Se ee LULU || ___ i
REVIEW

‘Headlines’ targets nuclear

es

aheR THE GUN: A Disarm-

nea vue. A Headlines Theatre

: Uction directed by Suzie

oulbee At various locations around
iter Vancouver.

tig theme of disarmament —
We a uniquely Canadian perspec-
Be Is being brought to chur-
a union halls and other points
nN aN the region . throughout
Pil and May as Headlines
ene tours with its latest produc-
peer the Gun: A Disarming

The company that produced
nk Buy Vancouver, the revue that
yed to packed houses around
“city in the fall of 1981, has turn-
Its sights this time on Canada’s
S industry.
ae the working people of Van-
: ver faced with soaring rents and
Zt0-vacancy rate, Buy Buy was
th a critical and political success.
der the Gun has some problems
‘Doth categories, but more than
Compensates by some fine acting
d On-target political barbs.
Our actors — Karen Darcy,
Taig Davidson, David Diamond
ay Nettie Wild — portray all the
f aracters in this fast moving revue
at touches on a host of issues
found arms manufacture.
Utilizing a minimum of props
© Actors present parallel stories of
‘Wo individuals’ involvement in the
a~> race, the moral dilema each
4. and their final decisions.
cat Via (Wild) is a worker in
H .h Tech” industries, a Cana-
firm which, like real-life Lit-
ton Industries, produces guidance
Systems for nuclear missiles. One
Morning. Sylvia, more out of
Curiousity than anything else, stops
to chat briefly with a group of
onstrators outside the plant
Sates. -
Concerned when she learns that

a

her work is leading the world.

towards the brink of a nuclear
holacaust, Sylvia takes a pamphlet
from the group. When she reads it
i the lunchroom to fellow
Workers, the response ranges from
Outright hostility to puzzlement.
The other story concerns a visit
by High-Tech’s chief executive
Peter Goodman (Diamond) to the

Suita

Internationally
Acclaimed Soviet Singer
And Recording Artist &

Victor Grydin, Bayanist

An aggressive “America (Craig Davidson) lead
Headlines Theatre's Under the Gun.

bolic dance scene in

Philippines to sell a manufacturer
the latest in surveillance equip-
ment. While there, he is made an
offer to shift his own operations to
the island nation, on the premise
that fantastic profits can be made
using workers that are paid about
$1.60.a day.

It doesn’t take Goodman long to
realize that something is very
wrong in the supposed south
Pacific paradise. While he is an ex-
ploiter in his own right, the ruthless
suppression of Filipino people in
the name profits shakes him pro-
foundly. Goodman also faces a
choice: invest in a country whose
government he knows is immoral,
or lose a lucrative market.

Under the Gun is also a satire,
and that mode works best in the
scenes that might be best described
as metaphoric. When an ap-
propriately attired Captain
America type performs an ag-
gressive tango with his subdued
partner wearing a Canadian flag,
while singing “‘we make such a
good team,”’ the revue reaches a
satiric high point. It’s clever politics
and makes the point well.

y

And
Co-op Book Store
353 West Pender Street

Despite fine acting and musical
and vocal accompaniment by
musician Reid Campbell, the revue
suffers a bit from trying to make
too many political points. It asks a
lot of the audience to comprehend
the complex connection between
the immoral products of the arms
industry, and that industry’s roleas
4 multinational corporation which
helps to prop up dictatorships
around the world.

But it asking even more of an au-
diene to understand references to
the Phillipines’ BATAN free-trade
zones, under which foreign cor-
porations plunder the island nation
unhindered by duties on export.
One feels that Under the Gun
would be a better production if it
focused more on one or two
themes, and not try to cover all the
bases.

Most questionalble are the
references to the few underground
“peace movements” in the Eastern
Bloc countries. Under the Gun
begins with a testimony from one
of the members of the long-
forgotten Charter 77, written by a
group of ‘Czecholsovakian
dissidents, that flourished briefly in
right-wing articles carried in the
Western press in the late ’70s.

Another reference is made, at
the end of the revue, to a small

- dissident group in East Germany.

The intent of both messages is to
convey the impression that the
dissident groups are the sole
representative of peace sentiment
in the Warsaw Pact countries.
Not only is this wrong — all

ls a submissive Canada (David Diamond) in a humorous sym-

those countries have millions-
strong active peace movements that
have functioned for decades — but
the contention contradicts evidence
given elsewhere in Under the Gun,
when a friendly Russian character
(Darcy) reminds the audience of
the Soviet Union’s pledge last sum-
mer never to be the first to use
nuclear weapons. :
Perhaps the writers — which in-
cludes the cast, plus writer Colin
Thomas and composer Bob Bossen
— felt that the revue would be too
one-sided without criticism of the
East. All the eulogizing of
dissidents does, however, is mar an
otherwise fine production.
Headline theatre company is a

‘skilled group of actors which, with

only a. few props and minor
costume changes (and no stage
lighting) convincingly portrays a
whole range of characters. They
are believable, typical and yet not
stereotyped. And best of all, they
— either through positive or
negative example — encourage us
to get out and organize for peace
and in support:of liberation strug-
gles around the world.

After each performance the cast
holds discussions with the audience
on the issues presented in the revue.
According to Headlines, Under the
Gun is modified based on audience
comments.

Under the Gun is playing at
various locations in Greater Van-
couver ‘until May 17, following
which it runs in the Vancouver East
Cultural Centre May 25 to June 5.

—Dan Keeton

If You Love

see the award-winning NFB film

Friday, Apr. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Italian Cultural Centre
3075 Slocan

auspices Kingsway Club

This Planet

RANKIN & COMPANY

Barristers & Solicitors

4th Floor, 195 Alexander St.,
Vancouver, B

.C. V6A 1N8

682-2781
Offers a broad range of legal services including:

@ Personal Injury and |nsurance Claims

@ Real Estate and Conveyancing
a Divorce and Family Law

@ Labour Law
@ Criminal Law
‘@ Estates and Wills

Classified
Advertising

COMING EVENTS

APR. 9 — Solidarigg “afe, 8:30
p.m., 805 E. Pence, Help launch
the Tribune £ Wal drive and sup-
port New O'iizons.

APR. 9 — FRANCE — slides and
commentary by Paul and Geoff, 8
p.m., 3074. Charles St.
Refreshments and good food.
Spons. by West Side Press Club.

APR. 15 — Concert for Peace, with
internationally renowned Soviet
singer, Lyudmila’ Zykina, QE
Theatre, 8 p.m. Tickets available at
Vancouver Ticket Centres, Co-op
Book Store, & at the door. Adm.
$5. Sponsored by the Federation of
Russian Canadians.

APR. 16 — Annual Oolichan Feed

at the Person’s, 599 Chapman _
Ave., Coquitlam. Clam chowders,

salmon, ., Dinner - $6.00.

Children - % price..5 p.m. - ? For

directions, 936-7308. Proceeds to

Tribune.

APR. 16 — Almandina in concert.
Andean folkloric group from Seat-
tle. Robson Sq.. Theatre, 8 p.m.
Tickets $5 (advance), $6 (door).
Benefit for Guatemalan and Chilean
people. Tickets at Co-op Books or
ph. 873-6971.

APR. 17 — Annual Burnaby pan-
cake breakfast, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
3310 Cardinal Dr., Bby. Proceeds to
Tribune.

MAY 1 — Annual Vancouver East
May Day Supper, after the march
and rally. Watch for further details.
Proceeds to Tribune.

MAY 7 — Third annual May Day
Chicken Feed at the Beynon’s,
21972 Cliff Place, Maple Ridge, 4
p.m. on. For directions, 467-2888.
Dinner $6. Proceeds to Tribune.

MAY 14 — Second annual Buz-
zards’ Run Scavenger Hunt. Start
organizing your teams now, 4 to a
team. For further info. call Janet
298-3474 or Dian 521-7966. Watch
for further announcements. Pro-
ceeds to Tribune.

COMMERCIAL

GRAMMA PUBLICATIONS.
Complete printing services. Bro-
chures, menus, leaflets, etc. Spe-
cial rates for the progressive move-
ment. A union shop. 1595 W. 3rd
Ave., Van. 733-6822.

ROOF REPAIRS — New roofs.
Reasonable. Ph. 277-3352.

ELECTRICAL, plumbing, appli-
ance repairs. Don Berg. 255-7287.

NEED A SPRING TUNE-UP? Im-
port or domestic, $10 hr.
Guaranteed work. Major repairs,
$12 hr. Richard Saunders 879-4038
(anytime). Also special rates for
special needs.

HAVE TRUCK, will travel. Car-
tage, gardening etc. 874-0954 or
255-3629.

FOR SALE

OAK FLOWER TUBS, $15 each.
936-7308. Proceeds to Tribune.

DIRECTORY

COMMUNIST PARTY OF CAN-
ADA offices located at 102-2747 E.
Hastings St., Van. Ph. 254-9836.
For information on political issues
or assistance in political activity.

HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME —
Available for rentals. For reserva-
tions phone 254-3430.

WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL —
Available for banquets, meetings,
etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or
462-7783.

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL-
TURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pen-
der St., Vancouver. Available for
banquets, weddings, meetings. Ph.
254-3436.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 8, 1983—Page 11