The lyrically beautiful
story, . Johnny Belinda,
comes to CBC-TV Wed-
nesday, March 9 at 9 p.m.
Set in the Prince Edward
Island fishing village of
Souris (pronounced ‘‘Soo-
ree’) at the turn of the
century, the production is a
two-hour evision adap-
tation of the hit musical
which originated at the
Charlottetown Festiva!.
Norman Campbell directed
and produced Johnny
Belinda for television. Alan
Lund directed and
choreographed the show,
which is one of the eduntry’s
best-loved musicals.

_ Johnny Belinda stars
_ Amanda Hancox as Belinda,
the appealing deaf-mute
heroine of the musical; Bill
Cole as the Doctor; Don
McManus as Black Mac-
Donald; Elizabeth Mawson
as Maggie; Sharry Flett as
Stella; and Scot Denton as
Locky. Mavor Moore wrote
- the book and lyrics and John
Fenwick the music for the
show. With the exception of
American Elmer Harris’
writing of the original stage
play, the lyrics, music, |
staging, choreogra hy, set,
design, costumes,

For Emmy Award-!
winning director Norman

Campbell, the television;

reduction of Johnny.
elinda is the culmination of
a dream he's had since he
first saw the original Alan
Lund production in 1968.
“Co-directing with Alan was
no:problem at all,” says
Campbell, “We've worked
together for over 20 years
and it was natural for us to
collaborate. We both had
intense feelings about
. getting the production on the
air and so we worked
together well with that
common abjective in mind.”
‘Campbell is delighted
with the results. ‘I think the
roduction crew and cast
dso much love and care
for this show, that even in its
transition to television,
we've been able to maintain
the atmosphere of the little
community near the eastern
tip of Prince Edward Island.
Robert Lawson’s superb
sets were instrumental in
perpetuating that feeling.”
During rehearsals, the

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ction, -
production and acting were
all done by Canadians.

actors took the drama so
seriously, they remained in
character even while they
waited for others to: com-
ete their scenes. “It was
ike magic when we started
rehearsing,’ says Camp-
bell, ‘“‘and that is one of the
great strengths of the play.
The characters are so real,

‘the actors didn’t want to tet
go of them. Alan Lund

should also take great credit

for creating such an intense.

and positive atmosphere.”

The man who taught the
actors the sign language
used in Johny Belinda is
Rev. Bob Rumball, of
Toronto’s Evangelical

Church for the Deaf, ‘‘He ©

was just fantastic,” says
Amanda Hancox, who plays
the deaf-mute Belinda.
“Here's a man who’s totally

2 [ is __PASSES.

Hidden somewhere in the ads
in the entertainment section
are two Terrace phone numbers.

dedicated to the problems of
-the deaf. I'd never before
appreciated how difficult

their lives really are. Bob

Rumbail and this play really
opened up my eyes — and
ears,”

In one of those twists of
casting, Scot Denton, who in
real life is married to
Amanda Hancox, was asked
to play Locky McCormick,
the man who rapes Belinda.
For Scot, it was quite a
challenge: “I’d seen two
other actors go through the

dramatically stylized rape

scene with Amanda and had
wondered how I would do it

myself — as an actor —

forgetting she’s my wife. In
addition, I’d never worked
with Amanda before in a
major role, so there was

that hurdie. But in fact, I |

THEATRE .

ENTERTAINMENT, THE HERALD, Wed. Mar. 9, 1977. 11

Johnny Belinda comes to TV

think the scene was more -

effective — more dynamic
— because we had a basic
trust of each other.”
Johnny Belinda is being
brought to viewers by the

Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation and its af-
filiated stations, and is
sponsored in part by the
London Life Insurance
Company.

4720 LAKELSE AVE.

TWMieum “Twin Theatres |
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