July 2002 - Nr. 7

K-W and Beyond

Shaw Festival – Niagara –on-the-Lake

It is the last summer for Christopher Newton in Niagara-on-the-Lake. After 23 years of growth, success and recognition for being one of the best repertory theatres on this continent, the Artistic Director is offering his last thoughts and plays of Shaw or his contemporaries: "Caesar and Cleopatra" is different and surprising, "Candida" and "The Return of the Prodigal" are among the more classic and traditional, whereas "Detective Story" continues by now a tradition of offering a mystery to the audience.

"Detective Story" was the first of 2 plays I saw in June. With my taste for detective stories and many years of reading them it was especially enjoyable to find a slightly different setting and characters, not just classical who-done-it, but a more psychological approach to the work of a simple, honest detective seen in a single day of his work. He is chasing evil and demanding punishment, his world is black and white, honest or crooked, decent or rotten. Although the play of Sidney Kingsley was written in 1949 and the world was much simpler then, Director Neil Munro and the actors built on it and presented a quite complex moral environment.

The decorations, costumes and acting are worth noting and worth praise, even the secondary characters and the background figures were transformed with their acting into memorable individuals inhabiting a police station in New York in the late 1940’s. It used to be that the background figures were just figures, but over time both in theatre and film the demand on acting evolved and even the smallest roles became complete, with their personalities, history and individual traits. "Detective Story" is satisfying in this respect, presenting depth and individual shades of grey, everything is complete and finished, characters, stage, and details.

Another play " The Old Ladies" by Rodney Ackland, based on the novel by Hugh Walpole, is one of the mysteries put up seasonally - one of the so called gender-plays. There are three women, old women, living in one rooming house some time in the past century, trying to survive on their very limited income, and trying to make sense out of life. Two of them are British, the third one – a foreigner, an RC maybe even a Gypsy. There is a mystery, interpersonal relations, there is envy, greed, fear, hope, illusions, a psychological thriller, but also the small world of three women somewhere at the end of their lives with not much to look forward to. It is in Britain perhaps in the 1920’s, but it could be Toronto in the 70’s or even 90’s.

People grow old, women end up with very limited resources, settle in rooming houses and encounter strange individuals attempting to control and scare another for personal gain. Two try to help each other, offer some enjoyment, support, and hope, another tries to exercise control and inflict fear. A small world of old ladies, then, now, always. Again beautiful staging, great costumes, exquisite acting of Donna Belleville, Wendy Thatcher and Maria Vacratsis are all worth mentioning. The director is James MacDonald.

The Shaw Festival runs till November and offers a total of 11 plays and other attractions. Niagara-on-the-Lake is about an hour away from Toronto, 1-½ hours from Kitchener -Waterloo. Whether as a single-play visit or an entire leisurely weekend, with a stay at one of the hotels or one of the three hundred or so Bed & Breakfasts in the general area, with the enjoyment of walks in the parks or at the riverside – it is worth every moment of it!
 

The Book of Seven Seals
at Centre-in-the-Square

In the May issue I noted the forthcoming Canadian Premiere of Franz Schmidt’s concert. It was almost sold out, Centre-in-the-Square full of people hungry for great events, sophisticated enough to appreciate what was presented: the text of the Book of Revelation, The Book of Seven Seals. There were 4 choirs totalling over 250 voices; they rehearsed for a year to produce such amazingly coordinated performance.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear such performance, be part of such a deeply moving event. The outstanding soloists were of course the incomparable Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, and Measha Brueggerrgosman soprano, but also Susan Platt, alto, Robert Pomakov with his phenomenal bass, Gary Relyea, bass-baritone, and Ben Butterfield, tenor. An extraordinary accomplishment pulled together by conductor Howard Dyck, who magnificently orchestrated and conducted this hugely difficult work.

The concert ended with a standing ovation and the soloists were called back 4 times under thundering applause. The conductors of the individual choirs were honoured as well. A repeat performance was given in Toronto at Massey Hall, as part of a Choral Festival, where CBC also recorded the event for repeated future broadcasts.

Tickets for subscription to The Phil are currently on sale and the Menno Singers are planning for fall and winter performances as well. It appears that there is so much more to choirs than just The Messiah.

Irena Wandschneider

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