34 — Friday. December 18, 1998 — North Shore News The meanin oO plays to consider for holiday theatre Boirs Snowing On Saisprina hy Nicola Cavendish ato the Arts Club” Theatre (Granville sland? to Dee. 31. Box office: 637-1644, B Presents of Mind by Mi leuner at Piesentacion House to BD . Box office: 990-3474. IT seems like only yesterday that the Arts Club was eagerly promoting Nicola Cavendish’s Sowing on Saltspring. Bat ae press r Cab Was seven Vears aud that Pill ivamesters ciled chiiihood anger, 2 pregnant wite and self doubt about his career choice = den- Martin Mitrerchip tistry. AMv (often uli memory recalled that I loved ndish on stage,was spellbound by the mid-play set transformation and was often bored by a script thas didn’t seem to offer as many opportuninies to characters other than those plaved by Cavendish. This (third) time around Cavendish wast in the show, the set change was familiar and there were still holes in the seript you could drive a Tonka truck through. But, vou know what, I enjoyed the production far more! Cavendish has obviously re-worked the ’ ent but my enjoyment came more from the solid centre that Andrew Rhodes’ doubting dentist provides for the story and an astonishment that Nicole Robert could so casily create a Bernice Snarpley that made comparisons with Cavendish beside the point. Snarpley, of course, is the lesbian real estate agent who provides the link to vendish’s two other Christmas plays set on wen Island. Robert's Snarpley is all awkward aggr sion, male mannerisms and moustache, but her aching heart and soft centre are there for all to see. My only reservation was that her second act character, the grumpy elf, Grindle O’Derby, seemed nor much different to her Snarpley behind those big cars. Rhodes, meanwhile, actually succeeded in making me care about his character's mid-life angst, thus creating an ending to the play thar had more emotional content than I recalled from the two previous productions. Snowsng on Saltspring is not perfect (direc- tor Janet Wright allows references to Erish dancing and elf sex to go way over the top) but Pd recommend it over Mavor Moore’s creaky musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol (at the Watertront Theatre) for a far outing with older (12 and up) children. Of course, if you wanted to stay on the North Shore and you can’t get tickets Deep Cove Stage’s annual Christmas pan- tomime (Sleeping Beanty, directed by Ann Booth) which is sold out for its entire run, then consider Presents of Mind at Presentation House. Both script and production have holes (and in some cases we're talking bigger than Tonka track here) but audience members I spoke to on opening night lost Thursday all seemed to have enjoyed the stiow. Mike Schemmer is the author and director. Schemmer, « special-ed teacher at Seycove Secondary, wrote the original musical Dregs of Society that premiered at Capilano College last vear. CURTAIN CALL sot Maat tex than Cas oC hrstiras hast Woadt awe ve Ik ranmtih fas bedy val meat tam 1a hospital provieusiv oced who fis gone tea bet prey tore up and : CO MISTCE TA TOO MiSHE Tor reasons That dae never really pustitied Allin would be pretty dire but Schemimer sensibly turns the emotion dial down to the poror that most diches are avoided --althorath having the “nice” nurse collapsing in the corn gnietis too much hater Kriy Romele tora bit of bed rest occas sronted be Moshaustion” fast before Chrisumas. Dad Stead tikes a bit of comincing as to woe Pores e 2 bear on the ted bathrobe fat senaty | {want aederty bau ao. remembering old letters to sant AM that remains is to wet 4 ‘Loniny to buy inte the premise that the strangest medi- ene as the power to befiev tip te Christnias past and Christinas-vet-to-come (does this scem familiar? + could help here. OK, the gift wrapping comes alittle ¢ nished. bur the sentimentatity of the seript is not the teal problem here — it’s Christmas after all. While Schemmier the writer could use some help to develop the second act (there’s a completely redundant scene about opening + window that does nothing tu further the action). "5 Schemmer the director whe needs to speed things up. There are some good actors in the cast. Andrew Macbeth as Tommy's father under plays nicely while Kelly Gover’s ward orderly, although too young tor the intention of the role, is very natural, And the wo leads —- Peter Ruginis’ Kris Kringle and John Poliguin’s Tommy are just great. Bat even the best of them were occasional: ly betrayed by a pace that seemed glacial on opening night. However, community theatre often improves in this regard as the run devel- ops and by new this may not be a problem. A technical element [don’t often mention, thar of makeup, deserves praise in chi duction. Gail Ruginis’ work on the s Tommy is disconcertingly excellent. The stag- ing and lighting of the graveyard scene Ill Pass over, Presents of Mind is a simple enough story that younger children (say seven and up) should understand, and the price of this pre- sent (S10/7) is right on the money. PETER Ruginis as Kris Kringle camforts John Poligi Presents of Mind at Presentation House until Dec. 20. The play, by local teacher Mike Schemmer, offers a modern take on the power of beliet. NEWS photo Ter:y Petors as Tommy Stead in Phato Glen Erikson “AND I wart a toy train this big.” Andrew Rhodes (frorn left) as Bill Bannister rediscov- ers the meaning of Chiistmas while Nicole Robert as the elf Grindle O’Derby disecvers the mean- ing of bad dental nygiene in it’s Snowing on Saltspring at tne Arts Club on Granvitie tstand. Leoking on are Beatrice Zeilinger (Martha Claus), lan Hoss McDonaid (Santa Claus) and Frances Flanagan {Peggy O'Derby}.