New play fest previews two works in progress THE Playwrights Theatre Centre (PTC) has had a long, honorable and occa- sionally controversial his- tory in the years since its inception in 1970. Tts annual festival of new plavs, initiated in 1974 (which makes this year’s the 24th if anyone's counting), has evolved and changed along with the Centre's self-perception of its mandate. Some years have seen more plays in production, while other years have offered tewer produced scripts bur a higher standard of production. (And we won’t get into the off-stage barrles of “name” versus “unknown” playwrights at all.) Like the writings that the Vancouver New Play Festiva! develops, the festival itself will continue to change until abandoned. To put that remark in contexte, Conadian play- wright John Murrell once said that no new play is * ever finished but abandoned. PTC Artistic Director Peter Hinton uses the quote in his pro- gram introduction and emphasized it during a post-performance talkback with the audience. It is worth remembering that Java Life and Criminal, the centrepieces of this year’s festival may still be works-in-progress —- depending on what playwrights Aaron Bushkowsky and Elizabeth Dancoes choose to take from the process of rehearsal, performance and audience feedback. The temptation to judge the two plays as fin- ” ished works is overwhelming when both boast high production values, stellar casts and concomi- tant ticket prices. . [took such a position after seeing Java Life, ‘ot. Jeaving the Arts Club Revue Theatre without stay- Photo David Cooper . IRMAN Armour and Veena Sood are coffee- a drinkers in pain in Aaron Bushkowsky’s Java Life. ME shaughagk ing for the discussion and taking my frus- trations home with me. But staying for Hinton’s post-pro- duction Q&A session with the audience of Criminal provided perspective for che festival’s process and a retrospective will- ingness to see the merits rather than the faults in Jara Life. Bushkowsky wheels out a man incapable of caring for himself, now consigned to a gurney and the anonymous TV rooms of a long- term care(!) facility. The two staff members are polar opposites: one representing heart, the other alienation. We then mect two women who may represent aspects of the same equation and a Tom Waits- style coffee house drifter whe might embody it all. Bushkowsky’s first act is a frothy coffee of unexplained connections, acerbic dialogue based on human fallibility and scenes that go nowhere slowly (mestly duc to director Hinton’s glacial pace). By intermission I was wondering, which draft of the script led PTC to describe Java Life as a comedy. The second act hints at tragedy before finishing in hope, provides missing conflict and explains the relationship connections from Act I. It also offers beautiful scenes (with wonderful work from Laara Sadiq, Veena Sood and Allan Zinyk) that illumi- nate the meaning of compassion. I wish ‘ Bushkowsky could have got us here sooner, after all, there is only so much you cannot say if you live” in urban alienation. h hk The staging doesn’t help Bushkowsky’s pla either, Admittedly, Alan Brodie’s set ae to ferve double duty for both plays, but Java Life often seemed lost on stage, begging for a tighter focus. And if Hinten chooses to overwhelm the actors (and possibly the audience) with music that calls - attention to itself, the least he could do is acknowledge the artists in the program. ~ Hinton’s flair for theatrical manipulation and Brodie’s set and light desiga serves playwright Elizabeth Dancoes better. Her complex script, often working three timelines simultaneously, lends itself to emotive imagery. On one level, Criminal is a brave and often powerful examination of the identity crisis foisted on an unsuspecting adoptee when birth parents come back to life. But Dancoes extends the threads thar connect a daughter to an unknown raother back into herstory and a series of lives shaped and corrupted by men, or rather the power implicit in maleness. Those who are disposed to dismiss this as femi- nist rant are likely protecting the power base between their legs. Whether Dancoes’ argument that speaks to a collective unconscious is justified is debatable; chat it is confusing as the time lines move forward through the years is undeniable; that it ultimately offers the reward of compelling theatre in return for the investment of concentration is beautiful. The work on stage is consistently strong, but I especially appreciated Brenda Robins and Tamsin Kelsey for the truth of their work. TAMSIN Kelsey (loft), Brenda Robins (standing) and Wendy Van Ri lesen are part of PTC’s production of Elizabeth Dancoe's chalienging but rewarding Criminai. Dear Mr. Fizz Dear Mr. Fizz: What actually is the oldest trick in the book? Fizz: Our death, which is as endless as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air. In the meantime reduce some of the friction with a Lube Job: I 0z. vodka, 1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream. Mix the ingredients into an old-fash- ioned glass filled with ice and stir it up. Dear Mr. Fizz: When docs a cult become a religion? Fizz: When the snake cannot shed its skin it perishes. So do the spirits who are prevented from changing their opinions. They cease to be spirit. Now, here’s a refreshing beverage with spirit: Rangoon Ruby: 2 02, vodka, 2 Thsp. cranberry juice, juice of half a lime and club soda. Combine all but «= -club soda over ice and stir. Fill with club soda and stir. Dear Mr, Fizz: Why do fools fall in love? Fizz: Even the most courageous among us only rarely has the courage for that which he really knows. Love is a nutty affair: Coco-Loco: 1 whole coconut, | oz. tequila, 1 Gz. rum, 1 oz. gin and ¥ 02. grenadine. Cut a three-inch hole in the top of a coconut. Pour in tequila, rum and gin. Add several ice cubes and stir. Throw in a slice of lemon and serve with a long straw, Dear Mr. Fizz: Why docs a scorpion sting iiself to death if a drop of whiskey is put on its back? ; Fizz: The bite of conscience, like the bite of a dog into a stone, is a stu- pidity. Bite back with a Velvet Hammer: } 3: oz. vodka, } Tbsp. Creme de Cacao, 1 Tbsp. light cream. Shake well with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Dear Mr. Fizz: Does a grasshopper have any control over where it lands after a hep? ; Fizz: The grasshopper lives with cause and leaves results to the great law of the universe. Fly upon the wings of a Flamingo: 1% oz. gin, ¥ oz. apricot brandy, the juice of 4a lime and | tsp. Grenadine. Shake weil with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Dear Mr. Fizz: My mother's three late husbands recently appeared to her - from beyond the grave, demanding the return of their sold possessions. What can she do? Fizz: She must do her best to ignore these deadbeats. She might change the subject with a Brandy Smash: 14 oz. brandy, | oz. water, } Tbsp. pow- dered sugar and 2-3 springs of fresh mint. Combine the mint and sugar with 2 02. of shaved ice. Add brandy and water, Strain into sour glass and garnish it with fruit. : Dear Mr. Fizz: Are we there yet? Fizz: Roam about until exhausted and then, dropping to the ground, in this dropping be whole. Test your newfound integrity with a Tequila Popper: | oz. tequila and # oz. 7 Up. Layer the ingredients into shor glass. Cover the top of the glass and slam it down against the table and drink immediately. APL h ag rh agh argh ag hasgh Vkst Goast Ghristmes _Zighting Custom Designed To Suit Your Budget/Installed by qualified electricians For your free home or business estimate call 420-4960 or page either 443-2095 or 439-6633