Drive 1384 Deep Cove Road 1398 West 1Sth Street
929-5350 ~ 987-0314

THE VOtCE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER,
ST. STEPHEN'S
885-22nd St.

926-4381

ST. MONICA'S
6404 Wellington Ave,
921-9112

BEG

BSUNDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY