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Show Ghost gives giggles in Canterville storv By Ed Ditterline Entertainment Editor When you buy an old mansion jn England which is haunted by a 300 year-old ghost who would be afraid of his own shadow (if he had one), you definitely have problems ... the audience just might die laughing! "The Canterville Ghost," a dramatization of Oscar Wilde's short story by Darwin Reid Payne, which opened Thursday night at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, produced primarily for children, deserves much more attention. The funny antics of Wayne Wilson, as Sir Simon the sissy ghost should definitely be seen. This ghost has to be full of more neuroses and quirks than any ghost who has ever haunted! Wilson gives the role a grand and funny finesse which captures the "old rascal" perfectly. The limpy-legged limey Lord Canterville, played well by Chip Healy, has sold the old Canterville mansion to Mr. and Mrs. Hirium Otis and their three daughters. Lord Canterville, who is driven to distraction by the twin daughters, quickly turns over the deed to the mansion, warning its new inhabitants that the old barn is haunted. When the family first moves in, Mrs. Otis (Mrs. Use Perl) notices a brown stain on the floor and she is told by Mrs. Umney (Mrs. Mary Nielson) that the stain is the blood of Sir Simon's dead wife which couldn't be scrubbed up. Well, the twins, assured that Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover would do the job, manage successfully to clean up (.he mess. Later, Sir J Simon gets the scare of his ghostly life when he sees that the stain is gone. Assuring Virginia (Angela 1 homas) that the tourists must see the stain, he paints it on the floor again in green paint. (He didn't have anything else!) Virginia goes through a wall with Sir Simon to help him find his dead wife and apologizes for hitting her over the head with his sword (It didn't kill her she has a hard head, you know). Sir Simon's wife had actually died from falling down the stairs after she had taken the sword away from her chicken-livered husband.) Virginia goes on the mission to help break the curse of Canterville Hall which says that if some brave girl accomplishes some brave deed that she will help the old knight sleep in his grave. (In other words the poor ghost won't have to haunt anymore.) The entire production was well staged and all characters performed expertly. Mary Nielson, as Mrs. Umney played the funniest flabbergasting maid seen on the PMT stage for some time. Her scurrying and swooping, her fainting and her hilarious encounter with 'arry the 'eadless 'orseman kept everyone (and in particular the kids) laughing. Use Perl, who played Mrs. Otis superbly changed somewhat miraculously from her role as the playright of "Diamond" to a mother in a children's theatre production. The play will run March 7 at 4:15 and 7:30 p.m., and March 8 at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on the Pioneer Memorial main stage. |