Ten Lost Years fall production in

Studio Theatre

he Depression years, also

known as the Dirty Thirties,

marked a bleak period in
Canadian history.

But the political and social issues
surrounding the Depression also represent
an important part of our heritage, says
Cheryl Matheson, director of Ten Lost
Years, the autumn Studio Theatre
production at Douglas College.

“T chose it because the Depression is
an important part of Canadian history, a
part that many people don’t know about,
especially today’s youth,” says Matheson,
who teaches in the College’s theatre
program. “TI also think it’s important to
acknowledge that people who are living
today can tell us about the Depression and
what it was like. There’s still a direct
link, but in twenty years there won't be.”

This production of Ten Lost Years is a
play with music, based on the book by
Barry Broadfoot, with a script compiled
by Matheson and local director and acting
coach Scott Swan. It’s a compilation of
memories of Canadians who survived the
Depressions. The stories are both comical
and serious. Many are poignant and
moving tales of poverty, fear, and dreams
that died along with the crops in the
Prairie dustbowl.

“We started the rehearsal process with
sharing stories from self. By observing
how we tell our own stories, we hope to
transfer those qualities to the stories from
the script,” says Matheson.

The production will contain music
trom that decade and stories from the
Broadfoot’s book. The musical director is
Bill Costin, who also provides live on-
stage piano accompaniment. Guitar,
harmonica and possibly washboard
accompaniment will be handled by the
student actors.

However, it’s the spoken word which
offers the young cast its greatest
challenge, says Matheson. “These stories
are memories of Canadians who lived

through and survived the Depression, but
because the format is monologue, it’s very
challenging for the students. They have
to find the truth behind the story and the
character telling it.”

Ten Lost Years runs from November
3-11 in the College’s Studio Theatre. Call
527-5488 for showtimes and ticket
reservations.|

Non-native
species threat
to province’s
ecosystems

Exotic species are a growing
component of the biodiversity of B.C.,
but plants and insects introduced from
abroad can become serious problems
because they lack natural enemies. Most
serious agricultural insect pests in B.C.
are non-indigenous. Join Judy Myers,
UBC professor of Plant Science and
Zoology as she discusses these topics on
Thursday, October 12. It’s part of
Douglas College’s Environmental
Sciences in Action speakers series. The
talk is called Dealing with Invaders:
Biological Control of Insects and Weeds.
It begins at 7pm in Room 2203.
Admission is free. Call 527-5237 for
more information.

 

 

Just hanging out...

 

This little brown bat was hanging
around outside the office of the Institute
of Urban Ecology. It was sleeping off a
hard night of catching the hundreds of
mosquitos and other insects it eats
every evening. The little brown bat is a
common urban dweller usually found
near wooded areas and ponds; Val
Schaefer of the Institute of Urban
Ecology figures that this animal may
have been feeding at the courthouse
fountain adjacent to the College
because it returned several days ina
row. Many people enjoyed its company
during coffee and smoke breaks outside
the exit to the Victoria Centre. The
Institute of Urban Ecology is working to
create better links between green spaces
in urban areas, and may soon be
involved in an environmental study for
the City of New Westminster.