The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 32

PAGE 32 OTTAWA JOURNAL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1980 Thriller that fails to thrill not totally beyond redemption 1920 1980 CELEBRATING 60 YEAttS OF ENTERTAINING CANADIANS'' By Jacob Siskind MUSIC AND DRAMA CRITIC Camelot Little Theatre has always I prided itself on presenting the works of Canadian authors. I have, in the past two seasons, seen a number of well meaning productions' of works by people whose plays deserve to be seen. The company's present offering, Carol Bolt's One Night Stand, is a case in point. The play is by a Canadian; it was premiered in Toronto; it has been seen on Canadian television; it deserves a stage production in this city. But it also deserves a more profession-: al production than the one currently available at the Sir Robert Borden High School.

At loose ends It isn't that the acting is that bad, or .1. that the set and lighting are inadequate, or that the direction is inept. It is simply that all of the ingredients have just not yet been pulled together into a meaning- ful whole. The play is all about a young lady, a bank clerk, who is lonely on her birthday, and who brings home a young man she has picked up in a bar. He loeks just like the kid next door and sounds like him, and you'd expect that it would be per-; fectly safe.

But this story takes place In dirty old Toronto, where the worst can happen to anyone, even a sweet girl who has been sleeping with the married bank and, this being a purely Canadian play, it does. The show is supposed to be a bit of a thriller, it is supposed to be a kind of wry commentary on Canadian mores and living habits. It is, in a way, but the present production is so sketchily drawn that you may find yourself bored before you become intrigued. Moira Pyper and Brad Smith are the young lady and her pick-up. Both are experienced performers.

Sharon Magee is the director and she obviously knows I what upstaging means. LOST AND FOUND starring 7:15 PM GEORGE SEGAL GLENDA JACKSON PLUS QFRfga-ALPACINO in 8:50 PM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL 1 1 Bank Sunnyild 234-3403 AW FEB.24 all shows 50LDOUT ROMEO JULIETTE Dance for Singles CONCORDE MOTEL Every THURSDAY. FRIDAY and SATURDAY night 333 MONTREAL RD 741-0182 745-5206 Camelot presents ONE NIGHT STAND A Canadian Comedy Thriller by Carol Bolt ROBERT BORDEN H.S, Tonight 8 pjn. Tickets at Dooi I fl I 4 1- i'9 I'l REVIEW One Night Stand, by Carol Bolt, produced by Camelot Little Theatre, with Brad Smith and Moira Pyper, at Sir Robert Borden High School until Saturday But somehow they all never seem to get their act together. Pyper's voice is virtually inaudible most of the time.

She chirps like a bird in the apartment next door. Her characterization is about as penetrating as a ball of cotton wool and after a while you lose all possible sympathy for the silly bank clerk. Smith is a talented young man with all of the personal charm needed for this role, but he doesn't seem to know what to do with his hands and his arms, which keep swinging about even in moments of repose. But he can be heard. There are few intimations of danger beneath the surface of this performance, which is as it should be, but the few moments of real pain do not ring true.

Opening night But the basic problem in this production, though, is that no one has decided where the moments' of climax are supposed to be and lets it all happen naturally. That may be fine in life, where lonely people do risk bringing strangers home for the night, but on stage, one should be sufficiently organized to give the audience the feeling that everything in the production is under control but that the unexpected is to be expected. Of course, last night was opening night. It is conceivable that things will pull together before the production closes on Saturday evening, and that the whole will crackle with wit and tension, as the play can and should. Even if it doesn't, you won't have wasted a full evening if you go.

Curtain is at 8 p.m. and the show was over by about 9.40 on opening night. After writing this review I was back home in time to catch the TV news. What more could one want? J2 1920 1980 apple pie baked beans bologna bread candy cannelloni cheesecake chocolate cupcakes danish doughnuts dumplings eclairs egg rolls fettucine fondue rench fries gravy honey ice cream lasagna mnmrnni 0 CARLIHQ AVE. Zl 2072 scraps spaghetti sundaes tamales HADMOTANCI "STAR TREK" IlliiilliiWiil One Night Stand's Moira Pyper EVE: 6:45 9:05 r.ll.ul I I -111 lit 1 1 21 I37i jm i- GROOVE mt r- I crane moms Wanderers "10" "OOIMO IM STYLl" BP EVE: 650 9.15 evE: 7:30 9:25 "GODSEND" 1 BY DtCHM mnrnummto imtwMWW Ifo) EVE: 7:20 9:30 I EVE: 6:50 8.20 Jf "1941" 1 11 EVE: 7:00 9:20 CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF ENTERTAINING CANADIANS KKafiT marshmallows muffins noodles oatmeal olives parfait pizza potatoes pretzels ravioli salami sauces J'l I A FILM BY ANNE BANCROFT Starring DOM DeLUISE in "FATSO" ANNE BANCROFT RON CAREY CANDICE AZZARA Writtn and DiractMl by ANNE BANCROFT Produced by STUART CORNFELD Associate Producer JONATHAN SANGER Music by JOE RENZETTI Rcommfidd at AOUlt INTIITAINMINT READ THE BALLANTINE flOOK 4 CtMSfWfNTKTHetMTUNMOl I DAILY AT 1 :30 3:25 5:20 7:15 9:10 RIOEAU AT OALHOUSIE 234-2117 DR.

IN OPEN FRI. SAT. SUN. ADDED DR. IN ONLY "THE WORLD'S GREATEST LOVER" "RACE WITH.THE DEVD." v' An EOAWID PRESSMAN PROOUCnCW oadten FURTHtR PKOCXXTTICT A JOHN BYBUM FILM NickNolte Sissy Spacek John Heard UiNEAlCASWDYl CAIO.tNCASSA (JACkttCl "ffeartjzf Beat" Production Designer OC FI5K Music by JACK NfTZSCHE Director of Photography LASZLO IOCS.

A C. Executive Producer EDVW.RD PRESSMAN Produced by MICHAEL SHAMBERG and ALAN GRE1SMAN rVhtten and Orected by JOHN BYRUM ci riu at i icr.AQ 9l9.nim Lie Technicolor Tlwu WARMER BAOS A WMrmr Conrnuncmton Compviy FEATURE DAILY AT: 1:35 3:25 5:20 7:20 9:20 They're rich. They're in love. They're negotiating. 1 "JUSTTtLL ME WHAT YOU WANT" A smashing comedy.

AJLJ MacGRAW ALAN KING "JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANTP TOMORROW! iii SIDNEY LIIMET QUEEN AT BANK 237 665S if 1 i 0 Ml Ol Ovia FEATURE DAILY AT 130 3l25 Btao 7:20 9 1 IURTIN RITTiKlV AND A5LVYFV mfaiM Wacomwwndtd at. AtHUT INTIRTAINMtNT "NORMA RAE" SALLY FIELD RON UI8MAN BEAU BRIDGES, HINGLE BARBARA BAXlEV sMiy IRVING RAVETCH Ml HARRIET FRANK, DAVID SHIRE mtorfiMw JOHN ALONZO, A.S.C-- ALEX ROSE tfcrectedtrvMARTIN GOES LIKE IT GOES" tyrtcs NORMAH GIM8EL Maic by DAVID SHIRE caosBfrwiK STARTSfWDAYI 32B RIDEAU AT NELSON 23748M.