INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 CHARLYNN TOEWS Tell Laura | love her HERE’S THIS cool Canadian singer named Laura Smith, Her last big song was her version of ‘‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.’ She’s from the east coast — you may know her. Anyway, I love her deeply because she has a groovy song about home decor, which is my favourite topic. She does. It gocsi I’m going to move toa little place on the beach T'll call it my own Dll make myselfa house out of beach found stones . And Pil make it kind of like I have the sun rising in the window in the morning when I rise And I'l] bave the sun kind of setting in the window as I go lo sleep Sounds to me like it’s going to be a one-room house (‘‘Liquid State”’). I love the thought of that house, plus in ber liner notes (a pretty little booklet that comes with her new CD, ff’s a Personal Thing) there is a beautiful colour photograph of some kind of tasseled tapestry throw or fringed brocade thing in shades of gold and beige and cream and a light dusty mint colour I can’t quile describe. Lovely. From the phato of the singer, this Laura ap- pears to be lovely her own self, 40ish or more, her clear eyes (that same green) seeming fo con- vey “a rich regretful maturity” like Chatelaine magazine says about her music. I hope my friend Donna in Winnipeg some- how hears Laura’s song ‘You Know Too”? be- cause what Laura says to me in that song, | want to say to Donna, Only my version comes out, “Oh Donna, I think of you one million times between phoue calls, you know.”’ To which Donna might reply, ‘‘Oh,] know, I know. Me, too.’’ I would say, “I mean to call you more often only I get distracted by my two and a half year old.” “Qh, 1 know," she might say, ‘I think of calling you when it’s too late or too early to phone,” And I'd say, ‘Oh, I know, I know. Me too, me too.” I used to buy homemade cassette tapes from emerging bands who hawked them at blues bar gigs for ten bucks a pop, but that was Winnipeg and I was (sigh) 22 or so. But Laura’s version of these sentiments comes out so much more nicely. First of all, she is singing; second, she is singing well; third, what she is singing about is so beautiful, it’s like a song. Laura sings: You're not alone Share your life This could be your lucky day” [Imagine a strong, lush voice singing as you read this, please] mo Tn my heart of hearts I know In your heart of hearts you know too. I want to say to Laura, *‘Oh, I know, I know. Me too, me too,’? and thank her for. saying (singing!) this so much more clearly and beauti- fully than I ever could. , Plus I need to thank Laura for being commer- cially successful cnough to be well distributed and reasonably priced, This is because if an item is not accessible and not affordable, | don’t got one. So in order for these songs to waft about in my little house in my little town, she needs a serious record conticct, I mean, | used to buy - homemade cassette tapes from emerging bands who hawked them at blues bar gigs for ten bucks a pop, but that was Winnipeg and ] was (sigh) 22 or so. Anyway. I feel a little rich regretful maturity coming on, if 1 do say so myself, Maybe it’s catching. I would like to tell not only Donna, but all the other. wonderful people I miss so much from Winnipeg and Halifax and Steinbach and child- hood and train rides, that [ think about them fondly and wistfully and often. It’s as if Laura Smith is speaking to them all on my behalf, just by having her lovely songs {n the alr. This also saves me a great deal on long distance tele- ' phone bills, which I should thank Laura for, too. A gorgeous voice combined with kind wis- dom, a poctic. vision, and good taste in the im- portant ficld of ome decor, plus long distance ‘ savings: tell Laura I love hen . vo The Terrace Standard; Wednesday, July 16, 1997 - B1 SECTION B CRIS LEYKAUF 638-7283 Cowboy boots for the bard Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him By CRIS LEYKAUF SHAKESPFARE doesn’t have much in common with truck drivers, trailer courts and country- western music —- or does he? His famous play Othello, filled with love, jealousy, betrayal and murder has been reset into modern times — this time in a small truck- driving town in Sas- katoon. The new version, called Cruel Tears, will debut during Riverboat Days. It represents two firsts for Terrace Little Theatre. The first-play produced in the summer and the first musical the theatre com- pany has ever tackled. There are 40 songs throughout the musical, including country- western, blues, soul and a TRUCKIN' COUPLE Johnny and Kathy are the unlikely country-western version of the play is called Cruel Tears, and it takes place in a rowdy bar and a trailer court. Johnny is played by Jay Kryklywyj and Kathy by Joelle Walker. Tough guys Hal Stedham, Kosta Sainis, Steve McHugh and Mitch Stolarchuk round out the key roles. stars in an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. The dash of opera. Just a little bit of opera, reassures director Daniel Barnswell. *I’s not brilliant opera but it’s the best we could do.”’ The operatic bits use the original + Shakespearian dialogue and they elevate the language from a very “‘base level’? the rest of the play, says Barnswell, A line from the opening song sums up that lan- guage and the feeling of the play well. “The men drive trucks and the girls keep house. They do what they can, or they do without.”’ But the story of Othello isn’t lost in the transla- tion. | The great Moorish war- rior of Shakespeare’s play ~ is a Ukrainian truck driver and real macho- man named Johnry Roychuck. He falls in love with the daughter of his bass. ‘However, his coworkers think he plans to take over the trucking busi- ness. What results are schemes, backstabbing and jealous moments. Shakespeare’s _—_ great themes are unfolded this time in a rowdy bar and a trailer court Shakespeare’s dialogue is often considered a challenge to understand, ‘but there’s little of that in - “Tt makes Shakespeare more accessible,” says” Barnswell. ‘‘It’s about drinking, making out, fightin’ and sacin’ cars.”’ The play’s language is clean, he says, but the themes are for a mature audience. sound from the original bluegrass music, adding steel guitars and more bass. *«Not so much banjo.”” Barnswell talked to the play’s author and the musicians from the original production and ‘it makes Shakespeare more accessible,”’ says Barnswell. ‘It’s about drinking, making out, fightin’ and racin’ cars.’’ Cruel Tears first said they liked the debuted across Canada about 20 years ago, and was a huge success, But it’s been a long time since the play was performed so Barnswell modernized changes he suggested and are happy the play is being staged again. “It’s an incredible show, It deserves io be seen,” says Barnswell. and a half weeks away, but Barnswell still can’t put an accurate count on the numbers of the cast or musicians. It’s a large set, and people keep offering to sing a song, or fill in as vextras, It’s a challenge, irying to organize that many people in a tight rehearsal schedule of just four weeks. And that’s jug- giing soflball tourna- ments, vacations and sick leave. ‘‘All the more energy for opening night, It should be wild fun.” Cruel Tears will run July 31 through August 4 and then Aug. 7-9. Tick- ets are available at this play. the « country-westem. .., Opening day is just two Uniglobe Travel for $15. Students learn to play in culture camp STUDENTS ACT out a dance scene in a culture camp for native students which ended last week, THE MYTH of why a young native prin- cess married a bear was acted out by nine teens in a culture camp last week, The camp was put on by the First Nations Education Centre to encourage native stu- dents to take more interest in their culture. The mini-play was the climax of the camp. Other activities included cedar head- band making and drum making. Native actor Floyd Faval of Regina taught the theatre component of the camp. He adapted the Tlingit version of the myth to a short play for the students. In the myth a princess speaks rudely about bears, and a bear who has shifted shape into a human steals her for his bride. The princess is happy until she learns her husband is really a bear, then she longs for her former family. The students act out different parts of the myth, incorporating dancing, drumming and singing. Faval usually does workshops for adults and he points out an odd difference in teaching adults and teens. “Kids forget how to play,’’ he says. “I have to re-teach them how to imagine, how to make believe.’’ He works with minimal props, forcing the students to use their imaginations to make the play come alive for parents and friends. Throughout the workshop Faval teaches ihem singing, dancing and how to work ina group. In the process students also leam about native legends, and Faval hopes to connect them to traditional themes they may have grown away from. Six vie for Miss Terrace title THIS SATURDAY is Talent Night, the first -big event for the 1997 Miss Terrace contestants. On Saturday contestants will present a showcase of their talents to judges and the audicnce. One contestant will play the piano, and another plans to sing. Another will demonstrate a more unusual talent, and has organized a mini-fashion show. It should be an entertaining night, starting al 7 p.m, at the McColl Playhouse. Tickets are $7 at the door. And on July 26 the Miss Terrace pageant wraps up at the REM Lee Theatre, starting at 7 p.m. Three finalists from the talent competition will perform again at the REM Lee and there will be per- formances featuring all the girls. Tickets for hat night arc $10 at Er- win’s Jewllers in the mall. Here are three of the six candi« dates for this year’s lille, Look for, more next week. Tracy Warner Sn racy just wrapped up her grade 41 year at Caledonia. She entered the Miss Terrace pageant because she thought it would be a valuable and interesting leamming expericnce, She hopes to learn. to speak well in public, and wants to be a good role model for the community. Tracy isn’t currently involved in : any sporis or community groups. Her goal is to go to university and have a successful business career. _ | She’s sponsored by the Elks. ~ Gurgit Taggar Gurgit has chosen tbe unusual path of finishing grade 12 through correspondence, and when she eventually finishes her studies sky wanis to become an immigration officer. Gurgit hopes being involved in 4 the Miss Terrace Pageant will give her experience dealing with dif- ferent types of people, something | she thinks will help her later in her career. She entered the contest to learn as inuch as she could, and says overall she just wants to help out in the community, Gurpit is sponsored by Northern White Scoop Shop. Lisa Marinus Lisa finished high school in 1995 and since then she’s been busy in the community, and is involved in church, piano and her job. She entered the contest ‘‘to grow in strength and character.’’ She hopes to develop her public speak- ing skills and gain maturity atid ex- perience from being involved in the pageant. Her future goal is to finish her piano degree. ; 390. Lisa is being sponsored by Mix ;