'The Stillborn Lover'
of deception: regrets.
Cargle struggles manfully to give
born Lover, which opened De-
troit Repertory Theatre's 39th meaning to the life of a career diplo-
season, is about the circles of de- mat who has a secret. He's impres-
sive. In fact, he is amazingly
ceit in our lives, in the words of one
vulnerable, at every oppor-
of the principal characters:
tunity letting his feelings
"how to hide out in the open."
THEATER
out on a leash for a walk-
Harry Raymond (Council
about.
Less, somehow, the
Cargle) and his wife Marian
(Barbara Busby) have just returned diplomat than one might expect of
from Russia, where he has served an ambassador.
Findley has written a fine char-
as ambassador from Canada. It is
acter
part in the role of Juliet. Her
Ottawa in 1972. In the serene set-
ting of an isolated "safe house," his prattle and iron resolve, sheathed
friend Mike and wife Juliet (Hollis in satin, seem precisely right, and
Huston and Dorry Peltyn) meet Peltyn was accurate in nailing the
character's atti-
tude. Neatly, too,
Findley has writ-
ten Marian's role.
In the early
stages of Alz-
heimer's disease,
could she also be
acting to defuse
herself as a wit-
ness against her
husband? This is
accomplished
gracefully by
Busby. The hap-
less daughter role
was handled as
sensibly as possi-
ble by Chillis. In
scenes with her
father, Findley's
writing lets her
down, her gripes
seem churlish.
Two deft char-
acterizations are
turned in by
Schultz as the
RCMP interroga-
Barbara Busby, Natalie Chillis and Dorry Pelton in Stillborn Lover,
tor and John
at the Detroit Repertory Theatre.
Biedenbach as
them; Mike is to become prime min- the jock agent. Schultz achieves in-
ister. And throw his friend Harry to solence wrapped in formality and
the wolves. oily menace.
The director, Patricia Ansuini,
The Raymonds' divorced attor-
ney daughter, Diana (Natalie A. has caught and revealed the char-
Chillis), and two Royal Canadian acters, but has she allowed them to
Mounted Police (RCMP) agent- go too far into the emotional con-
types are also on hand (Ray Schultz tent, blunting Findley's satiric edge?
and John - Biedenbach). I'm not sure.
The physical production was
In the two acts and some 48
hours in time in the lives of the cen- clumsy. levels of platforms, cramped
tral characters, Harry and Mari- and unyielding, no way for actors to
an come apart and the unfurling make an honorable exit without
circles of secrets, deceit and ma- veering around platforms or brush-
nipulation for political ends are in- ing curtains. This is, after all, a safe
tertwined. They twist, like a house and should be, ironically,
hangman's noose, around Harry's comforting rather than discomfit-
neck. ing. The set design was by Richard
Like LeCarre, Findley sees the Smith and Bruce Milan; Kenneth
CD
inner
circle of politics and ambition R. Hewitt Jr. made good use of light
CC
LLJ as a circle in Dante's Inferno. Find- and B.J. Essen's costumes, not nec-
C:1 ley's glass, though, is not quite as essarily right for the period, were
w dark; it's more personal. The play generally relevant for each charac-
1-- shutters up irony and goes for ter.
heartstrings, a wistful acceptance
J E WI S H N E W S
'othy Findley's play The Still-
Tim
Michael H. Margolin writes about the
00 arts.
— Michael H. Margolin
'Twelfth Night; Or What You Will'
Rated PG
ebastian and his twin sis-
ter Viola are involved in a
shipwreck and find them-
selves washed to different
shores, each believing the oth-
er to be dead. While grieving
for her brother, Viola decides
to make the most of her cir-
cumstances and disguises her-
self as a man and becomes the
page of Orsino, the handsome
Duke of her new fated home.
Viola is quickly entrusted
and put to work by the Duke
to act as messenger and woo
for him his one desire: the
beautiful lady Olivia. Quite
convincing as a young man, Vi- Viola (Imogen Stubbs) and Olivia (Helena Bonham Carter) in Twelfth Night,
ola soon attracts the desires of directed by Trevor Nunn
Olivia himself, or herself, and formance as the roving min- tury in which we have all sup-
in the meantime falls in love strel of Illyria, the "Fool," posedly been jaded, desensi-
with her employer, the Duke. proves just as fascinating to tized and left with an attention
Quite a pickle, yes. But rest as- watch — if not more so — as span no longer than the aver-
sured, all's well that ends well. any of his more "serious" work age sitcom. Just this past year,
Twelfth Night features a (Schindler's List, Gandhi). Un- there have been at least four
small group of eminent acting der the guise of entertainment, films based on Shakespeare's
talents, many of whom aren't his melancholy songs invite the plays, all keeping their origi-
especially known for their audience and the players to nal Elizabethan dialogue.
comedic roles. Helena Bonham question the wisdom of all in-
Twelfth Night; or What You
Carter (Howard's End and A
Will, the latest of these lan-
volved.
Room With A View) does
Equally potent is guage-faithful adaptations,
a great job as the frus-
Nigel Hawthorne was written for the screen and
MOVIES
tratingly smitten
(The Madness Of King directed by Trevor Nunn, a vet-
Olivia, and Imogen
who covers the most eran of period and Shake-
George),
Stubbs, last seen in Scnse and emotional territory in the film spearean films that include
Sensibility, entrances the au- as the pretentious and be- Macbeth, Comedy of Errors
dience with her dual roles of trayed Malvolio, steward to and the historical biography
Viola and her masculine alias
Lady Jane. Nunn has achieved
Cesario. Richard E. Grant Olivia.
Judging by the number of a fun and finely made film by
(Withnail and I, The Player) recent films taken from 100- to trusting his audience, trusting
also plays a typically fine yet 400-year- old material (i.e. the story and presenting it
unrecognized supporting role Jane Austen, William Shake- through some truly wonderful
as Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
speare), and considering that acting.
Ben Kingsley's mighty per-
many of these have been mon-
*. 1/2
® c_)Q!)
ey-making hits, the canon
Jeffrey Heimann is former
seems to be living up to its
editor of Film Threat, an
—Jeffrey Hermann
timeless reputation in a cen-
LA-based film magazine.
'The Great Chefs Of America Cook Kosher'
binder-style spiral volume, proceeds benefit the
Jewish National Fund, say editors Idee Ger-
man Schoenheimer and Ruth Madoff.
Essentially, the chefs have accomplished
ook out home chefs. There's a new cookbook
what
clever home cooks have been doing all
that takes kosher cooking to fresh epicure-
along: creating and recreating great nonkosher
an heights. The Great Chefs of America Cook
osher boasts over 175 stimulating recipes recipes and adapting them to work within
from such culinary meccas as Al Forno, Mesa kashrut parameters.
Interestingly, most of the recipes have an in-
Grill, Four Seasons, Frontera, Vivande and
ternational flavor, with a significant slant
Spago. Its enticing and salubrious selec-
toward the Mediterranean. It's a re-
tions include everything from Pasta-
freshing change from the traditional
BOOKS
Crusted Salmon with Roast Vegetable
Eastern
European fare many have as-
Sauce and Griddled Shallot Croutons to
Jicama, Mango and Watercress Salad with Pan- sociated with kosher food. Perhaps it's because
many of the 52 chefs — a mini who's who in the
Roasted Cumin.
culinary world — are not biased in their think-
If that's not reason enough to dive into the
ing regarding Jewish cuisine. In fact, many of
Annabel Cohen is a food writer and former
the recipes are reprinted from the restaurants'
Edited by Idee Schoenheimer and Ruth Mad-
off ($36, Jewish National Fund)
caterer.
own cookbooks.