arts / 8

Local author's latest book showcases
New Westminster's rich history

» Features family stories from past century

Cheryl Minns
& Arts Editor
Marts
@theotherpress.ca

 

ew Westminster author

Evelyn Sangster Benson
celebrated her 80th birthday
at a book signing for her latest
work, A Century in a Small
Town — One Family’s Stories, at
Black Bond Books in Royal City
Centre on February 1.

At the event, Benson shared
some of the stories from her
book, which is a collection
of historical anecdotes from
multiple generations of her
family and relatives who lived
in New Westminster during the
past century.

She began by telling her
stories as a schoolteacher,
sharing with her students
the day-to-day activities and
adventures that she and her
relatives had experienced
over the years. Her students
encouraged her to turn the
stories into a book.

“I sat down and I just wrote
anecdotes, incidents, what
happened, how we shopped,

Vagabond Players deliver laughs and

: what we wore,’ she explained.

: “So the book is just little short

: anecdotes. Some of them aren't
even more than two paragraphs;
: some of them are a page anda

: half”

The book reflects on

growing up in different eras,
: including times when modern
: day technology had yet to be
: invented and the simple things
: in life were all that mattered.

“We always did family stuff

: together. We did the Sunday

: afternoon drive,” explained

: Evelyn's daughter, Janet Benson,
: as she recalled her childhood

: with her parents and four

: siblings. “We'd go to the Fraser

: River and have a picnic. We

: thought that we were so rich

: because we got to do all of these
: things.”

Janet appreciates that her

: family history is recorded and

: feels fortunate that she can

: look back on the past through

: stories and photos. She said her

: husband thinks she is lucky that
: her parents can tell her stories

: about her great-grandparents,

: because his parents and

: grandparents have passed away

: and he doesn’t know those kinds
: of stories about his family.

Evelyn encourages others

to tell their stories while they
: can so that their history can be
: preserved for future generations.

‘Just collect your stories

and then put them all together.

: Even if it’s just in your computer
: or just in a notebook, at least

: they’re preserved. Otherwise

: they’ll die with you and no one

: will ever hear the stories again.”

She has become so inspired

to write about her family’s

: history that she has more than
: 80 stories ready to tell ina

: sequel to. A Century in a Small
: Town - One Family’s Stories,

: including an adventure the

: family had when they travelled
: to Long Beach on Vancouver

: Island and got two flat tires in
: anera before credit cards were
: invented.

Information about the

: published works of Evelyn

: and her husband, Don

: Benson, can be found at www.
: westminsterpublishing.ca.

A Century in a Small Town -

: One Family’s Stories is available
: on www.amazon.com

lessons 1n ‘Alone Together

» Up-and-coming cast presents quality production

Aidan Mouellic
Staff Writer

 

here is something

uniquely special about
seeing live theatre. It has a
way of bringing communities

together to revel in the energy

of the performance, and
the latest Vagabond Players
production does just that.
For its 345th production,
the New Westminster-based
troupe is performing Alone
Together, a play written
by Lawrence Roman and
directed by Dale Kelly about
the shifting family dynamics
when children leave the
nest. The performance is
predominantly a comedy,
but there is a pleasant dra-
matic balance that makes
for a well-rounded show.

The show follows the
Butler parents, Helene
(Gemma Martini) and
George (Ross Friesen), as they
embark on their first period
of empty-nesting. Much to
the parents’ dismay though,
their boys—who are based
around the country—come
home one by one with all their
personal problems and cause
enough friction to lighta fire.

The performance from
each actor was admirable
throughout the show. Ryan J.
Johnson, who plays Michael
Butler, the oldest and most
moronic son in the family,
delivers a constant flow of
comedic gems. Johnson’s role
in the production is by far the
highlight of Alone Together
as he consistently delivered
a hilarious balance to the
often serious tone the onstage
parents were displaying.

Kelly, the director for
Alone Together, is also in
charge of set design and
decoration for the production
and has done a remarkable job.
The set is well-put together for
a production company witha
modest budget and the design
and decoration look profes-
sional. This high-class look is
partly due to the artwork on
set that was loaned by New
Westminster resident and
artist, Richard Armstrong. I
often found myself admiring
Armstrong’s pieces through-
out the performance, which
are as bright and colourful as
the actors themselves. Aside
from the set design, the sound
design done by Coleen Bignell
was phenomenal. The accom-
panying music for the play
seemed to have been pulled
from my personal playlists.

This was my first time

eye tian Tul yr

theotherpress.ca

 

an 2

Don Bensen, Evelyn Sangster Bensen, and Janet Bensen celebrate

Evelyn's 80th birthday at her book signing at Black Bond Books
By Cheryl Minns

taking ina showat the Bernie
Legge Theatre—I’ve lived
blocks away for over a decade,
yet for some reason never got
to one of their productions.
I’m glad I finally made my
way to this secluded gem

in Queen’s Park. It is the
perfect venue: intimate,
while still providing ample
stage space for the actors

to animate the show.

Though I very much
enjoyed the show, there was
one part that I feel could have
been done differently: not too
long into the show, the char-
acter of Michael Butler goes
offstage to engage ina science
experiment that results in
an explosion. The simulated
explosion released an odour of
baking soda and vinegar mix
that was quite strong for those
in the front row (including
myself) and didn’t clear up

until around intermission.
Asa whole, Alone Together
delivers an excellent and
funny portrayal ofa couple’s
attempt at emptying their
house of overbearing children.
The show is aimed at a more
mature audience, but younger
viewers can appreciate the
message of the play as well.
The Vagabond Players
present Alone Together at New
Westminster’s Bernie Legge
Theatre in Queen’s Park until
February 22. Tickets are $15,
or $13 for students and seniors,
and can be purchased at the
door, cash only. Reservations
can be made at 604-521-0412
or by emailing reservations@
vagabondplayers.ca. For
more information, visit
www.vagabondplayers.ca