Finding yourself

Gin the arms of others)
An interview with Allan Lysell on ‘Goodnight

Desdemona’

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

has magically transformed

into March. As the weather
struggles to sort itself out, so must
we as exams and final projects
really are just on the horizon. But
before we can see that shining
light at the end of the tunnel,
Douglas’ departments of Theatre
and Stagecraft & Event Technology
must pave the way with their
annual semester-end performances.
The first of these shows, Goodnight
Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)
will be premiering this Friday
(details below). In anticipation of
this Douglas College adaptation,
director Allan Lysell shares a few
words with us on what to expect.

[: the blink of an eye, January

What drew you to Goodnight
Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet?
Allan Lysell: This play has been

on my radar for many years. It has
all the elements of storytelling that
I enjoy: comedy (both high and
low), action ([fighting sequences]),
great language (Shakespeare’s and
[writer] Ann-Marie MacDonald’s),
and a call to action that is hidden in
a happy ending.

There is a sense of having
enjoyed a good story coupled with
a reminder that the social changes
the play encourages (including
gender equality and aspects of the
feminist movement) are on-going
issues that may seem to have
been achieved, but which require
constant attention.

What is Goodnight Desdemona
about?
AL: Goodnight [Desdemona] is
the comedic story of a modern
university academic [named]
Constance who finds a new
awareness of her “true” self
through the dreamlike experiences
of two Shakespeare plays (Othello
and Romeo & Juliet).

Good comedy is life affirming
and laughter making. Laughter
is good for us, [whether it’s]
generated by slapstick, parody,
satire, puns, or language. Goodnight
Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)
has all of this plus swordfights
and some pretty bawdy action and
language.

6

How has the cast taken to doing a
Shakespeare-homage?

AL: The cast has dived in with
great gusto and commitment.
Good scripts that offer such
terrific language and multiple
opportunities for stretching
yourself as an actor are welcomed
by the students.

There’s a lot that occurs in
Goodnight Desdemona; what's the
central theme behind all of it?
AL: For this production, we

have focused on the theme of the
importance of self-knowledge to
create a happy life. The central
image is nicely manifested in

the set, which is a huge stack of
metaphorical books (knowledge)
on which the central character
experiences and discovers the key
elements of her own personality—
her true self.

So what can we expect to see in
this rendition?

AL: The play is a product of the
“80s and, as such, some of the
social issues and cultural norms
have shifted. A new audience
coming to an older play needs to
allow their imagination to work

a little more. It is like watching a
British period drama (like Downton
Abbey) and [accepting] what, to
the modern audience, seem to be
slightly ridiculous customs and
beliefs in order to fully participate
in the character’s stories. It will be
fun to see some of the “80s mixed
with Shakespeare’s Cyprus and
Verona and all tied together in a
thoroughly modern way.

[In the end, the audience] may
carry away some quiet thoughts
about how the search for your
true self is a rewarding activity no
matter what the challenges are. [Of
course,] coming away with a smile
on your face will be okay too!

What: Goodnight Desdemona
(Good Morning Juliet)

Where: Douglas College Studio
Theatre, Room 4140, New West
campus

When: Friday March 9-Saturday
March 17

Cost: $12 General ($8 Students and
Seniors)

 

Race (and trick) down the
mountains of solitude

1

   

By Cody Klyne, Editor in chief

FAPAERES

ow pow. Blue bird. Pargnar.
P= those words sound as

foreign to you as the idea
of strapping a board to your feet
and flying down a mountain
at breakneck speeds? Well you
needn't look further than EA
Canada’s latest entry in their long
running SSX snowboarding series
for a crash course in jargon and
over-the-top mountain sports
insanity.

It’s been 12 years since the
first SSX shredded its way into
the hearts and minds of wannabe
extreme sports stars. Now in 2012,
the SSX of today has taken what
worked back then, blown the dust
and cobwebs off, and wrapped it
up ina shiny new package. Simply
put: EA have another rebooted-

franchise success story on their
hands.

There are a handful of minor
bumps and glitches that cause
moments of frustration—like
getting stuck in geometry or tossed
sky-high only to land somewhere
off course—that interrupt your
otherwise poetic descent down
any one of numerous beautifully
rendered snowy locals. One feature
in particular (or rather lack thereof)
has left this reviewer idly thumbing
a digital buckle or frivolous strap in
disappointment: multiplayer. While
the presence of an in-depth and
intuitive online leaderboard system
mimics the competitive spirit of
true multiplayer, facing off against
another player’s best recorded
“ghost” runs just doesn’t satisfy in
the same way as skunking someone
in real time.

Fast-paced, ridiculous, and
rhythmic, SSX is back just in
time to icecap off this console
generation’s last gasp. So strap on
your boots dear reader, because it’s
time to get tricky.

 

Poetic Paks e:

Quay
By Stephanie Toth, Contributor

No rain and this place feels too dry;
Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt,
it breeds desire.

Traffic gives the air a thick nap,
Like a corkboard for the day to be
posted.

And suddenly, the cacophony of
the docks

a scraping, winding, grinding

The ever-reverberating breath of
the airplanes overhead.

The sun, sitting somewhere south
of here, it’s sunny

somewhere, but not here.

The distant meeping, screeching of
tow trucks

somewhere, backing up.

A snagged flag, catching the wind
like a sock
caught on the pole it hangs from.

I dedicated this place to the space
created

when I told you it was overt,

and haven’t had a reason to visit
since.

A shift of waves, from
somewhere.

You don’t realize how fast the river
is moving

until you watch something caught
in it.