By
      MICHAEL
      J.
      SMALL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      I
      sat
      down
      in
      prepa-
     
     
      ration
      for
      the
      show,
      I
      was
      im-
     
     
      pressed
      at
      the
      time
      apparently
     
     
      spent
      on
      constructing
      the
      set...
     
     
      It
      gave
      one
      the
      impression
      of
      a
     
     
      pleasant,
      homy
      atmosphere,
     
     
      coupled
      with
      a
      rather
      cold,
     
     
      impersonal
      contrast.
      Further,
     
     
      while
      waiting
      for
      the
      show
      to
     
     
      begin,
      the
      audience
      listened
      to
     
     
      some
      rather
      anxious,
      eerie
     
     
      music
      --
      no
      doubt
      in
      order
      to
     
     
      set
      the
      mood
      for
      the
      perform-
     
     
      ance
      to
      come.
     
    

    
     
      The
      play
      had
      a
      strong
     
     
      opening
      scene,
      with
      a
      drown-
     
     
      ing
      heartbeat
      and
      rhythmic
     
     
      humming
      --
      a
      nice
      touch...
     
     
      Also,
      I
      was
      amazed
      at
      how
     
     
      long
      actors
      were
      able
      to
      stand
     
     
      motionless
      when
      pretending
      to
     
     
      be
      pictures
      during
      the
      opening
     
     
      scene.
      Moving
      along,
      I
      also
     
     
      found
      the
      way
      in
      which
      Lizzie
     
     
      Borden’s
      story
      was
      presented
     
     
      to
      be
      intriguing,
      the
      play
      be-
     
     
      coming
      in
      essencea
      play
      within
     
     
      a
      play
      --
      the
      story
      taking
      place
     
     
      after
      the
      fact,
      with
      Lizzie’s
     
     
      parents
      already
      dead
      and
      gone.
     
    

    
     
      I
      loved
      the
      way
      Lizzie’s
     
     
      poor
      family
      life
      was
      presented
     
     
      to
      us
      the
      audience,
      who
      are
     
     
      treated
      almost
      as
      the
      jury
      at
     
     
      her
      trial
      on
      several
      occasions.
     
     
      We
      see
      the
      Mother,
      a
      woman
     
     
      who’s
      only
      ambition
      seems
      to
     
     
      be
      to
      drive
      Lizzie
      out
      of
      her
     
     
      father’s
      will...
      and
      an
      uncle
     
     
      who
      only
      wants
      to
      take
      advan-
     
     
      tage
      of
      an
      old
      man.
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      the
      actors
      pre-
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      ¢
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Stage:
     
     
      Blood
      Relations
     
    
   
   
    
     
      formed
      really
      well
      overall,
      with
     
     
      only
      a
      few
      things
      I
      didn’t
      like.
     
     
      For
      example,
      they
      didn’t
      do
      a
     
     
      great
      job
      at
      accents...
      some-
     
     
      times
      the
      accent
      would
      be
     
     
      there,
      sometimes
      not.
      How-
     
     
      ever,
      their
      acting
      was
      great.
     
     
      Especially
      when
      the
      Father
     
     
      slams
      an
      axe
      into
      the
      table
      in
     
     
      anger,
      the
      same
      axe
      used
      to
     
     
      kill
      him
      later
      on.
      Further,
      the
     
     
      role
      of
      the
      lawyer
      I
      also
      rather
     
     
      enjoyed...
      it
      was
      very
      con-
     
     
      vincing.
     
    

    
     
      Lizzie’s
      torments
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      izzie
      Borden
     
     
      took
      an
      axe,
     
     
      Gave
      her
      mother
      forty
     
     
      whacks.
     
     
      When
      the
      job
      was
      nicely
     
     
      done,
     
     
      She
      gave
      her
      father
     
     
      forty-one.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ..Or
      did
      she?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      clearly
      shown
      to
      the
      audience,
     
     
      it
      was
      almost
      as
      if
      we
      were
     
     
      given
      the
      chance
      to
      observe
     
     
      her
      slowly
      loose
      grip
      with
      san-
     
     
      ity...
      Near
      the
      end,
      it’s
      clear
     
     
      Lizzie
      no
      longer
      has
      any
      re-
     
     
      gard
      for
      human
      life,
      no
      sense
     
     
      of
      right
      or
      wrong...
      she
      now
     
     
      sees
      people
      as
      just
      animals,
      no
     
     
      better
      than
      the
      slugs
      we
      kill
      in
     
     
      our
      gardens.
      The
      way
      the
     
     
      final
      murder
      scenes
      unfold
     
     
      were
      also
      really
      well
      done,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Great
     
     
      Movies
     
     
      -Downtown-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mend
      64
      King
      St.
      368-3669
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      really
      good
      music,
      and
      a
     
     
      nice
      fade
      to
      black
      when
      the
     
     
      acts
      are
      committed...
      followed
     
     
      by
      a
      return
      to
      an
      eerie
      green
      -
     
     
      -
      nice.
      One
      final
      note
      about
     
     
      the
      performance,
      I
      loved
      the
     
     
      ending...
      it
      leaves
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence
      still
      wondering
      whether
     
     
      or
      not
      she
      actually
      committed
     
     
      the
      double
      murder...
     
    

    
     
      As
      for
      the
      actors
      them-
     
     
      selves,
      those
      interviewed,
      all
     
     
      expressed
      positive
      opinions
      on
     
     
      the
      play,
      and
      their
      perform-
     
     
      ance
      on
      the
      second
      showing...
     
     
      The
      first
      showing,
      Paul
      rea-
     
     
      soned,
      is
      a
      nervous
      perform-
     
     
      ance,
      one
      where
      you
      don’t
     
     
      expect
      things
      to
      run
      perfectly
     
     
      smooth.
      Paul
      also
      showed
      an
     
     
      interest
      in
      the
      era
      of
      the
      play,
     
     
      and
      was
      intrigued
      by
      the
      story
     
     
      of
      Lizzie
      Borden...
      as
      for
      the
     
     
      way
      the
      story
      was
      presented,
     
     
      he
      says
      “Bruce
      has
      excellent
     
     
      vision...”
      Trish,
      the
      woman
     
     
      playing
      Lizzie,
      felt
      the
      perform-
     
     
      ances
      were
      especially
      strong...
     
     
      She
      says,
      “We
      Rocked!!!
      No
     
     
      better
      play
      in
      the
      world!!!”
     
     
      Matthew
      enjoyed
      playing
      the
     
     
      part
      of
      Andrew
      (Lizzie’s
      tired
     
     
      old
      father),
      he
      also
      said
      he
     
     
      enjoyed
      the
      acting
      experience,
     
     
      getting
      to
      know
      new
      people,
     
     
      and
      looked
      forward
      to
      the
      party.
     
    

    
     
      All
      in
      all,
      it
      was
      a
      great
     
     
      play,
      one
      I
      really
      enjoyed.
      I
     
     
      would
      recommend
      this
      play
      to
     
     
      any
      who
      enjoy
      a
      good
      mystery
     
     
      or
      intrigue
      story.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      April
      1,
      1997