MAD HATTER

 

three-time winner in the CBC
literary contest. His first book,

was
published in 1987 and is
scheduled for release in British,
French and German editions this
year.

His stories are set in his native
Zululand, where, growing up asa
white landowner’s son in the
1920's, he discovered first hand
what it meant to have his
childhood friendships -- with the
children of black farmhands —-
slip away because of social
taboos. “It was only in adoles-
cence," he says in an interview in
the December, 1987 issue of
Books in Canada, "that I became
aware that I was supposed to be
superior; then the quality of ease
that had existed, which you
might call brotherhood, was lost."

Now Havemann writes about
the political situation in South
Africa from the point of view of
those who live within it. His
stories are not polemics; they are
humourous, tense and compell-
ing. He calls them simply,
"yams."

Havemann’s reading is the final
in the Literature Live Series of
free readings by poets and prose
writers. The event will begin at 7
p-m. in Room 3343. For more in-
formation, call 520-5400.

Aappens Overy Time’
Z just get in the ©
shower and Someone
yells “stampede”!

 

 

 

BEHAN PLAY
STILL TIMELY

es years have passed since
the first performance of the

Brendan Behan play "The
Hostage” brought attention to the
complexities -- and the absur-
dities — of Anglo-Irish relations.
But today, as students from the
Theatre Department of Douglas
College stage the play, the themes
still address thoroughly contem-
porary situations.

The setting is a disreputable
Dublin lodging house, inhabited
by a motley assortment of pimps,
prostitutes, sailors, and patriots.

 

 

 

Pat, the caretaker of the house,
and some of his IRA cronies have
taken Leslie Williams, a young
British soldier, as a hostage,
hoping to prevent the hanging of
a fellow Irishman, scheduled to
take place the next day. The plan
becomes complicated, though,
when the whole crew grows to
like him, including Teresa, the
young servant girl, who falls in
love with the prisoner. Out of
this tense situation, Behan wove
an exhuberant, satirical comedy,
without losing the underlying
drama.

The play captures the contradic-
tions in the playwright himself, a
hard-drinking, self-educated
thinker and troulbemaker. Ina
review from
1960-1961, Behan was called "less
than philosopher, but more than
buffoon." In describing the Broad-
way production of "The Hostage",
the reviewer noted, "Amid the
shenanigans, there comes a sud-
den stab to the heart."

Director of the Douglas College
production, theatre instructor
Dorothy Jones says, "The play is a
comedy-drama that includes
songs. It’s a lively, boisterous
peice of entertainment."

 

wal

 

 

She adds, "Instructor Drew
Young and the students in the
stagecraft program, did a wonder-
ful job on the set design and
costumes.”

A cast of first and second year
theatre students will present
seven evening performances at 8
p.m. on March 11, 12, 15-19 and
two Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on
March 13 and 20. All performan-
ces will take place in the
Performing Arts Theatre.

Tickets are available through the
Douglas College box office, 520-
5488.

UPCOMING

EVENTS

 

Tuesday,March 8 2:00 p.m.
Student Recital FREE
Performance Theatre, Rm. 4100

Tuesday, March 8 7:00 p.m.
Lit Live presents Ernst Havemann
Short story writer from South Africa
Room 3343 FREE

Friday, March 11 to Sunday,

March 20 8:00 p.rn.

Douglas College Theatre presents
‘The Hostage’ by Brendan Behan

Gen $8, S/S $5
Performance Theatre, Rm. 4100

Tuesday, March 15 2:00 p.m.
Student Recital FREE
Performance Theatre, Rm. 4100