28 - Sunday, March 7, 1993 - North

JACKIE KNAZAN is a
wizard. The “West Van-
couver resident has co-
authored two books, pen-
ned an award-winning play
and racked up credits as an
actor in theatre and film.
And she does everything
with a touch of magic.
Knazan was destined for a life

of entertaining other people.
“Out of the womb, | was like

JACKIE KNAZAN prepares for a

authored and itlustrated.

Sit down to a PASTA
DINNER that includes
your choice of

pasta, sauce

and garlic

toast!!

PASTA TUESDAY
starts at 5 pm.
Dine-in only.

1078 MARINE DR.
NORTH VAN.

Shore News

By Tina Gilbertson
Contributing Writer

”

this big ham,”’ she says, recalling
her first tap-dance recital when
she missed a step, got a laugh,
and proceeded to upstage the
other fitrle girls,

AS a teenager, Knazan ran away
from home to be an actor, and
headed for Chicago, where the
first play she appeared in was

promotional tour of her latest party tips book, which she co- .

Auntie Mame,
Already a developing wizard at
18, she convinced the director to
let her play nat only Gloria Up-
son, the debutante, but also the
role of 70-year-old Mother Burn-
side, both of which she carried off
for 15 performances before un-
suspecting audiences. ;

From Chicago she drifted to
Minneapolis, landing a then-
coveted job as a disc jockey in a
20-go joint.

Those were

relatively good

NEWS photo Mike Wakefleld

Tie 984-0407

times for Knazan, who remembers
being invited by friends and con-
tacts to hear the likes of Ella Fitz-
gerald perform live in other
clubs.

About this time, she happened
into a job as a stewardess with
Braniff Airlines, which she held
for two years. She noticed that
rookie stewardesses were razzed
by those with seniority, and, hav-
ing more than a touch of mischief
herself, began to pass on her ex-
periences to newer people after
she had flown for a while.

On one memorable occasion,
she told a rookie that a woman
sitting in first class was Lauren
Bacall.

Knazan approached the: passen-
ger, who looked something like
the actress, and asked her if she
would mind, just for the flight,
pretending she was Lauren Bacall.
The woman agreed.

“So the rookie went over and
got her autograph and everything
and we were laughing at her,”’
recalls Knazan. “And then we
landed and there was all this press
everywhere. Turns out the woman
was Lauren Bacall.”

Knazan’s myriad stories revolve
notably not around herself, but
around people she has met in her
travels.

Her experience of others has fed
many of her projects, including
her play, The Alter Knacker (the
old bigshot), which won best play
in 1978 in a Multicultural Theatre
Association Canada-wide com-
petition. The play, a comedy, is
based on her father-in-law and
has been performed in Toronto.

Another comedy written by
Knazan, The Branch Office of
Moses, achieved semi-finalist
status in a New York competition.

It has become clear through the
years that Knazan’s knack for
entertaining extends to the written
word.

A new book, written last year
with her three sisters (‘‘conjured
up by the Wizard Four,’’ an-
nounces the cover) reflects the wit
and effervescence of this
chimerical creator.

Entitled The Party Wizard, the

Name: Jackie Knazan

Occupation: Author, actor, play-
wright

Born: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Residence: West Vancouver
Family: Husband Mort, daughter
Jefri, son Ari

bulging tome contains some of the
sorcery of these fanciful sisters,
including party theme ideas, orig-
inal recipes, cake decorating in-
Structions, costume ideas, drinks,
specific holiday parties, party
games and countless general hints
for mere mortals who want to
have a magically good time.

This new endeavor is a sequel
of sorts to the sisters’ first book,
Party Secrets for Super Moms,
which is currently out of print.

The fact that these sisters wrote,
published, promoted and
distributed both books is im-
pressive. But add the fact that
they all live in different cities, and
only Knazan lives in Canada, and
it becomes a feat of pure wizar-
dry, .

Knazan, together. with her
vivacious friend and publicist In-
grid Fischer, has scheduled a trip
to Washington this month to
promote The Party Wizard, which
is available at The Book Company
in Park Royal for $29.99,

DENINIEE
MI Li EU.

NORTH SHORE LIGHT OPERA SOCIETY
presents

GILBERT .
&
SULLIVAN’S

Patience

A COMIC OPERA

MARCH 12, 13, 19, 20,

25, 26, 27
8:00 P.M.

MARCH 14, 21 2:00 P.M.

CENTENNIAL THEATRE
23RD & LONSDALE, N.VAN.

Call the Centennial Threatre Box Office at 984-4484
or Ticket Master at 280-3311
or any staff member 985-3881