theatre NiDENTIFIED HUMAN Remains and The True Nature of Love — nota titie that appeals when you have a martini hangover. But what beautiful brutality. It snatches at your heart and twists it inside out. It weakens yau like a bout of booze, while the memory of sweet inebriation lingers. Written by Edmontonian play- wright Brad Fraser and performed by Touchstone Theatre, Uniden- tified Human Remains takes a tour through the torture and tease of love and illicit sex and the tenderness that human compa- nionship brings. The characters, a gay man, David, his lover Bernie and David's ex-lover-now-room- mate Candy live in the stifling vacuity of Edmonton. All the characters seem resigned to living a brutish life — Benita the hooker-clairvoyant subjects herself to violent sex. David cruises the parks for lovers convinced that love does not exist and Bernie is rivetting BARBARA :< BLACK th2atre review nunbs himself with alcohol. It’s a lusty, claustrophobic atmosphere, highlighted by frequent scene changes and characters standing, like ‘Bhosts, in the shadows moan- irg ‘pain’ ‘anger’ and “loneliness.”” It doesn’t cure a hangover. Allan Morgan's performance as David was gripping. Viciously wit- ty, uncommitted and yet affec- tionate and caring with his friends Candy, Bernie and Benita, David comes off as a complex person. Morgan gets mest of the good lines (like ‘‘your family’s the Muasters in normal clothes’’) and yel manages to convey a tenderness behind the flippancy. Supporting roles are all strong. Lorena Gale’s vampy Benita teas- ed the audience with lurid camp- fire horror stories, underlining our secret fascination for violence and anything “‘abnormal.’’ The others all give the appearance of being to some degree normal, but turn out to be harboring secrets. The playwright seems to be say- ing. no matter how much we penetrate each other (literally) we are impenetrable. Hence David's horror at discovering Bernie’s dark side. This story is not just about gays, although it does explore the psychological pitfalls of the cruis- ing life. it’s about the double-sided face of love, its “true nature’ — the pain it inflicts by both its presence and its absence, and the relief it brings to people who share it. It’s a provocative play full of humor and drama and a few nak- ed bums, But you might need a martini afterwards. Unidentitied Human Remains and The True Nature of Love con- tinues at the Firehall Arts Centre to Feb. 24. Call 689-0926 for infor- mation, Work combines poetry, music, art From page 24 she’s committed to finishing an idea that in 25 years ago. It all started one balmy night in Arizona when she was standing on her hotel balcony watching the sur. ge down. “*E was watching the sun set vehen I heard this little voice inside me saying, ‘How did this all get here?’ That sense of wonder led me to a Bible in the hotel room and to the words, ‘In the beginn- ing there was darkness.’ So | said to myself, ‘Does that mean ! have to create a whole series of black paintings?’ Then 1 started wonder- ing if everyone else in the world thought it began that way too.” She gave up a prestigious job as a Hollywood script supenisor, leaving behind an attractive salary and security, to concentrate on her work. “4 had no idea my whole life would be devoted to this project.”’ she says, ‘I'm still amazed.” Drache, who studied with leg- endary filmmaker Jean Renoir and whose film credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, doesn’t see herselt as a filmmaker, a writer of a painter -- instead she bills herself as an artist with skills in international Communications. “When the paintbrush can do it, | use it, when words can do it, | use them. When film can do it, 1 use it. I'm not hooked on one medium.” Drache is planning to pull together artists from ditterent cultures to create images, poetry, music and choreography for Uni- versevisions. "It can be a problem having myself, an artist with a European background, re-interpreting world views from other cultures without falling into stereotyping,” she says. “We're concerned that we don’t stereotype.” So far she’s enlisted English "Ming Courb R iF] Chinese Seatood Restaurant Mon.-Thurs Jai-tipm fr. & Sat. Oper: ‘rill Midnight 8) Chesterheid Ave. N. Van og2 1EES Fe composer Schaun Tozer, who has created a score for a four-minute, B.C. Film-funded video that will debut at the Ferry Building exhibit. Universevisions has nen- dorsed by the United Nations and has received funding from the Secretary of State and Canada Council. Now Drache is hoping for corporate donations. Though her motivation has re- mained high, even after 20 years, she admits that it has been trying at times. “It's been a nightmare at cer- tain moments, especially when you consider I've invested more than half a million dollars of my awn money in this. But it’s really helped me cultivate patience.” The Ferry Building exhibit runs until Sunday, Feb. 24. Centennial The: . . . SO Close to home from New York Feb 28 - Mar 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $19 adults $16 seniors/students. Reserved seating at Centennial Theatre Centre Box Office. Mon-Sat, 12-4 pm or phone 984-4484. February D 15° off Qur dinner menu Monday through Thursday * No other coupons with this offer Wednesday, February 13, 1991 — North Shore News - 25 VIVIF VII VV INGO puesto v SAR ATTGIBES SALE v February 2691" Lanin Gillies OUVOTIVEVEEYET Miss Rea Prowd, Resident ¢ ‘f= a nurse on the ships bringing the soldiers and their brides back to Canada. After 16 crossings of the atlantic | never stayed still again. But when Laas looking for a new piace to call home, I wanted to make sure that this would be the right decision. | am just delighted with COURTYARD GARDENS — the people, the corversation—it really is a place to belong. cind you know, we all have such a spleadid time that everyone forgets that Fm 90— even me! 9Y © Large Residential Suites © Full-Service Dining © Housekeeping and Laundry Services © Organised Recrrational ehticities @ Excursions © 24-Ar. Emergency Assistance, RIN. wt duty Courtyard Gardens is Richmond’ Exciting New Retirement Residence Call 273-1225 for more infsrmation and a personal tour. (ourtyard @GARDENS © 7051) Moffate Road at Granville, Richmond, BC. Vey 3W2 Where Life Blossoms! AM EAY OVER FIED) AY DA ERSIOIRG INC ORPUR IBID