Wednesday, July 1, 1992 — North Shore News - 29 Playwright moves to the director’s chair Peter Eliot Weiss working on master’s degree in theatre direction at UBC. In fact, Vancouver playwright Peter Eliot Weiss would have even preferred a job at The Bay. It’s understandable when you consider the pressure he was under — Hamlet, after all, is arguably Shakespeare’s greatest play. But Morris Panych, former ar- tistic director of Tamahnous Theatre, had commissioned Weiss, and Panych was hell-bent on adapting the story of the Danish Prince. E-WRITE HAMLET! There were about one million things ! would have rather done.” Evelyn Jacob SPOTLIGHT FEATURE At one point Weiss confesses he even called up the Canada Coun- NEWS photo Mike Wakefield cit in sheer desperation and asked them to Jet him drop the Hamlet story for another. But the council refused to budge. “About six months later Mortis came to me and said, ‘You have to do it in Tamahnous House because we can’t afford the Firehall.’ As soon as he said the word “‘house’’ { said yes — and it will be a haunted house. All the ideas came to me at once.”’ “When I tried to get rid of them (ideas) 1 couldn’t. That's when | knew it would be suc- cessful: when an idea sticks to you like gum sticks to your shoe,’’ ex- lains the congenial playwright, who is sitting barefoot in his West End apartment sipping coffee. Despite Weiss’ initial terror, Haunted House Hamlet turned out to be an instant hit. Like his first play, West End — The Theatrical Soap Opera, Haunted House Hamlet created a _ sensation right across Canada. Here was a fearless young play- wright who had taken a classic, tossed in a punk named Jimmy, spiced up the characters and placed the action in separate rooms of a haunted house. Most critics loved the play, but - some accused Weiss of sacrilege. He was attempting to improve on Shakespeare, they charged. Weiss insists that was never his intention. Since its 1986 debut, Haunted House Hamlet has been re- mounted three times -- once ina 100-year-old theatre at the Mon- treal Theatre Festival of America (Weiss, whose grandfather saw Sarah Bernhardt perform in the same theatre, believes it is haunted), at Heritage Hall, and at Presentation House, where it is currently playing. Presentation House chose Weiss’ play in order to raise its profile, and Weiss, 38, and wife Kate Weiss, are directing it together for the first time. The opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. ~ Weiss is working on his masters degree in directing at the Universi- ty of British Columbia, so every ~ experience helps. It’s not every day a playwright gets to direct his own work, “it's been a fantastic experi- “‘t was able to do what I'd learned without being watched or judged. And | knew the kind of values | was going for. “Kate had directed it before. She's a very fine director. | felt like an apprentice working with a master,” he says, adding that an added bonus of being a playwright is being able to re-write what can’t be fixed through direction. With a handful of plays under his belt — other credits include Sex Tips for Modern Girls, Going Down for the Count, The Invisible Detective and Hall of Mirrors (based on journals kept by Capilano College students) — there’s no question Weiss has firmly established himself as a playwright. But despite his talent for produc- ing innovative work, he says he " prefers directing to writing. (He directed the other Peter Weiss’ The Investigation and Being at Home With Claude by Rene Daniel Dubois.) , With directing, he explains, there isn't as much at stake. “‘My ego isn’t tied up in it — 1 can just direct. Writing is con- nected to my childhood dreams. It carries a lot of emotional baggage. And ultimately, | don’t think I’m a very good playwright. ‘4’ve always been a theatre generalist — not a writer's writer. | know these things. Critics don’t have to tell me.” Weiss, who has a six-year-old son, Joey, wrote his rirst play when he was 12. “It was quite autobiographical, about who kissed who. I'm sure it wasn’t well-written. _ “It was a great experience, but my one disappointment came when my mother found it and said to me, ‘I read your play. It was stupid.’ | found that shocking and debilitating. But in a way, it was See Next page 34 eke ADow'h Earth Investment SUPPORT THE SEEDS OF SURVIVAL PROGRAM Bll USC and You... Planting the ag Seeds of Promise in Ethiopia My contribution $ | | 1 | Name: 1 | | i ! | ie Brusca a! Canada 56 Sparks Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5B1 is enclosed (Postdated cheques are welcomed) Address: {Please pont and indicate Apt. No and Pavial Codes 6.C. Provincial Office Ontario Provincial Office | j #201 - 4381 Fraser 1. P.O. Box 2303, Station B Va ncouver, B.C. Kitchenes, Ontario VANCOUVER PLAYWRIGHT Peter Elict Weiss’ hit play, Haunted House Hamiet, has been mounted for the fourth time since 1986. Rt is orien playing at Presentation House in North Vancouver u . . ence,” says Weiss, who grew up in Montreal and moved with his family to Tsawwassen in 1970. OKANAGAN SEASONS RESORT SERRE: EEE Sn REN FABULOUS GOLF PACKAGES CANADA IN THE OLYMPICS Featuring the beautiful raa?aieulpeter = tesla olar puloutene ummer Olympic Stamp Package PACKAGE INCLUDES: ¢ 2 Nights Accommodation * 2 Rounds of Golf Per Person © Full Course Breaklasts Each Day fx DOUBLE TRIPLE Quad Any quantity * Pootside Rooms & Suites : ans 108» (597) 93> Up to 500 stamps Revlon) Cees Recnd) ewes comes nes an SGD GTEO mS Sn ON ERD GE TES ETS SUE ED SS SUED SNS nee Se SE SS See ee SS GD SS Ge This coupon is only valid at “SERVICE PLUS, PEMBERTON PLAZA POSTAL OUTLET 1268 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER ‘(BESIDE SAVE-ON-FOODS). 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