Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 132 text:

Ralph . . . Jack. . . Piggy . . . Simon . . . Maurice .... Sam ..... Eric . . . Roger ..... Percival Wilfred .... Bill ........ Commander. . . CAST . . . . Q . . . BOYS Geoffrey Forrester Murray Forrester Steven Goodman Mark Robertson Steven Martin Thaddeus Zawidzki Justin Sherwood Matthew Binnie Darin Foy Jean Drouin Iaa Brodie Craig Hennigar . . Charles Haines . . . Matthew Perry . . . . . Alex Bright . . . Gian Vitzthum . Adam Matthews . . . Julian Halton . . . . Paul Macoun . . Scott McMaster Christopher Cayer Adrian Harewood .. ...John Burke . . . . . Ed Bobinski Stuart Grossman-Hensel CREW Costume and Make-up ....... . Set Design ........... Set Construction ..... Set Decoration .... Assistants. . . Photography .... Lighting . . . Sound ..... Programme . Advertising . . . . Mr. Humphreys . . . . Mrs. Varley . . . . Mr. Varley . . . . Mrs. Varley . . . . Fern Turpin Alain Tremblay Darin Foy Brian Noailles Orvil Dillenbeck Christopher Cayer Nick McKinney Norman Stanbury . . . . Mr. Valentine . . . . Mr. Valentine . . . . . David Case Kevin Cote . . . . Mrs. Tass . . . . Mr. Menzies

Page 131 text:

THEATRE ASH BURY Lord of the Flies Greg Simpson first directed Andrew Bethel's adaptation of Golding's novel Lord of The Flies while teaching at Crescent School in 1976. Mr. Simpson has clearly benefitted from his earlier experience because last fall's presentation, which he directed in Argyle Hall from November 25th to 27th, was remarkable for seveal reasons - not the least of which was the sureness of touch shown in all aspects of the production. As Carleton University English professor and C.B.C. radio critic Charles Haines broadcast a day or two later, I-Ie has astounding ability to infuse energy, pace, power and discipline into his cast. I would have to agree. The quick pace was especially appreciated by the audience and corresponded well to the mental at- mosphere in which small boys live. In brief, Mr. Simpson did not let his characters 'speechify' or try to labour a point and the consequence was that they remained genuine. Accordingly, with no air of having to convey a deep message, but only that of ordinary people caught in an extraordinary bind, Mr. Simpson's cast was utterly convincing, and the tempo they struck was the right one. The chilling land ultimately terrifyingj pace of the play was matched by the actors' enjoyment of what they were doing. There is an obvious feeling of trust in the work of Theatre Ashbury that leads to a high degree of cooperation on all levels - from principals to supporting cast. I kept my eye, for example, on the raggle-taggle crew of boys who never, as far as I could tell, slipped out of character. It is fitting to mention the boys' first because, in this play, they are character 'en masse'. At the same time, they were individualized enough to be con- vincing as people - not just as a collective 'beast'. A word ought to be said about the three leads who bear so much of the burden of the play. Charles Haines, as Ralph, was comfortable in his role and maintained a certain force even as events were slipping beyond his control. l-Ie held the tension between his natural optimism and his growing despair with great skill. In this play, the currents of envy, hate and hope all flow through Ralph, and Haines proved equal to the job of handling them. In fact, for me, the innate dignity he brought to the role was one of the most heart-wrenching things about this performance. Matthew Perry, as Jack, performed with authority as a person who is as much driven to savagery as he is driving the others in the same direction. There was a superb tension between his arrogance and his fear tat the startl that, to me, was under-lain by an unspoken question deep inside him: Is there no alternative? As the symbols of power accumulated tsow's head, paint, etcj they began to possess an independent life of their own that entranced him, he was under a spell, if you will - not unlike a sorcerer's apprentice who is drawn to and horrified by the forces he has released. A brilliant foil to the earnest, likable Ralph, and, even in triumph, never overdone. Piggy's job is, in some ways, the most difficult. Who wants to be fat, far-seeing and when nearly everyone else is not? Alex Bright brought a self- possession to the task which was offset, slightly, by a tendency not to look other people in the eye. But his effort to interiorize the role, while noticeable, did not detract greatly from his presence, and he 'fed' lines to the other actors with real competence. I shall conclude with Prof. Haines' final words from his radio review: A little more work of this level by Mr. Simpson and his cast and company and Ashbury could become a sort of magnetic centre for good, gutsy, vivid theatre production. Saturday I went, watched, listened, wept and learned. It was not good for being a school show - it was good theatre. D.D.L.

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Ushers . . . ....... Brian Noailles Nicholas de Janitsary Tickets ...... ....... M r. Discombe Directed by .... .... M r. Simpson SPECIAL THANKS: Mr. Bryn Matthews, Mr. J. Humphreys, Mr. J. Valentine, Mr. J. Beedell, Mrs. B. Tass, Mr. N. Discombe, Mr. R. Varley, Mr. D. Brookes, Mrs. M. Varley, Mr. Binnie, Mr. P. Wein- trager, Mr. R. Michel, Sue Wurtele, Mr. P. McLean, David Hunter, Norman Stanbury, Mrs. Bright, Mr. A. Morrison, Mr. J. McNabb. A . g v f X X A, in ai.. . A-6' fLeftj.' ln the beginning . . . Alex Bright las Piggyj tries to take names, but violence soon erupts with Jack KA bovej. The boys see a ship in the distance lLeftj. lRightj: Ralph fl-Iainesl comforts Vitzthum as Jack struts away.