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PAGE 18 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1994 WCI production of Animal Farm a first for NWaterloo region By Deborah Crandall eorge Orwell‘s Animal Farm may have been written close to 50 years ago, but its comâ€" ments on revolution are as relevant today as ever they were. That‘s what students at Waterloo collegiate insti tute are finding as they prepare to present the musical stage version of Orwell‘s classic. "It hasn‘t been hard to find things going on all over the world on a daily basis for the students to connect (Animal Farm) with," says WCI teacher / Animal Farm director Wait Brooker. "To be honest, | don‘t know what‘s happening in their heads, but | think they‘re a pretty sophist+ cated bunch. And maybe if we can use this vehicle to stretch, then that‘s important to us. So much of history is about revolution, and so we picked Anâ€" mai Farm because it has a story that matters." A matinee performance of WCI‘s production of Animal Farm is being presented Feb. 24, and, as part of program curriculum, secondary school stuâ€" dents from throughout the Region have heen invited to attend. Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945, and an ani mated film version of the story was subsequently released. But it wasn‘t until the mid 1980s that a musical stage version was produced and presented in New York City. The stage adaptation is by Peter Hall, with lyrics by Adrian Mitchell and music by from 5:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday and Thu mornings at 8:22, Waterloo Chronicle reporter Deborah Crandall joins Gaprge afid Val for a look at local entertainment. a with 96.7 CHYM FM‘s new morning show, featuring QHZ@ @pg George Michaels and Valerie Cole, Monday to Friday Richard Peaslee. As far as Brooker knows, the stage version of Animal Farm has never been produced locally, and so in presenting it, the school could offer the comâ€" "We wanted to do a piece that wasn‘t just Broad way fluff," says Brooker of his and coâ€"director Rick Bond‘s decision to stage Animal Farm. "And this is not a typical Broadway show, although it ran in New York and in London very sucâ€" cessfully. it was an Orwell production done in 1984 to mark that year." Brooker also liked the idea that the play is an ensemble piece that features several important parts, offering many students the opportunity to perform. . Students from Grades 9 through 13 are involved in the production, with 32 in the cast, 10 in the orchestra, three working on costumes, and another dozen working on sets and backstage. The animal masks worn on stage by the cast have been designed and crafted by Waterloo colleâ€" giate art teacher Henni Klaassen, with help from her students. Animal Farm will be presented at the Waterloo collegiate institute auditorium, Feb. 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for students and $3 for children, and can be reserved by calling the school box office at 884â€"9590. All seating is Rudi Vanderwaal can‘t remember what he did durâ€" ing the war. Others can‘t forget. _ _ _ This is the situation brought vividly to life in Refuge of Lies, which Theatre & Company presents at its Water Street Theatre next week. This world premiere byâ€"Vancouver playwright Ron Reed is the story of Rudi Vanderwaal, a quietlyâ€"retired Canadian who is dragged into controversy when he is suddenly accused of Nazi war crimes.in his former country. "When Ron Reed brought me the oneâ€"act version of Refuge for some comments, | immediately asked him if he could make it into a fulHength piece and give us the honor of premiering the work," says Theatre & Company artistic director Stuart Scadronâ€"Wattles. "The piece is set in a Mennonite congregation and it concerns someone who may have been a Nazi collabâ€" orator. it explores the pursuit of justice and the nature of evil in those contexts. In manyâ€"ways, it reflects a great deal of what the Waterloo Region struggles with as we reflect upon the meaning of Gerâ€" man heritage. After all, it wasn‘t so long ago that the city we currently call Kitchener was known as Berlin." The role of Vanderwaal will be played by Ted Folâ€" lows, a veteran Canadian actor who is a fomdi:‘g member of Canadian theatre companies from Halifax to Vancouver. He has played eight seasons at the Stratford Festival, and his recent credits included the roles of Roy Cavanaugh in Sinners, Uncle Willie in Philadelphia, and Jack Stater in Warm Wind in China at the Grand in London. His numerous television and film roles have included such Canadian and U.S. series/movies as JFK: Reckâ€" less Youth, E.N.G., Shari Carney, and War of the Worlds. And, he‘s the father of Megan Porter Folâ€" lows, whose role in Anne of Green Gables brought her international fame. Refuge of Lies opens at the Water Street Theatre Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. and runs Thursdays through Saturâ€" days through March 19. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12.50 for students/seniors. Also, Theatre & Company is holding a special benefit preview of the play and a reception in support of Habiâ€" tat for Humanity, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. All seats are _ $30, and must be reserved in advance. A tax receipt for the full ticket price will be issued by Habitat for Humanity. For information about the benefit only, call the Theâ€" atre & Company administration office at 571â€"7080. To reserve tickets to regular performances, call the theatre box office at 571â€"0928. to star in controversial Theatre & Co. Ted Follows premiere "Continuous Favourites of the 70‘, 80‘s and Today" corchynftm Gotub I