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Page 16, WNhy Free Press, Wednesday. March 10. 1993 ]Bv Lucie Rochette Whitby's Ken Bond bas written a new musical play for cildren. 'Gusto,' to be presented by tbe Durham .Shnestrîng Performers in April, bas elements of comedy dramfa, mystery, miusic anc1 puppetry. Uft is certainly intended for a younger audience, but there are. KEN BOND (left), who wrote and is directing 'Gusto,' and musical director Caroai McGrath (at piano), are shown with Rae Gibson (who aspects of it that parents will enoy," says Bond. Te plot revolves around a 12- year-old bo y witb an unusual name: Gus Toe, played by Tyler plays Babette) and Travis Biokie (Leech) during rehearsal. Photo by Peter Tombttn, Whitby Free Press Uprichard. Gus bas a lot of enerpy and entbusiasm, wbich explains bis uniqu 'e name. In the story, Gus receives pup- pets from bis parents, Joe and FIe Toe, played by Steve Farrell and Lianne Hennick. «Vie certainly bad fun watcb- ing them. They developed a nice working relationship witb Flo and Joe," says Bond. The puppets were created by a mysterious old man, played by Bryan Stanisb. "Bryan brought olements to the character that were wonder- fuI " Bond says. ôus and the puppets go tbrough a lot together as tbe puppots help him tbrougb some tougb times. Travis Bickle, Keitb Fleming, Rae Gibson, Kevin Harper and Stephanie Jeronimo play the pppets. lepuppets as a group are working witb encb other, and subsequently with Gus very well," says Bond. "They are four different characters mesbing extremely woll ." Bond also says tbat Upri- cbard's voico is fabulous. Uprichard, Jeronimo and Ren- nick are newcomers to the stage as well as to the Durham Sboe- string Performers. Bond started writing this play in December, 1990. "We bad a lot of fun witb the procesa of writing," ho says. Ho wrote the I rics to tbe songs, and Carol MGratb wrote the music. A read-tbrougb of the script was done earîier, to get audience feedback. ............... Capture The Spirit 0f Whitby Sizes S, M, L, XL. Suitable for aduits and youtJh -Washablo polyester - cotton fleece - Great assortment of colours, med, royal, navy, black, charcoal, pink & many more. - Made in Canada MERCANTILE TM QUALITY BRAND NAME LADIES' & MENS FASHIONS 321 Brock St. S., Whitby (No Frilis Plaza) 668-3468 P~~~ .............. $1 ¼ Y b Reiular Prce I For McGrath, most recently the musical director for the Whitby Courthouse Tbeatre's production of 'The Wizard of Oz,' Gusto' marked the firat time she has written original music for a fuil-scale production. Bond first gave her the script for 'Gusto' in the summer of 1991, and she bas since worked on nino songs for the 70-minute production. "I seem to know what it is he wants,» says McGrath of Bond's work. "We discussed the songs and we discussed the types of things ho wanted: 'Make it pepp , make it menacing, that sort otýthing," she says of their "fun" working relationsbip as the play develo- ped. «Wben the show's over, Ken and I will sit down and say "What do we have to fix?" McGrath, an instrumental music teacher at Cartwright school for three years, says start- ing from scratch on the play's music bas been "more nerve- wracking» than working on* an establisbed production. And she admits that wbile sbe's mostly satisfied with wbat's she's corne up witb for 'Gusto,' there are otber elements of ber work sbe's not entirely happy with and that she might do differently. But tbe process bas made ber anxious to do it ail again. Gusto will be presented on April 2 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 3, 4 and 10 at 2 p .m. at the Arts Hesource Centre bebind tbe Oshawa City Hall. Tickets are $6 each, and tbey are available at Walter's Music Centres, Oshawa Centre and In- formation Oshawa, City Hall Complex. mil bW