Centennial Theatre: Art by Douglas Rae and Jeremy Walters noon to + p.m., Mon. ~ Dundarave Cafe: The Spirtr of Florals. Watercolor ~ and aerslic paintings by artist Caroline Sutherland. Opening reception March 5, 5-7 p.m. Ferry Building Gallery: Captlano College Textile Alumni Exhibition. 16 artists and the Aids Tapestry made for Dr. Peter’s hospice. To March 9. Under the influence of Light, photographic exhibi- tion by News photograph- er Cindy Goodman opens March 11, 6-8 p.m. To March 23. Hours: 17 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays. 925-7290. Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre, Artists for Kids Gallery: Bugs, Birds and Beasts, Jack Shadbolt’s first young people’s exhibition. Weekends, noon to 4 p.m. To April 26. 987-666. North Vancouver District Hall: A Prayer for the Species. Valerie Metz’s col- orful monoprints. To March 27. North Vancouver Museum and Archives: Bottoms Up! A Walk in Burrard Inlet,to March 9. What Goes On Below The Surface?, to March 9. Lower Lonsdale: A Community in Transition, to March 9. Flumes. Info: 987-5618. uur Art Gallery: Discovery 97: The Darker Side opens March 5. Annual juried exhibition featuring, the works of 40 artists from the greater Vancouver area. Reception ® from 7 to 9 p.n. Gallery hours: Tues. to Sun., 12-4 p.m. 924-1378. Silk Purse Arts Centre: Lauraine Rusell, watercol- ors. To March 9. Capilane College students in second year illustration and graph- ic design, March 1] to 23. Tues. to Fri. 1] a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. and Sun. noon to 5 p.m. West Vancouver Memorial Library Gallery: Images and Intimations. Fine art pho- tography by Earl and Elizabeth Winkler. Info: i 225-7410. West Vancouver Muscum and Archives: West Vancouver Callects! 925- 7295. Gallery of B.C. Ceramics: Fire and Smoke. Tozan wood-fired pottery. oo Exhibiting artists includ North Van’s Cathi Jefferson. Argyle Secondary High School: As You Like It. March 2-6 and 10-120 at 985- Pp 3181, 8:30-2:30. Centennial Theatre: The i North Shore presents See more paze 26 . NEWS photo Cindy Goodman TEMPORARY calm in the storm of wedded bliss. Dan Weber and Jane Noble are the tem2:.stuous lovers in Noel Coward's Private Lives at Deep Cove’s Shaw Theatre this week. WHT an interest- ing double-bill of English comedies is presently running on the North Shore. North Vancouver Community Players has just opened Bill MacIlraith’s The Anniversary at Hendry Hall, while First Impressions has just the balance of this week left with their run of Noel Coward's Private Lives. Both feature excellent act- ing and smooth direction and come highly recommended in these categories, bur the plays themselves present a complete contrast in British style. Private Lives is su Coward's must perfect distilla- tien of the foibles of England's idle rich. With nothing to do but decide where to spend summer, or what to wear for dinner the question of how to do nothing in style becomes the most important question in life. It is, according to Coward, a worthwhile geal for all of us. “Kiss me, darling, before your body rots,” is a very funny line, but resonat dgeper level in terms 0} ft the moment and opportunity for pleasure. Flippaney, the ability to make a joke of anything, is wenerly taken as aveidance today. Elyot and Antands in Private Lives might arue, if they ever got senious, that it is the only appropriate response to life’s vicissitudes. Personally, [have come to dread Canadian versions of Coward’s plays for their heav handed approach to a uniqu difficult question of Wonderfully, this is not a problem with First Impressions’ Private Lives. Director Ryan Crocker hits all the right, light notes of charm, wit and irony that keep the bubbles on top of this heady glass of champagne His jab is made easier with a delightful cast. Jane Noble’s wonderfully wicked Amanda is perfectly matched by Dan Weber's cyni- cal Elyort and if Renée Cullen and David James seem to suf- fer slightly in comparison it is partly because their characters wear tighter straightjackets of convention. Jennifer Hutchinson coughs her way through the maid's role with Gallic relish and dialects are uniformly good An evening, of sweetes and light tarnished just s by the lack of moncy and available for the set and cc tumes. Having taken the trou- ble to find outdoor chairs that make something of a state- ment about period style it would be far better to match then with tables and ashtra that don’t look as if just been borrowed from the outdoor coffee shop on Gallant Avenu T fully understand, if only from playing at director o¢ sionally, chat community the- atre can only spend what it can afford but some things come down to care and attention, A litde more of both would have sec off ths fine production in 5 ad NEWS photo Paul McGrath TWO’'S company... Mark Gash and Shelley Adam hang on to their underalls as Dave Brown checks out the action. Three superb performances in The Anniversary at Hendry Hall until March 15. why not cover the intrusiv black wing, flats in Act TE with a white fal upstage facade? not money. me emphasi in — this is a show of which First Impressions can be truly proud. Meanwhile, North Vancouver Connpunity Players also have a hot cast on stage at Hendry Hail. Bue Bill Machraidv’s The Anarversary is about as far removed trom Coward's world of style and manners as itis possible to get. Set in 1965, the play takes place in the “founge” of Mum’s upwardly mobile, but sult working class home that she rules with threats, bribes and blackmail. The plot's cension, such as it is, revolves around whether any of her weak-wilfed of spring will have the courage te defy her on any important issue. At this level, the play takes a long Gme to get anywhere, although the audience on opening night seemed willing to choose sides and play favorites by the half-way point. Mteresting, 1s the vicious, but largely ney plained, nature of the play's protagonist, “Mum.” A cross between Al Bundy and Margaret Thatcher could onty approximate the evil machinations of this woman played with a little too much restraint by Estelle Nendick. Perhaps more fire from Suzanne Palmer would help set things up. Mark Gash, Shelley Adam, David Brown and Callum om are wonderful les MeNeight’s set (except for the flat latex paint which is intrusively wrong) and Sally Day's costumes per- t ipture the era. A cuneus piece of social comedy served with woiost chough Ortonesquc gle director Barry Dutfs.