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-- 22 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 13, 1988 -JOHN FOOTE- To say that John Foote loves the theatre would be an under- statelnent. Love it too weak a word. John is obsessed with drama and the stage. When he was younger, he had the same kind of obsession with rts, however, problems with his knees curtailed his athletic en- deavours. It was then that he came under the influence of drama teacher Diane Lackie at Port Perry High School. Mrs. Lackie has influenced so many young people in this com- munity to have a love for acting and the stage. In John Foote, the seed was planted, and it has matured to the point where drama is his life and he will spend hours on end dis- cussing theatre and film produc- tions. Theatre-goers in Port Perry are fotunate that this young man works here with the Borelians. He has directed comedies such as Jitters, and tense dramas like Shadow Box and Night, Mother. And while he has a great love The The drat roles In: John Foote's love of drama shines through for directing comedies, his passion is for drama, like the recently staged Agnes of God. This intensely moving pro- duction was staged at Town Hall 1873 last Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, with the lead roles played by Sandy James Mitchell as Dr. Martha Living- ston; Sheri Todd as Mother Miri- am Ruth and Halie Vogel and Sis- ter Agnes. It was powerful drama with these three actresses giving excep- tional performances in roles that are difficult. John encouraged these actress- es to become their characters, rath- er than merely assume them. The result was a stunning pro- duction of the highest quality with dramatic intensity that moved many in the audience to tears, es- pecially during the final 15 min- utes. Agnes of God is not without controversy, but John's personal message to the audience, which was printed on the program, summed up his feelings in presenting this drama at Town Hall 1873. He wrote: "It is my hope that you leave tonight full of life, full of hope. This is what Agnes of God is about. That and miracles. If you can leave with hope, if you do feel special, then Agnes has simply worked another miracle. I hope Agnes touches you as deeply asshe did us." For his next production in Port Perry, John will turn his tal- ents to something a little "lighter." Plans are already underway for the "Passion of Dracula," a new look at an old tale, that will be staged in February or March of the coming year. Theatre goers in Port Perry can be sure thart John will throw his considerable directing energies and talent into this production. Watch for Dracula, and don't miss it. Vint Controversial, yet full of hope Brilliant display of acting What is a miracle? The dic- tionary defines a miracle as "an occurrence that cannot be ex- plained by the laws of nature." Last week the Borelians Com- munity Theater presented the play '"'Agnes of God' for three nights Dec. 8-10 in the Town Hall 1873. Patrons who saw the play marvelled that it should have run for at least triple that length of time. This dramatic play challenges the audience to discern between truth and reality and to ponder whether miracles are actually possible. Under the capable direction of John Foote, this gripping, intense drama mesmorized, entertained and challenged the Town Hall audiences. The setting is a modern day nunnery. Dr. Martha Livingston, (Sandy James - Mitchell) a psychiatrist, has come to inter- view a young noviciate, Sister Agnes, (Halie Vogel) who is under the care and protection of the Mother Superior, Mother Miriam Ruth (Sherri Todd). Sister Agnes has been indicted for murdering her own young baby, and the court has appointed Dr. Liv- ingston to ascertain the state of mind of the accused. The plot twists and turns as we are challenged to solve the mystery. What mystery? Where did the baby come from? Who killed the baby? Who knew the circumstances concerning the ap- parent murder? And finally, who is Agnes? As the tale unfolds, pictures become unfocused, reality becomes distorted and the play's climax seemingly fails to solve this complex mystery. Instead of answering questions at this level, the play's denouement forces us to ask more important questions at a higher level. What is truth? What is reality? Can miracles happen? These altruistic messages ask all of us, not to sus- pend belief or disbelief, but rather, to have faith in mankind; to search for a deeper truth; to look beyond our mundane and seemingly predictable lives; to have hope. . The Borelians Community Theater has thrived on challenges over the years. The theatrical community has come to expect 3, lighting, even the costumes are kept functional in Agnes of God. fic Impact comes from the actors and the way they handled difficult " Borellans production. Sandy James Mitchell, Halle Vogel and Sherri "temarkable performances at Town Hall 1873 last weekend. (see re- excellence from this theater group. This production has again successfully met this challenge. The Producer/Director John Foote has masterfully interpreted this script, and through his careful staging and creative directing techniques, he captured the heart and soul of John Pielmeier's powerful play. This director has chosen to keep his actors on stage in sight of the audience throughout the entire play. Scenes shift from different rooms in the nunnery, yet we are asked to constantly study the triangle of key players. The delicate balance in these three actors is amazing. They never overpower each other in any scene, Their concentration and reaction in every instance shows their thorough understan- ding of their characters. In an ac- tor's play such as this it is sometimes difficult to maintain this balance, but under John Foote's direction and the obvious integrity of the cast and dedica- tion to their roles, this tenuous balance is successfully maintain- (Turn to page 23) Sherri Todd and Sandy James Mitchell in a scene from the powerful drama Agnes of God. Sandy James Mitchell plays psychiatrist Martha Li- vingston who Investigates the convent death of an infant baby.