19 - Wednesday, January 31, 1990 - North Shore News

Suzie Payne tackles
women’s issues in new play

S THE abortion ques-
tion rages on both
sides of the political
fence, a solution continues
to evade this country’s pre-
eminent thinkers: doctors,
lawyers and philosophers.
While many of us find ourselves
throwing up our hands and sur-
rendering to the mind-numbing
debate, a North Vancouver actor

Photo submitted

LOCAL ACTORS Gerry MacKay (right) and Jillian Fargey rehearse
for Carousel Theatre’s upcoming production of Twelfth Night.
Shakespeare’s classic comedy opens Feb. 1. at the Waterfront
Theatre. Following the Waterfront run Twelfth Night embarks on a
tour of B.C. and Alberta, where it will be featured at the Calgary
Children’s Festival.

EVELYN
JACOB

spotlignt feature

is about to tackle the controversy
on centre stage.

Suzie Payne’s play Calendar
Girls, a compassionate and some-
times comical examination of
women’s reproductive rights,
premieres this weekend at the
Women in View festival of the
performing arts.

Payne, a strong supporter of
women’s rights, says her play ex-
plores what she sees as the key
issue affecting women today.

“if you unlock the abortion
question you unleash a whole
realm of issues that concern
women,” says Payne, 40, a former
Sentinel Secondary School grau.
“For a lot of women who don’t
have the finances, abortion
becomes the crisis that reveals

.. with the
B.C. LIONS!

NEWS photo Mike Waketiend =f) The Great Capilano River Duck Race presents
some of your favorite B.C. Lions. Come and meet

they are disadvantaged socially, SUZIE PAYNE’s first play, Calendar Girls, joins this year’s Women in
otherways.”” View festival lineup. B Tony Martino, Paul Whetmore and Jamie Buis on
Awell-established actor, Payne ' A .
just wrapped up stint as ‘Antonia the theatre. “My approach,” she traditional play format and ; . February 3
in Dario Fo’s political farce We says, ‘‘has been to spread myse “somehow,” laughs Payne, ‘’ : 3: m.
Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! at the out.’ Instead of pouncing on ac- became the designated writer.” ol Sat., February 3 Lynn Valley Mall 1-2:00 p.m
Vancouver Playhouse (Payne ting jobs Payne has been more Central to Calendar Girls is the Capilano Mall 2:30-3:30 p.m.
acted in the same role 10 years selective and has opted to direct concept of what Payne calls .
ago at the play’s Canadian occasionally. With Calendar Girls, —“‘self-birth’’ — the need for Sat., February 10 Park Royal Mall 1:00-2:00 p.m.
premiere for Tamahnous Theatre.) —_ she has written her first play. women to express themselves and Lonsdale Quay 2:30-3:30 p.m
Prior to that she starred as The idea for the play cametwo —_—s make independent choices. : o Y 4:90-3:50 p.m.
Madame de Volanges in Les Liai- years ago at a Canada Council- Payne parallels the relationship . . :
sons Dangereuses and in Caravan funded project in which Payne between Greco-Roman goddesses Duck race tickets are available at all locations.
Theatre’s production of Romeo and six other women collaborated. and the ancient calendar with a
and juliet. contemporary story about a preg-
Since the birth of her and ac- Initially, she wanted to explore nant woman whose reproductive
tor/writer Stephen Miller’s son, the theme of women and the cal- rights come under attack.
Spencer, nine years ago, Payne endar in the form of an outdoor See Payne
has deliberately withdrawn from pageant, but it evolved into a Page 21

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