Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 8, 1975, Winnipeg, Manitoba Wink rec Frei Hiss. Tuesday. Idly 8. 1975 a review by Harvey Casid Caesar and Cleopatra has Brilliant finale the two faces of Eliza fascinate Niagara on the Lake make what you will of Shaw s disparagement of the romantic notions of passion and history of the second hand Nietzsche and the Tor rent of Puritan theory he pours Forth in this sprawling historical comedy Caesar and Cleopatra. The play s i a activism has Little to do with its Eminence As a great piece of theatre. How grateful one is to the Shaw festival which last night revived this one of the writer s most unjustly neglected works in a production of which two thirds offer a plodding by unimaginative sampling of the text but which like the proverbial Phoenix i i s e s brilliantly from its own ashes in the final act. In the theatre Shaw sought to trap the interest of three groups comprising the intelligent Middle class those interested in entertainment those interested in ideas and those interested in Art. And Caesar and Cleopatra illustrates Shaw s Powers at their Best. In vividness and variety of character in its impudent but wonderfully humanizing wit in the brilliance of style and masterful handling of dramatic situation it is unsurpassed by any one of his other plays. Here is the cel tic Superman penning an elizabethan chronicle history in contemporary language and characteristically hammering away at popular myths with sarcastic audacity. A bubbling often flippant look at Antiquity is this with a virginal sixteen year old egyptian Queen Shaw would have nothing to do with the Wanton Strumpet he saw in Shakespeare s roman tragedy but in Douglas scale s Shaw festival production there is every indication that this Cleopatra would one Day become the Lustful Serpent of the Nile and a Caesar often viewed with Nursery face Tiou Ness. Caesar and Cleopatra is a very funny play. But at the same time All Jhavian com Edy being a comedy of the intellect it seriously exam Ines the nature of earthly Power and greatness. At the Shaw festival too Many opportunities for realizing the play s anarchic Humour Are dismaying by squandered often through relentlessly self conscious characterizations As the bizarre vitally drawn fat Kateeta for instance Mary Savidge stalks the stage for three hours Lik some stray Virago from a Vintage silent horror but certainly full jus Tice is Given to the great imaginative scenes of the third act. The interruption of the banquet by the death cry of the murdered pot Hinus. The Srim discovery of the freshly lain body of fat Ateela. Cleo p a t r a s shedding of her mourning cloak in the final moments of the play reveal ing the sexy Crafty woman which the rag doll Kitten of the first act has become these Are memorable dra Matic moments. Memorable Tco is the scene praised by g. K. Chesterton As one of the great episodes in modern drama the climactic tableau at the end of act one scene two when the roman soldiers who have streamed into the Hall Ptole Mies recognize Caesar sitting on the throne with the trem bling Cleopatra beside him. One reason behind the Pau City of the productions of Caesar and Cleopatra is the fact that it begs for Star treatment. The play which draws much of its strength from its language needs us modulations actors who can fill every line with life drama and Surprise actors with the requisite measures of discipline and comic stylization. In the title roles Edward Atienza and Domini Blythe acquit themselves always creditably sometimes super b 1 y unlike Shakespeare s pompous dignitary. Shaw s Caesar glows with the Quali ties of statesmanship Lar geness of spirit and engage i n g self mockery. Atienza fails on occasions to Rise to the glorious eloquence of some of Caesar s speeches but by the time come to his leave taking o f Cleopatra when he describes Mark an Tony to her he has persuaded us. Through a combination of dignity and benignity that we have just witnessed the portrait of a great Man. Miss Blythe too comes into her own when her baby. Queen Cleopatra Sharpens her claws in the final scenes and though there is a certain unattractive posturing about her performance she brings to it the right vocal Reso Nance and charismatic if not Radiant stage presence. Unhappily her scenes with Are largely bereft of Charm the great pervading element of their dialogues in Ille Fil m iwo acts. Finally it would be an act of the most criminal negligence to Overlook the stun Ning contribution to the production by designer Leslie hurry whose sets and cos Tumes Are inspiration incarnate. Visually this is one of the most satisfying Shaw festival offerings in recent b Pat Vangee free press staff writer Catherine Mckinnon gave a guttural yowl Ami Slid into the Bloomin and Blinkin of a co vent Garden Flower Ven Der. I m i am 1 cashed me ands and face Mornin she rasped breaking into a Broad smile and then into a meticulous aristocratic accent. She was both sides of Eliza Doolittle. The Cockney Flower girl who makes it in English society thanks to a slave driving a Nyala and her Mastery of the Queen s English. Catherine Mckinnon was fulfilling a Long time Ambi Tion. For years she s wanted to do Eliza a role she de scribes As a tour de Force a the Singer actress will open in Lerner and Lowe s classic my fair lady at . Tonight in the Centen Nial concert Hall. The occasion will also Mark her re turn to Rainbow stage where ing your eyes in Surprise gets the impression across. You can t do on stage. Everything must be very exaggerated to carry out into the thanks to to no one relieves her size. Being five feet iv4 Inch tall with emphasis on the one Quarter Means she must herself even More on stage. Her voice however has always been Large enough. Miss Mckinnon knew she would be a Singer when she was five years old. Entertain Fanti la and friends at Camp Shilo. Man. Where her father was posted. At 12, she was offered a spot on a . National to show but the family was moving to Halifax and vetoed her idea of staying in Toronto to commute to de troit for taping. I told them you be ruined my career and did t speak the entire train trip in Halifax she received her first formal training an self a Singer Fust she has t Cut an Ai Ouji in five years. There has t been time. I m a compulsive worker. I love it. I would t do it if 1 did t like she plans to take time off after the Winnipeg production to record in Toronto Home base now. I m not looking to a hit album. 1 want to put out a Quality Vohen she in t working she spends her time with husband actor writer Don Harron and their five year old daughter. Kelly. K by almost got into her Mother s act being born two in Ohms Early miss k Kiuon was at the Trinidad Hilton. R e c e n 11 v Mother and daughter attended Alice Coo p e r s concert la Toronto. Classical background not withstanding. Miss my Kiuon said. "1 got off on it As much As she made her dramatic cd Orience Vas a boy debut five years ago As Dorothy in the wizard of of. The hardest part about playing Eliza is to make sure they re two different she said Over Coffee in her hotel suite. Conveying a believable transition from a Central London Flower Market to a High society in t easy. In spite of Eliza s growing status As she adopts proper speech and mannerisms her background is far from the upper class world. Consequently some lines Are grammatically Correct but sound hollow As if she s Reading a said miss Mckinnon. Younng in and out of the two accents she admitted that learning them was the easiest part the role. A Veteran of television starting at 1u in a London ont. Children s show and most recently seen in global network s s h h h it s the news a Send up of current events and National newscasters miss Mckinnon finds slag work definitely a Chal on to you look bigger. A Small movement like Widen and a tremendous Dis she appeared in school plays and operettas and Stu Dies classical music including Gregorian chant. Outside school she entertained local organizations acquiring the experience of getting in front of i loved the lessons the study. I used to practise three hours a Day getting up and singing while everyone else was still in voice and piano training at mount St. Vincent Academy in Halifax guest spots on s i n g a 1 o n g Jubilee and a scholarship offer from Toron to s Royal conservatory of music behind her she made her official debut at 19 on the Don Messer show. Her classically trained singing voice paid off and record albums followed with the voice of an Angel hitting the sales Mark. In 1907, she turned Down concert dates to join Spring thaw and learn How to Han dle live theatre. That was followed by More to series and specials and club dates. Although she considers her Carherine Mckinnon a Chameleon role Domini Blythe left As Cleopatra and Mary Savidge As fat Kateeta in a scene from Caesar and Cleopatra. Vanadium worries Federal researcher new nip organizer resents sexist Label openings for . Camp the East Kildonan Parks and recreation department still has a number of open Ings for its this summer. The Camp located four Miles North of Gimli at Camp Gih vell on Lake Winnipeg offers Basic camping skills and outdoor activities to participants. The Camp includes show ers wooden floors for tents diving Sheeter and a Large Sandy waterfront area. Registration fees Range from Sis to and cover the Cost of food transportation and sup plies. The Camp is open to. All Winnipeg children up Vanadium is a rare element used to make wrenches and or. David Carlisle says it May in t boy trailer but it can sell one travel seas tin coming and the natives Are getting restless. Could be one of them is looking for your trailer. To find out Call. Free press classified also be an environment polluting culprit especially in areas where Oil is produced. Or. Carlisle who works for the Federal Inland water Branch prepared a report on Vanadium for environment Canada and discussed its con tents in an interview thurs Day. He does not say it is a prob Lem yet but the Federal gov e r n m e n t researcher expresses concern about natural and Man made emissions of Vanadium especially in the Oil Sands area of Central Al Berta. The element found in crude Oil is used to strengthen steel. In 1971 and 1972 the total emission of Vanadium in the form of smoke fumes and waste water was just Over tons in Canada. More than tons were from burning heavy fuel he said. The Pilot sync rude Oil producing Plant in Alberta produced 2.000 tons of the Metal alone during 1974. We Don t know if it will be come hazardous but we Are beginning to think about this ahead of too much he said. The potential for a prob Lem is there if the same process is used in the syn crude plants if they go he added that the production plants proposed for the Region will be five times As Large As the Pilot Plant there by producing five times As much Vanadium. So far studies have shown Vanadium has toxic affects on some plants and animals such As chickens and mice. One to 10 parts per million Over a fairly Long period May prove toxic and shorten life or. Carlisle said. Studies of feathers from Snow geese which Breed on Banks Island off the Macken Zie River affected by the Oil seepage and a Winter flight path of the Birds reveals a Content of 2.7 parts per Mil lion he said. This tends to confirm the Metal ii a c c to m u 1 a i i n g through the food Chain. When the Bird pushes the Metal out o f his body through his feathers it s the amount of Vanadium in the births feathers is 100 limes the level in the mar Krizic River. Samples in scattered spots along he River include 10 o 100 parts _. Per billion. By Glen Mackenzie free press staff writer Joyce Nash was elected president of the new demo cratic party saturday but by monday had already tired being referred to As the first woman president of a nation a 1 Canadian political party. The emphasis seems to be on the fact that i m Bio logically a she told a Telephone caller in her suite in the Holiday inn Mon Day afternoon. Returning to the. Interview interrupted by the Call mrs. Nash 40, said the reference to her sex did t bother her although she qualified that. To say that i Don t think of myself As a woman would be a she said adding "1 think of myself As a woman but not always like with regard to her new Job As president she said "1 think of myself As an or mrs. Nash elected without opposition said she d like to see a better relationship be tween the parly and constituencies when election campaigns Aren t on. Sonic observers comm Cal or on the frequent use of the word socialism in the candidates speeches saturday. We use it All the time in she said. Mrs. Nash could t give a simple definition of what socialism Means to her but it does t just involve the nationalization of some Indus tries. She believes the redistribution of wealth an important socialist principle and thinks this could be accomplished through higher income taxes on the Rich though you have to find it somewhere before you can get asked to evaluate the convention she replied simply i like expanding h c r response she praised the policy resolutions and the new National party Council which represents the party mrs. Nash said the Provin Cial executive in British co Lumbia of which she s Secre tary did t endorse a candidate. She declined to say who she voted for but i m Happy Wii i the selection the convention mrs. Nash first got involved in politics in 1951, in a by election in her native Ladysmith b.c., in which her Mother worked As a campaigner. Her Only period of inactive t y in election campaigns came after 1954. She got married in june of that year her husband is in real estate and later began raising her two children a son now 20 and a girl 19. She s worked in a Bank and credit Union office and recently As Secretary to the British Columbia party. She listed her hobbies As knitting crocheting keeping cats and sitting in the Sun. And Reading. I often say if i were in a hotel room with Only a Tele phone Book i d read she said. Simmer Siock Sale ends Friday convention Centre shopping mall 2nd floor 5 Neon o Fri. Iii thurs. Till buy a town Home and you get a swimming Pool. . Fantastic Neighbours. And much much More. Visit our exquisite Model Homes weekdays 1 . To 7 10a.m. To 5 . Noon to 5p.m. New Leisure in Home living Southwood resident owned town Homes Pembina Highway at Markham Road phone 261-1408 Joyce Nash Winnipeg apartment service Ltd family Community ;