CDS hit the mark twice
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from July 1989.
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A hearty round of applause is extended to The Cayman Drama Society for the opening night of their "Two Plus Food" dinner theatre, Friday, 21 July at Victory Theatre.
The relaxed, friendly atmosphere of the theatre make it a nice place to dine and be entertained.
The opening of the first one act play, "The Lesson," written by Eugene Ionesco, introduced the audience to a jittery, irrational professor, a naive, disgustingly polite student, and a protective, justifiably concerned maid.
The Professor, Cliff Fix, dressed in old-fashioned clothes and sporting an unruly beard, appeared to be dreadfully demanding, yet quite unsure of himself when conducting his session with his student, Yvonne Warwick.
Warwick, who occasionally over-played the role of an admiring student, appeared to be comfortable on stage, but somewhat "stiff" in her actions. Her character, a zealous, but highly naive preparatory school student, captured the essence of a young girl struggling to please, but failing miserably. Her use of "Yes sir, no sir, whatever you say sir," rang out in every sentence she uttered.
Some explosive dialogue is exchanged between Fix and Warwick, especially near the climatic end of the play. Their characters initially seem to bring out the best in each other, but end up bringing out the worst.
Although her part is small in comparison, Penny Phillip's role as the maid stirs up uneasy thoughts in the mind of the audience. A stern and stately character, she is able to bring a feeling of impending doom into the play.
Congratulations to Director Bill Bazelmans and Stage Manager Peter Phillips.
The second play, "See If I Care," written by Cherry Vooght, opens with the song "Old Friends," as two older women totter across the stage to a park bench. FayAnne DeFreitas and Hilda Bodden play two older women, living out the remainder of their lives in a retirement home, somewhere in England.
As the play opens, an informal conversation is being carried on between the first woman, played by DeFreitas, who frequently talks about her daughter and grandchildren and the second woman, played by Bodden.
One can quickly surmise that the first woman is the more outspoken and "worldly" of the two, when contrasted with the second woman. Playing a critical, authoratative pessimist puts DeFreitas in a demanding role; however, she handles the challenge remarkably.
Bodden also demonstrates a great deal of talent by playing a defensive, overly sensitive "side-kick" to the overpowering personality of DeFreitas' character. Her meek temperament and shallow thinking made her an easy target for the unrelentless tongue-lashing of DeFreitas, the first woman.
While talking and enjoying their outing, the women are often interrupted by other people walking through the park.
Yvonne Warwick makes another appearance as a young girl, who Bodden quickly refers to as "one of those punkers." Initially, her outlandish makeup and costume make the two women wary, but they begin making conversation with her as she waits for a friend.
The two women conspicuously guard their bench from an old woman and a young mother, both played by Lisa Culbert, who happen to venture by. The possessive feeling towards "their spot" is humorously portrayed as both women slide up-and-down the bench to discourage an intruder.
The arrival of the daughter, played by Ann Duncan, is a turning point in the action. The "icy" reception the first woman has with her daughter bears no resemblance to the loving relationship she presents earlier in the play.
The reality of her situation becomes known during this scene and a bond is strengthened between DeFreitas' character and Bodden's character. Although this play would not appeal to "action-packed" playgoers, "See If I Care" shows a side of life we all need to face someday: the process of growing older. In view of this, this one act presentation has something we can all enjoy and ultimately relate to.
Again, congratuations to first-time Director Valerie Cottier and Stage Manager Peter Phillips.
