O’ Neill
evokes
despair,

Barbara Black

THEATRE REVIEW

A Moon for the Misbegotten,
Vancouver Playhouse, Directed by
Kathryn Shaw, To Nov. 2. Phone
873-3311. :

s the lights come up ©
on the Vancouver _
Playhouse production
of A Mcon for the Misbegot- ‘|
_tenitis a sunny day in 1923
-.on a New England pig farm..
There is a rickety old shack
with worn, wooden stairs, a
--wood pile and water pump
nearby and corn stalks in
the distance.
But the cheery, naturalistic set-

" ., ting, rather than providing the

* backdrop for a-bumpkin comedy,
is instead a contrast to the gloomy
interior life of the people who in- -
habit this piace. le

"_. Josie Hogan (played by Janet
Wright), is a rough and ready _.
woman with a reputation for wan-

‘tonness who works on her father
Phil Hogan’s (played by Leslie ©
Carlson) pig farm. Their landlord,

_ _Jemes Tyrone Uerry Franken). isa

‘boozing playboy who nonetheless
has a soft spot for Josie. ,

On the surface it looks like
overdrawn characters are blather-
ing up a storm and kidding each
other for a good time, swigging
booze and cursing adversity.

But under the stream of words
are misgivings and insecurity and
an inability to relate honestly or
deeply ta one another. While
characters have a fondness for

_€ach other, which is obvicus by
their intricate games and schemes,
they are ultimately cut to protect
their own interest and keep others
from penetrating their facade of
garrilous defiance.

it's not what they say but what
they cannot say that informs their
relationships. So, while they are
somewhat admirable in their de-
fiance of adversity, they are also
perverse in their deniai of it.

The blather is not only a defence
mechanism to mask vulnerability,
it is a sort of roundabout, symbolic
way of conversing.

This makes the first scenes very
language-oriented. On opening
night, however, whole lines were
lost to the rafters as Wright played

i 0 \
ac : |
CUSTOM SHIRTMAKERS =

JUST ARRIVED!

HUGE SELECTION OF NEW
PATTERNS FOR FALL
2x2 Egyptian

. cotton spoly & cotton
= 100% cottun
— You decide the style

— French cuft or regular cleave
«- Monograins can be provided

2531 Granvilte Si. at Browdway
FREE parking at rear 731-9190

them too nonchalantly or Carison
rushed through his with a rather
thick accent. It was as if they
couldn't-wait to get this talking bit
over with.. -- .

The audience needed more time
to get immersed in the characters
(having some cf the house lights

.. on didn’t help).

The entire play takes place in
the same location, without a
chaige of set. There is always the
feeling of a hostile “out there’ —
populated by drunks, tarts and
greedy landowners — which
threatens the security of the
microcosm of the farm.

Although there is very little in
the way of plot, there is plenty of
plotting on the part of Phil, Josie
and Jim. In the second act the
jesting gives way to self-serving

- scheming. When Jim is offered

three times the value of the farm
by an oil tycoon, Phil thinks he
will take advantage of Jim’s fond-
ness of josie and win the farm by
getting them married. Josie agrees
to the scheme after being stood up -
by a sweet-talking Jim.

But what ensues is a redemptive

" meeting between Josie and Jim

under the moonlight where their
ill-conceived (or misbegotten)
schemes finally unravel and they
let down their guard to reveal their
true selves. We discover that Josie
is not really a hussy but a not-so-
young virgin and Jim a suffering,
guilt-racked man, not a
phiianderer, who needs to be ab-
solved of guilt about his mother’s
death.

It was not until this final scene
where Josie acts as earth mother,
lover and redeemer for Jim that |

Wednesday, October 16, 1991 - North Shore News — 29

JANET WRIGHT and Jerry Franken star in the Piayhouse produc-
tion of O’Neiil’s A Moon for the Misbegotten.

photo David Cacper

could emotionally step into the

play. Jim’s monologue in which he

relates the events around his

mother's death and his subsequent
decline into drink and womanizing

is absorhing and chilling. Perhaps
it is O'Neill's true life experience
with his own brother.that comes
through.

But Josie and Jim’s evening of
tove and forgiveness is just that. It
heals, but dees not lead to a life-
time together.

Their love scene is undeniably
emotional, even lurid. But, surpris-

’ ingly, Franken looked uncomfort-

able when he was with Wright,
both sitting on the steps and later
lying en her breast. Here the stag-
ing really must be faulted for the
poor man was contorted at odd
angles, not melted into her large,
comiorting body. | wondered if
Wright and Frankin were uncom-
fortable with one another — when
they kissed it was cold and
awkward, net loving and desper-
ate.

Wright’s performance during the
confession and dawn scenes was
touching, although ft (and my
theatre partner) didn’t find her ut-
terly convincing in this role.

Both Brian Drummond and
Robert Metcalfe’s appearances
were convincing and full of
energy. And original music by
Greg Ruddell provided a com-
plimentary soundscape.

in the end it is the littleness, not
the greatness of the characters that
moves us. A Moon for the
Misbegotten is not quite tragic in
the conventional sense, since the
main characters pity themselves
and return to life with resignation.

Monday, Oct. 21 - 6:30pm
Wine tasting dinner

5 course meal
5 selected wines

$ 3 5 00 per person inc. G.S.T.
or®

Emerald Park
Restaurant

350 East 2nd Street, North Vancouver

‘Savoury{
Seafood
Savings!

Prawns & Scallops

(sauteed in white wine sauce)

Sea Mates Platter

(deep fried prawns, salmon, oysters
and sole)

Sea Mates Casserole

(sauteed salmon, prawns, sole,
crabmeat, mushrooms in light wine
sauce and a touch of brandy}

Mixed Grilled

Tiger Prawns, snapper and Mahi-Mahi

this month only

Come in and see our new look!

Sea Mates

Seafood Restaurant
998 Marine Drive, North Van. 980-1213

Closed Munday, Dinner Tues.-Sun. Lunch Tues.-Fri. |