TORONTO (CP) — Ten: yaars ago, the sagest advice Marion Andre could get in the ‘Toronto. theatre world “was! Tt can't be done." But Andre has done it, He arrived in Toronto ‘from Montreal — where he had been artistic director of the Saidye _ Centre for five years — to establish a high-quality ' summer-season theatre in -Bronfman - Back at the Theatre an awkward concert hall. He proposed a program of challenging, contemporary plays, dealing with political, moral and social. problems. Everyone in the Toronto theatre community told him thete was no audience for ' that sort of thing during the . summer. Theatregoers in ‘the city went to their rural cottages. Hf they did decide to spend a summer night at 4 : a | ‘Light, 7,000 eee f the theatre, they wanted straw-hat — en- tertainment. ——. Andre proved them all wrong with Theatre Plus, his’ company at the St. Lawrence Centre. become Toronto's second: largest professional theatre enterprise, staging four: to six plays a year-for four- week runs for more than 9 i) Seache. Jimmy ¢ Swaggert 1g Nemning Tamerica .Pamerica Morning AMarning Mister Rogers” ° Hunttey : Street. - ; | Kareen’s “| yoga It's _[ Your Move Sesame Street - Sesame Stréet— Joyce - | Davidson - What's Cooking - Electric Company InsideOut Ouverture | - | Mouvement Gu Solell Mon Ami . Search for ‘Tomorrow Definition Definivien | ‘| Pay Cards © of Night - Pay Cards Footsteps Footsteps, Over Basy Magazine Express‘ Wickie ‘[Wikie |” Days of All my } Children, Al my ©” -f Chitdren Biography Biography Catalina Marathon. One Lite - Live Harrah's $525,000. . Te . Tannis — ” Shootout. General Hospital * ” | General . Harrah's. $125,000 ° ” (jTennis. * Shootoy? Hospital . Entertainme Tonight . Tic Tac Gough .. Littie Howe on the Pralrte "| Fin des” Emissions Fin ces = * | Emissions ae ans freer everett nn BPP Port Las pats Cait adndheohian annie ladebatasinhs eessee a a It has - He operates on a budget of $850,000 and his -audiences are surpassed only “by Toronto Arts Productions, - the winter season theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre. Andre, the son of a Jewish Poland. Marion fought ‘against the German -oc- cupation under an assumed identity in the Polish un- derground in the Second ~” World War until he became’ a German prisoner of war.. After the war, he became -a writer, translator “and director of theatre, radio | and television in Warsaw. Ih ‘1967 Andre .emigratéd - to Canada, continuing . the same kind of work” fin English in Montreal. With - the - _ Centre from 1987, he re- Saidye Bronfman established. | English: . Janguage professional -theatre in Montreal, = _ Disagreement with the ~ Bronfman Centre board | - over the choice of a play ‘prompted Andre’s move ta ' Toronto in 1972, where he formed Theatre Plus. The. diminutive, greying : director-manager, his eyes:. ~- flashing with geniality and. ’- enthusiasm, described in an: interview his conviction that theatre must reflect. what is going on in the world " and the current concerns of individuals. - ~ “1 think our streets ara: ‘paved not with gold but with the subject: matter for. ' dramatic plays. What about. - ... Western alienation? What ‘about the enormous -ten- ~ Bons In the world? Our own © “Beate ig in a turmoil.” LETS PUT. OUT THE MAT ntti man on , Net Gourlle “Unless we deal with those phenomena, we are ’ missing the beat. “Jean-Paul. Sartre (the left-wing French. philosopher and writer) _, Said people are afraid to ask pharmacist, was raised in questions, even of them- selves, But when they are - in.a ‘darkened | _ theatre; they can ask those questions. which they have - sitting inside them but are afraid to ask outside,” - Andre woutd like to deai with -such, questions in a theatrical way: - oT “For. instance, [ don't understand how few’ plays there are about the ‘Quebec. Situation, seen not from the’ Quebec viewpoint but from the . viewpoint - of English Canada. wo, - He currently is working with a Montreal playwright, Roger Fournier, .on a play to feature actress Louise Marleau. It. is about a French-Canadian “woman Among a-group of English- Canadian men. ; - Andre’ 8s .playbill. at “Theatre Plus has been predominantly “English, European and American | contemporary drama, for which he has to buy per- ‘forming ‘rights .in. com- ‘petition «= with == other producers, . - Rights” for the Engilih plays ‘he’ wants often. are ‘Bold to New York producers in deals that include “Toronto performing rights. . He thinks it wrong-to cou- ‘sider Toronto ‘merely an extension of the New York ‘audience, He has inchided some new "Canadian plays in. his |. , programs. But Theatre Plus - ” can rarely find elther -the money or the. time to commission. Canadian. playwrights and work with -. them. intensively. to create “the new plays... He got one playwright. to _|: examine a Northern Ontario. t imining” faniily ‘Situation “HEM IN TORK | 2 DINING ROOMS, ta GONDOLA DINtNG ROOM - “ORIVEIN: _ playwrights, te pa a VENETIAN DINING LOUNGE, m { “CONTINENTAL” ATMOSPHERE’ hb text to the Rupert Motor ina Overtonking the Harbour he oh “i, . " 7 . oe an. “