[NEohioPAL]Berko review: Shaw Festival of Canada, Part 3 July 11-14

[Roy Berko]

AND STILL MORE ON THE SHAW FESTIVAL--play reviews and
places to stay,  eat and tour

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
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Considered by many theatre experts as the best
repertory company in North America, the G. B. Shaw
Festival, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, a
short distance from Niagara Falls, offers an excellent
season of productions.  In addition there are some
excellent restaurants and sites to visit.

In my other columns in this series I reviewed ‘SUMMER
AND SMOKE, ’‘HOTEL PECCADILLO,’ ‘MACK AND MABEL,’ ‘THE
PHILANDERER,’ ‘LILLIES’ and ‘THE CIRCLE.’   If you
missed those reviews go online to www.royberko.info.

The two other plays I saw were:  ‘THE CASSILIS
ENGAGEMENT’ and ‘THE KILTARTAN COMEDIES.’

THE CASSILIS ENGAGEMENT

Sr. John Hankin, one of the most admired comic writers
of the Edwardian era, is generally unknown to present
day theatre-goers in spite of the fact that his good
friend, G. B. Shaw, once referred to him as “the
Mephistopheles of the new comedy.”  

Part of the reason for Hankins’ anonymity was his
suicide at age 40, as an escape from a life of ill
health.  It is ironic that his life came to its final
curtain, as his plays often do, without a happy
ending.

His two major plays were ‘THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL’,
subtitled “A Comedy for Fathers’ and ‘THE CASSILIS
ENGAGEMENT,’ referred to as “A Comedy for Mothers,”
which is now in production at the Shaw.

Hankins’ plays, though they are all comedies, are
governed by “aesthetics of negativity.” The plots lead
toward the dissolution of familial ties and love
relationships, toward closure marked by disharmony. 

The plot of ‘THE CASSILIS ENGAGEMENT’ centers on three
uniquely different mothers.  Though the story appears
to be a conventional comedy of manners, it proves to
be nothing of the kind.  The wealthy Mrs. Cassilis
dotes on Geoffrey, her unmarried son.  The very
uptight Countess of Remenham has always assumed that
Geoffrey was going to marry her daughter.  Foiling the
plans, Geoffrey has become engaged to Ethel, a
cockney, lower class and crass city girl.  Ethel and
her mother, Mrs. Borridge, are invited to visit Mrs.
Cassilis’s house.   What plays out are a series of
events which move the plot through one hilarious
conflict after another, and toward an obvious ending.

The Shaw production, under the direction of
Christopher Newton, turns out to be out and-out fun. 
Much of this centers on the hysterical performance by
Mary Haney as the uneducated and blunt Mrs. Borridge. 
 Her exact opposite, Mrs. Cassilis, played by  Goldie
Semple, is cool, collected and bright.  Semple builds
a clear character who manipulates all around her in a
passive aggressive manner.  David Leyshon (Geoffrey)
plays the perfect pawn, caught between mother and
fiancee.  Donna Belleville so perfectly portrays the
uptight Countess of Remenham that, after-a-while, the
audience started to groan each time she opened her
mouth to speak.

Played in three-quarter round in the intimate Court
House Theatre, the production is well-paced and draws
a healthy round of laughs.  

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘THE CASSILIS ENGAGEMENT’ is a fun
walk along the path of humor.  You won’t learn
anything much, but you will have a good time watching
a master of language and plot development weave his
web.

‘THE KILTARTAN COMEDIES’

Lady Augusta Gregory was an Anglo-Irish dramatist and
folklorist.  She dedicated much of her life to
collecting Gaelic folklore and keeping the Irish
language viable.  She published a series of books
related to Kiltartan history.  She also wrote plays of
questionable value.  As a fellow Irish writer stated,
“"the presentation of her plays nearly ruined the
Abbey [the national Irish theatre venue]". 

Shaw has chosen to present two of Lady Gregory’s short
writings.  The first part of the program is ‘THE
RISING OF THE MOON.’  It is based on a ballad of the
same name by famous Irish balladeer John Keegan.  The
song remains popular and the tune widely recognized in
Ireland today as a protest song against British
control. 

The ballad-opera tells the tale of a rogue who tries
to escape from a town after committing some crimes,
but is caught by a policeman.  Through Irish charm and
guile, he talks his way to freedom.  Gregory intended
the message as an attack on England in Ireland’s fight
for freedom, though this is not overly evident in the
play’s actions, but a careful listen to the words of
the song reveal her purposes. 

‘SPREADING THE NEWS’ is a delightful bit of fluff
which illustrates how rumors are created and spread. 
This is relevant in spotlighting the Irish as great
story tellers and exaggerators.   What starts as an
act of kindness, the return of a pitch fork that has
been left behind, is manipulated into a story of
death, infidelity and a potential immigration to
America.  Mary Haney is riotous as an apple saleswoman
who is the hub of the wheel of the rumor.  This is
fun, fun fun!

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  The hour-long production of ‘THE
KILTARTAN COMEDIES’ is worth going to just to see Mary
Haney in ‘SPREADING THE NEWS’ and relive your own
experience with how rumors are spread.  The first
show, ‘THE RISING OF THE MOON,’ will probably be of
less interest.

SHAW AREA ATTRACTIONS

Besides the plays themselves, the Festival includes a
reading series, coffee concerts, seminars, backstage
tours and pre-show chats.

The city has a golf course, speed boat rides and
carriages that travel the streets.  Just wandering the
small town and looking at the beautiful flowers and
gardens can be a wonderful experience.

There are some excellent places to eat including my
favorite, The Queenston Heights Restaurant
(www.queenstonheights.com).  It is located in a park
just over the US Canadian border.  The facility has a
breathtaking view of the Niagara River gorge.  A new
addition to my favorites list is the Restaurant at the
Niagara Culinary Institute, located about twenty
minutes away from the theatres.  Here, student chefs
and restaurant management majors hone their skills. 
The food is excellent and the venue attractive. 
Remember, these are students, professional wanna’
be’s,  and the service may be a little erratic.

Tired of waiting for a casino in Cleveland?  For those
so-inclined, Niagara Falls, which is near
Niagara-on-the-Lake, has two casino resorts.   There
is also a large outlet store complex for the bargain
shopper.  And, of course, not to be overlooked are the
attractions connected to the magnificent falls.

For theatre information, a brochure, lodging
suggestions or tickets call 800-511-7429 or go on-line
to www.shawfest.com.  Ask about packages that include
lodging, meals and tickets.  Be aware that the
festival offers day-of-the-show rush tickets and
senior matinee prices.


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


       
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