Live theatre going strong

S there any theatre on now, or has it all
shut down for the summer? asked my
editor innocently.

Five shows in seven nights later the answer is self- evident.

4 rere j is a lot of summer entertainment looking for your theuire
olfar,

Closest to home The North Shore Theatre Improv
Competition, or NoSHTIC for short, runs at Presentation House
until August-24.

_ Organizer Peter Jorgensen promises the best comedy event
on the North Shore as five teams compete in a league format
until the final weekend when the top three teams will play off in
a winner-take-all format for a prize of $1,500.

Shows are every Friday and Saturday night at Spam.

ii Bee The Sta Theatre
Inder The Stars is praying

for a return to hot summer Martin

nights in Stanley. Park.

... This. year The Sound of ..
Music altemates with Jesus.
Christ Superstar.

. vo The Sound of Music is
the likely crowd-pleaser
with such favorite melodies
as My Favorite Things, °
ixteen Going on' Seventeen,
Clinb Every Mountain. and:

Edelweiss but, despite its
sophomoric lyrics and sim- |
plistic approach to the pas- —- -

jon of Christ, Jesus Chris st Superstar i is the better producticn.

-There is genuine joy in watching this young cast throw them-

Selves into the exuberance of the music and choreography,
North Shore should be familiar with the talents of musical direc-
tor Courtenay Ennis from several Uncle Randy productions but

choreographer Lisa Stevens is new to me. :

Her staging of the larger chorus numbers is close to spectac-

ular but falters with the repetitive | moves of the Soul Girls who

"dance attendance on Judas Iscariot.’ ° .

:.. What these temptresses represent is something of a problem

and ‘the lack of focus may be the fault of director Colin G, Vint
rathes than Stevens.

foe-The reason I say that is that there are other focus clues in the
haridling of some of the smaller scenes.

. Anthony Hutchcroft is a compelling Judas and Diane Haynes
a stroug, if not terribly poignant, Mary.

- Sohn Amenta makes the most of Simon Peter, David

Robertson is a magnetic Pilate and Mitchell Mackay is an
exquisite powder-pink Herod.

If someone would just tel! Matthew Palmer he is good
enough as Jesus not fo be over-shadowed by the others this
show could really cook.

On the other hand, nothing but a cast change is going to sal-
vage The Sound of Music.

it's not fair to put the failings of an entire production on the
shoulders of one actor who is doing his best, so the question
must be asked: what possessed director Tom Durrie to cast
Maurice Fitz-Gerald as Captain von Trapp?

Tami Gazzola as Maria could probably climb the Matterhorn
she does everything else so well and the kids are weli-drilled in
terminal cuteness but without a
strong von Trapp there is no one
to play against and the show has
no dramatic core.

However, given the poor
staging, the failure to weight the
RolffLies| sub-plot and the
banal choreography perhaps
even a different von Trapp
would not save this show from
Durrie’s hands.

The other al fresco theatre
offering this summer is Bard on
the Beach.

Much Ade About Nothing
was recently criticized in this
space for its tilt towards the
foolish but The Merchant of
Venice manages to avoid direc-
tor Dougias Campbell's usual penchant for laughs for | most of
the evening.

With one caveat, this is a hugely satisfying production that,
proves this company does not need pratfails to succeed.

Christopher Gaze is a restrained but mesmeric Shylock who

minates the stage quite effortlessly and Denyse Wilson as
ria once again illuminates one of Sliakespeare’s women with

LERIES: Government of Canada Fine Arts Gallezy (W.V.
Memorial Library): Emerging from the Derk, works in pencil, pas-
tels, and watercolors by artist Wilfred Alinas, July 29-Aug. 31; Local
Scenes, watercolors and egg tempera works by Michael Brouillet,
July 29-Aug. 31, reception with artists in attendance, July 29. 7:30-

8:30 p.m., everyone welcome,

Dundarave Cafe Art Exhibition: Trails, Seascapes
and Still Lifes, 14 paintings, mostly acrylic, by West
Vancouver artist Eva Lehoczky, on exhibition to July

26. Info: 926-9872.

Ferry Building Gallery: Hot Kisses, sculptures and

paintings by artist Peter Kiss, ongoing July 30-Aug.

11, artist's lecture, 11 a.m. July 30, evening reception
6-8 p.m., everyone welcome, Gailery hours: Tues.-

Sun. 12-8 p.m. Free admi

Silk Purse Arts Centre: Art Exhibition, pastels and
oil paintings by Rita Monaco and Tony Bruno, July
23-Aug. 4. Art Exhibition, acrylic and oi} paintings by
artist Ollie Pritchard, Gallery hours: Tuesday to
Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 12-5

Tablehoppin
Tomahawk Barbecue
a family favorite....... 14

> Music
Dead Further Festival
sei for the Gorge......18

Business .
NV-based firm wins
Centerm contract

Sports — ;
Lacrosse {Indians

on. Info: 925-7290.

p.m. Info: 925-7292.

Seymour Art Gallery: Male Time, oi! paintings on
canvas by artist Bruce Perry, shows soulful portraits of nen depicting
the journey of life, Seymour Art Gallery lobby, to Aug. 19. My

See more page 13

. WEST Van flim-maker Peter von Puttkamer’s documentaries
have won dozens of international awards. His latest filrn, -
Heart of the People, explores the devastating effects of clear-
cutting and overfishing on the Ohiahts of Vancouver istand’s
Sarita River area. The film premiers at Robson Square Media. 5
Centre on Saturday, July 27, at & p.m., and airs Aug. 8,9 p.m., 3

on the Knowledge Network. Info: 739-3324.

NEWS photo Mine Waketisid 7

PRESENTATION House is that way! Members of
ay Side Prodigy and The Backward Zone sesk
id at the botiom o7 the improv rainbow. =~

great clarity.

Wonderful support from Scott Bellis’ painted Prince of
Aragon, Colin Heath’s athletic Gobbo, Kathleen Barr's wise
Nerissa and pretty much the entire cast.

My only criticism relates to David Marr’s foppish Antonio
who falls between the stools of perfect friend and cruel

Christian.

DEAN Paul Gibson (left), Atlan Zinyk and Kurt
Max Runte are Just part of a solld Merchant. -

mind who did it.

Antonio’s actions drive
Shyiock'’s. If we judge
Shylock, we must judge
Antonio and, by |
Shakespeare's extension, our-
selves. ;
I wish Campbell and Marr.
could have provided us with a.

*: less nebulous Antonio. This is:
not a play that deserves to be.
shrugged off as Campbell's

’, final piece of staging seems to.
imply. ne

~ Summer stock at the . a
Waterfront ‘Theatre s sees the,
jtetum of Coconut Theatre
‘with another Agatha Christie’

! fog the summer rubes whe
.) don’t know any better, never.

The problem with the dame is she keeps'ull her cards in

clues to make us care...

” her iron corset. In a plot-driven situation there aren't enough

The’ Unexpected G Guest is not a bad production with Ian

. See Superman page