The /Would-be-Gentleman

Once again Dorothy Jones’ Theatre
students are putting on a play. This

semester, Dorothy has chosen a
French farce by Moliere, The Would-
Be Gentleman. This production has
been making audiences laugh since
the Seventeeth century and still, as
with all good comedy, is full of
hilarity. The play feature elaborate
period costumes designed by Ad-
rianne Moreau, a set designed by
Drew Young, and a cast of both first
and second year students.

The most important thing about this
production is the way it was brought
the students together. We are often
called ‘‘one big happy family’’, and
although we may not always be
happy, we are like family. The bonds
we form with each other are very
important because they allow us to
trust one another and to set aside our
personality conflicts in order to get
the show finished.

Irregardless of what job we aredoing

on this show, it is a vital part ot the
final product the audience sees. What
the audience doesn’t see are the long
hours of construction work, costume
work, and direction work that goes on
before the show ever reaches the
stage. For every minute an actor
spends on stage there are ten people
who spent ten hours working back-
stage.

Parents, friends and lovers. often
ask theatre students the same ques-

tion over and over again, ‘‘Why do
you do it?’’ Why is it when faced with
eight weeks of demanding, time con-
suming, physical and mental work,
theatre students set aside their per-
sonal committments in favour of the
play?

Call it crazy, call it selfish, call it
what you will, but we call it theatre
and it is an art. Each person in the
programme has their own rationalle
for what they are doing.

| presented the students with this
question, ‘‘It’s four a.m. You’ve been
here for days, why do you do it2’’
These are the responses | was given:

Rob - (actor) ‘Because success is
nothing unless you have someone you
love to share it with.’’

Paul - (Technical director) ‘’Years
ago my father was killed when a pair
of scissors fell from a catwalk and |
vowed to dedicate my life to theatre. ’’

Jan - (Stage manager) ‘‘It’s spirit-
ually uplifting; my spirit is high on
coffee but the rest of me is dead.’’

Karen - (set crew) ‘‘For the involve-
ment.’’

Susan - (actress, set crew) ‘‘It’s
self-satisfying.’’

Sandra - (props mistress) ‘‘I need
it, | love it, I’m incomplete without
te

Kim - (actress, set crew) ‘’Some
unexplainable force draws me _ here
and | have to be busy and | have to be
involved. And | think that’s the truth.

| see no other reason.’

Anna-Marie - (publicity) ‘‘For the
love and friendship that come out o
the people | work with.’

Glenn - (actor, technical director)
“Yes!”

Randy - (actor, set crew) ‘‘Cause |
couldn’t afford to buy beer tonight.’’

Dean - (actor, set crew) ‘‘Love of
theatre.’’ ;

Dan - (actor, set crew) ‘‘Because if |
don’t I’m, uh, scared Jan will get mad
at me.”’

Nancy - (assistant stage manager)
“Because they tell me to.’’

 

Caroline (actress, set crew) ‘‘I love
theatre because |’m my best under
pressure in the wierd hours of the
day.’’

Beveriy - (head carpenter) ‘‘Be-
cause | don’t know what else to do
with myself, part of me says it must
done. Because theatre is not a profes-
sion, it’s a religion; it’s not just art,
it’s a way of life.’’

However dissimilar we are as indiv-
iduals, there is one thing we are all
sure of —we are in theatre because it
satisfies us in a way nothing else can.
No matter how much we complain
about the long hours, the impossible
work load, and even more impossible
co-workers, none of us would give it
up, none of us would exist without it.

As important as theatre is to us, it
cannot function without you, the aud ®
ience. We will do anything for you,
we will laugh, ay, sing, dance, all in
the name of art. It is you the audience
that makes us takes chances and it
costs us every time we step on stage.
We want you to love us—we are
shattered when you hate us—but we
need you. And needing you is what
makes us wierd, wacky, laughable,
lamentable, and endearingly human.

Now, | challenge you students of
Douglas College, | dare you, having
read all that we’ve done for you, come
and see The Would-Be Gentleman.
After all, however much we are of
ourselves, we belong to you.