The Panther Prints April 2, 1996

Papers a Fine Diece of Theatre

Book Reviews

Study Tours 1996 Vicky Busch (Athabasca University)

An index of study tours around the world, and as such is reference rather than good reading. It includes a description of each tour, as well as costs and contacts. They even use email. Unfortunately, it limits itself to only the tours that are based and organised in Canada. I don't recommend it to be used as anything more than another tour brochure, so don't pitch out the ads you've clipped from your favourite academic journal just yet.

-- Jonathan Davis

A Book of Saints Steve Dobell (Anness Publishing)

Your standard coffee table book.

It lists most of the saints of the Roman Catholic church, what they are patron saint of, and a one or two paragraph biography. The book's real claim to fame are the pictures. It is just an excuse to reprint some of the better works of Christianity-inspired paintings. A mediocre read, but nice to look at.

-- Jonathan Davis

A Book of Love Steve Dobell (Anness Publishing)

Similar to the Book of Saints, it is primarily an excuse to reproduce some very nice paintings. This time, instead of the Christian focus, it is on love and lovers. Speckled in with the pictures are little quotes about love taken from famous writers, including Shakespeare and even Queen Victoria's diary. Unfor- tunately, and rather amusingly, the researchers either thought their audience stupid or are themselves stupid. My Lady noticed one particular quote was printed in association with a typical male/female in a "lover's embrace", but the quote was actually written by a man to his gay lover. Not that printing such is a problem, but to twisting the meaning is, I think, something of a violation.

Yiddish Wisdom Illustrated by Kristina Swarner (Chronicle Books)

This is a wonderful book. It is a collection of Yiddish sayings, in both Yiddish and English. It is accompanied with beautiful illustrations by Kristina Swarner. These pictures should be on your walls, not just in a book.

I do not have a little old Jewish grandmother, but I can certainly imagine the stereotypical TV one, and this book is full of things such a woman would say. Some are sayings we have all heard but probably didn't know were. Yiddish. "All that glitters is not gold,” "From your mouth to God's ears," and "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't" are all familiar sayings.

Others I have never heard of and they are definitely gems of knowledge. "If one could do charity without money and favours without aggravation, the world would be full of saints," "The masses are asses," and "If you eat a bagel, only the hole remains in your pocket" speak more truth than most of my text books.

If you like to learn your knowledge in small doses, this is a beautiful book to do it with.

-- Colleen Easter

The Rune Poem Translated and annotated by Jim Paul

This decorative little book would be

_of interest to anyone who wears rune stone

jewelry. The Rune Room outlines the history of the medieval English Rune Poem and describes the meanings of the twenty nine different runes. Each rune is illus- trated along with its corresponding stanza of the Rune Poem. This is an excellent coffee table book. -- Coralie Gill

101 Uses For This Book Paul Grescoe (Raincoast)

This is.one of the most unusual books I have ever seen. It contains a lists of -- you guessed it -- 101 uses for this book, and books in general. These include recipe holder, cake stand, safe, paper boats, and contraceptive (?!). I’m not sure what to say about it. It is good for more than a few laughs however, and some of the informa- tion actually borders on useful.

-- Marko Peric

by Mike F. Beagan

On Friday, March 23, I had the pleasure of attending The Victoria Playhouse

Inc.'s latest production, Papers.

Papers is a play by Allen Stratton, directed in Victoria by Scott Burke. Burke is a writer, director, and actor who’s work is known across Canada.

The production starred Erskine Smith, the Victoria Playhouse Artistic Direc- tor, as washed up writer Charles Martin. Myra, Martin's welcoming committee and new love interest, was played by Pam Stevenson. Jennifer Anderson, fresh from her role as Emily in ACT’s production of The Crucible, starred as the less than eloquent

but far from air headed co-ed Bobbi.

The main set for this production was a simply brilliant representation of the cottage like home where Charles lives, authentically cheesy right down to peeling

- wallpaper and fishnet wall decorations. This set, designed and built by The Com-

pany, helped to create the illusion of reality that all theatrical productions strive for. This air of suspended disbelief was only interfered with by The Victoria Playhouse’s unfortunate lack of a curtain to hide to the scene changes. Those who are familiar with the Playhouse know to close their eyes between changes so as to maintain the

illusion.

Papers is a comedy of errors and misunderstanding centred around famous writer Charles Martin, who is suffering from a six year writer’s block previous to becoming the “Writer In Residence” at a small university. It is here that he meets Myra, an equally dysfunctional academic who wishes to write a book analysing Charles’ style of writing. The pair become friends, and steadily, though reluctantly, they grow to love each other. Between them comes Bobbi, the eighteen year old student and poet who befriends Charles, whom she believes is the only person who

understands her poetic ambitions.

Charles believes that Bobbi, though unpolished and inappropriate, has genuine talent and potential as a poet. Myra, who is Bobbi’s English 101 Prof, believes that she is an untalented, air headed bimbo out to get Charles. Bobbi just wants to be understood and respected, like any teenager with talent, but her constant presence at Charles’s home creates many wonderfully hilarious situations of misunderstanding

and confusion.

Each member of the cast was well suited to their respective roles. The Cast’s comedic timing was exceptional; a credit to their talents and also to those of director

Scott Burke.

A fine time was had by all in the nearly full house. Those of you who missed the Victoria Playhouse production of Papers missed some fine theatre indeed.

Music Mel lel4 74

Sin With Sebastion Golden Boy (BMG/Ariola)

With a smash hit currently rocking -

the local night clubs, Sin With Sebastion picked a prime time to release his CD Golden Boy. With the original version and a remix of "Shut Up (And Sleep With Me)" gracing the CD many will want to pick up the CD for that reason alone. However, as is with most dance music stars, he produces a lot of tracks that sound similiar, so unless you're a huge fan just look for the single.

-- Lorne Caborn

Passengers Original Soundtracks | (Island Records)

This is an album made up of songs from soundtracks from movies which don't exist by a band that doesn't exist. Passen- gers is U2 in disguise. And some may say the only way anyone would make this album is under disguise.

Some songs are really strange and totally beyond my comprehension. Others are more like the 1990s Zooropa kind of U2 people have come to expect. And then there are the songs that are definitely different but in a good way.

I cannot imagine what kind of movies these songs would come from. Any U2 fan would want this album and just the liner notes are probably worth the money.

It is weird but the music certainly grows on you. And who wouldn't want to be part of a great musical scam?

-- Colleen Easter