As we all know by now, the war in Iraq has already started. Television screens are flashing, everyone is thinking and talking and debating. Everyone has their opinion about the war. I've already stated my position and I am sticking by it and I don't feel like discussing it right now. I just hope that this war ends quickly with very few deaths. Our prayers go out to everyone involved.

On a different note I would like to post the review in the Argosy (our school newspaper) for my play "Escape from Happiness". We were all very happy and very proud of the play. It's sad to think that we'll never be going up on stage for that show again. Take care.

Happy Escapes
Hilarity and Strong Characterisation hit the Windsor Theatre

by Lindsay Bird

Escape From Happiness, the latest from Windsor Theatre this season, ran from March 12-15. Written by Canadian playwright George F. Walker, the play revolves around the trials and tribulations of one very dysfunctional family. Nora (Carol Lynch), an out-to-lunch matriarch, governs over three drastically different daughters: the hard-headed lawyer Elizabeth (Jessica Grant), the intensely neurotic Mary Ann (Ilse Kramer), and the youngest left to deal with it all, Gail (Valmai Goggin). These women and their intricate relationships play center stage as they deal with the beating of Gail's husband, the discovery of drugs in their house by the police, and the issue of Tom, the once abusive father and husband who has been reduced to a old, dying mess. While all of this seems the making for a heavy play, the result was exactly the opposite: quite possibly the most entertaining and hilarious play Windsor Theatre has staged this year.

The credit for this lies in the strong, well-rounded cast. As an ensemble piece, Escape From Happiness relies on the actors to have individual characters that are memorable when set beside the rest of the cast. Under the direction of Hope McIntyre and assistant direction of Heulwen Rankin, this need was filled if not greatly surpassed. Together they accomplished the tricky feat of having each character stand out with its own personality without dominating the others. Newcomer Jason Daley was particularly notable as criminal Rolly Moore, who has to suffer being tied up in front of the audience for all of intermission. To his credit he kept the squirming entertaining and so varied it never really got old. All three daughters were fabulous in their interplay with each other, especially during the well-choreographed fight scene. Gregory Santos also provided the character of Tom with surprising depth, making one feel pity for a man who is so undeserving.

Even more satisfying about this production than the individual moments were the overall messages. The comedic elements poked fun at the tragic realities of day to day life- the chaos that lies underneath the seeming order. All the actors portrayed their characters in terms of the giant struggle each is facing individually, to maintain order in their own worlds. As their worlds and orders are so greatly intertwined, the events of the play unfolded with a rippling emotional effects among the family. This made for an intriguing storyline on the sides--how an initial action affected each member. The daughters illustrated this in their varying emotions toward their father--Grant's Elizabeth contained a stance of non-intervention fiercely; Kramer's Mary Ann wavered on her emotional edge; and Goggin's Gail stolidly faced the realities. This led to an emotionally charged atmosphere, easily maintaining its tension throughout the entire 2-1/2 hour length of the show, even when most things longer than a commercial fail to keep my attention span. The whole evening was a great piece of theatre, with the strongest cast I have seen yet this year.