ACTORS FROM Greenthumb Theatre were here last week to perform Thin Ice — a play about date rape — for Skeena Jr. Secondary students at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre. From left, Sherry Thoreson : " plays Trish, Heidi Specht plays Jennifer, and Duff MacDonald is Tony. _ School avoids thin ice TERRACE —_ ' Although one: : Terrace school cancelled a con- trayersial drama - about date rape, the show went on for .. more than. 500. Skeena. Ir.: Secondary ‘students . here last. week. ‘There were no hoats or cheers . from the crowd as the actors of.“ Thin ice performed. the rape sceite in the one-hour play at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre Apr. 30 — only ashen looks and-an uncom- fortable silence. The play had also been scheduled to play at Thornhill Jr.:Secondary school, but the school cancelled the show after staff heard more about it. Thornhill Junior Secondary school principal Bill Gook said he made that’ decision ‘because « the. teachers felt the students: . needed to be prepared for the subject matter, and the school was unable to bring in profes- sional counsellors to discuss ~ daté rape with the students in advance. Greenthumb Thieatre - stage ‘ manager Katie East said the company got the impression the controversial, behave badly and nd they'd be et em- starting Hh tour in’ Fbrary, The one-hour. play follows ' she said. school was worried it-was too . “They were afraid, the _kids were going. to. me -wrorig ini. sdciety when? people: the sexual politics . and dating game between four high school students, It dramatizes the in-- -itial Stages of a relationship bet-- ween the two couples and builds towards a first-date rape of one. of the girls at the end of a house ‘party. The play attracted province- wide attention in the first week of its run when youths in some Lower:. Mainland.’ schools cheered during the rape'scene. , “The first time it happened it was devastating," recalls actor Duff McDonald — whose character Tony attacks Jennifer at the party. ‘We ° couldn’t believe it. There was this in- _ credible silence, and we just looked at each other, almost erying,’’ “We didn't know how to react. We wanted to stop the play and ask them how they could say those things."” Heidi Specht plays Jennifer and says she felt abused by the audience, ‘like she was'a victim in ‘a gang rape. “I had to get’ rape counselling . afterwards,” The actors said they're now able to deal with those reac- tions, and address. them during the question-and-answer session yell," said Rod Nagel. “It’s” _ Steelheaders plan “political’ video TERRACE — Local anglers are planning to film a $100,000 video aimed at generating public pressure to save the Skeena River's wild steelhead, Angling guide Bruce Hill said the ‘political’? video is’ being organized by the Steelhead Society of B.C., and is also ‘be- ing backed by the B,C. Wildlife Federation and an American conservation group called Trout Unlimited. “It’s a massive project,”’ Hill said. ‘It'll probably end up be- ing the ‘biggest project the Steelhead. - Society has" ever ‘undertaken.’ The . video would be .. distributed internationally and Skeena counsellor: Mary. Papais said her students had the benefit of being prepared in ad: vance for the drama, and as a’ result ‘nothing happened that was inappropriate,’’ . “If we'd showed the play ; without any preparation, we. probably would have had the. ' same kind of reaction,” she said. ‘“‘The kids just don’t know.’? She said many students had ho comprehension that rape can exist in marriage, or that being. forced or pressured to have sex . by a date constitutes rape. - “The majority of girls here don’t recognize that as rape. They say things got out of con- trol and‘ the guy got carried away. They say that’s just the way things are.’* - Papais said the date rape por- trayed in the play is a realistic representation of the kind. of situations many youths will fi nd. themselves in. “It’s something that’s. hap- ; pening and it’s happening. here. .. at‘Skeena,”’ she said. “We have a lot of victims in our school,”’ “its makers hope it will force changes in how the river is .. Managed, ’” “The Skeena is the last of the best,"” he said. “In. the United States they’ve basically destroyed all their rivers. People - are paying up to $600 a day ta: fish on our rivers,” - Openings, Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 8, 1981 — Page Ag Sportfishing groups say the Department of. Fisheries and Oceans manages the river only for commercial stacks such as - sockeye and pink salmon. They - say DFO floods the river :with large numbers -of hatchery- ‘ reared: fish ‘to satisfy the ap- - petite of the commercial fleet at the mouth of the river, But the effect of that policy, say anglers like Hill, is to drive the wild stocks of steelhead and other sportfishing species to the brink of extinction. Because steelhead run along with salmon during most commercial fishing large’ numbers of steelhead are accidentally killed in the commercial nets each fishing season. “They're the largest and best steelhead in- the world,’* he says. ‘It’s a precious resource — not to be squandered. The days of unlimited extraction have io come to a stop.” Hill said the incidental catch of steelhead by the commercial Bruce Hill fleet ‘can be massive’? with up : . to half the returning steelhead being lost to the commercial fishery in some years. "You're basically looking at the destruction of the Skeena River fish stocks and basically all you're going to have left i is hatchery fish.” Residents issue park plea “TERRACE — ‘Maintaining the west end of “town needs a park, neighbourhood residents say they know just the place to put one. In a presentation to council, Terri Elkiw — she lives in the 4900 block of Lazelle Ave. — said she understood North Coast Road Maintenance would soon be moving to new premises in Thornhill. That would free up the large! lot: on thec corner: of..Park and Kenney where the ‘company’s ‘maintenance yard and mechanical workshop are now located. Owned by the B.C. Building Corporation (BCBC), the property is currently zoned R3, or high density residential. That.would allow con- struction of apartment blocks but Elkiw pro- duced a 36-name petition suggesting the city ask B.C.B.C. to donate at least a portion of the property for.a park. Pointing out there were no public parks west of Eby St., she said the high school fields were - the only suitable children’s playgrounds in the area. “‘A public park lends a more cheerful at- mosphere than an empty green field,’ ** she add- - ed. If the city were to obtain the land, Elkiw sug- gested corporate and service club donations — could provide the grass, trees and playground ‘equipment needed to create a refreshing oasis’”, kkk kk If and when North Coast Road Maintenance _ moves its operations off its current site at Park . and Kenney, BCBC will likely sell the property, says its local manager. Noting it was zoned high density residential, Darryl Hansen pointed out, “That limits what we can do with it and we’ re not in the business of developing apartments.”’ - Referring to the call: from neighbourhood. residents to create a park on the site, Hansen - added, ‘We'd be. glad to sell it to the city.” However, until stich time as North Coast pulled out, the current use of the property would con- tinue. kind of good in that way: its a gets people to talk.”” McKay returned - Alvin McKay was re-elected président of the Nisga’a Tribal Council last Thursday, fending offja challenge from Kitimat- Stikine regional district director Harry Nyce, ; McKay kept the top Nisga’a post, receiving 226. vates at the Nigga’a - convention in Canyon City, while. Nyce garnered 154 Joe Gosnelt was lected ex- eculive chairman by acclama- tion. Ed. Wright. “was re-elected secretary-treasurers winning by 60-vote margin . over . challenger Irene Griffi in. 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