We’ve had a local theatre group in our town for five years.
In that time, I’ve played a not very nice rich lady, a French maid complete with black uniform and fishnet stockings, something which to this day my daughters shudder about (“no child should have to see their mother in fishnet stockings,” they tell me.) I’ve been somebody’s mother (sweet disposition and dressed like the Queen Mum, which my kids say was definitely not type casting) and a little old lady from Pasadena with a battery-run hat that flashed.
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This year I was a retired spy, trench coat, fedora and all, which when you think about it, isn’t a bad role for a journalist, albeit one who still has a few good working years ahead.
Acting is not easy work. It’s darn hard, as a matter of fact.
You have to keep your mind on your lines and on the action and on your cues and, with a company like ours, you have to be on constant alert for ad libbed lines.
Having half a dozen pages when you aren’t on stage can be a relief.
During one such break last week, I found myself relating the buffoon Sheriff Flevus and his deputy, Cletus, to prime minister ChrŽtien and federal ag minister Vanclief.
The two appear to be consummate actors, the prime minister especially.
Ask yourself: Is the real prime minister the one who in Ottawa last October insulted two prairie premiers, sent a planeload of farmers home depressed and, in the House of Commons, wouldn’t let Liberal backbenchers give a standing ovation to farm group members?
Or, is the real prime minister the one who announced a farm aid package (sorry, transportation support payment) last week and said that farmers are part of the Canadian family and the backbone of the nation?
Acting is sure hard work, and one of those prime ministers was acting. It would be nice to know which one.
As for the package, it isn’t all that anyone on the receiving end wanted. There was resignation rather than jubilation among farmers. Some money is better than none but, in this case, not much.
Some people have expressed surprise that the Saskatchewan Party is saying nice things about the federal payout.
In politics and in acting, much is illusion. The trick is to be able to separate fact from fancy.
If farmers are confused, they can be forgiven.
The prime minister has done an about face, and the ag minister, who said there would be no money, now says there will be no more money.
Consummate actors? I think so.
