PAGE 14, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 1982, WHITBY FREE PRESS Stage thriler holds suspj**ýense until, the final curtamin The' Marigold Dinner Playbouse is currentiy running a stage thriller that is a refreshing alternative to the blood- and-guts horror now in vogue on television and in films. l'il Be Back Before Midnight is a two-act play that combines the good old-fashioned ele- ments of a thriller and cornes Up with a plea- sant cross between a psychological twister and a whodunlt. " ."Midnight"l gives us the shock of gunshots and stabbings without the revolting mess. It gives us the lonely Ont- ario farmhouse,, the slightly derranged far- mer (Murray - West- gate), the mentally un- stable wif e (Judith McGilligan), the wim-ý pering husband (Sandy Crawley), the catty sister-in-law (Mary Long) and stiil allows us to leave the theatre with our dinner intact. Playwright Peter Colley creates well- defined characters, but allows for enough mys-- tery to keep the audi- ence wondering what combination of charac- ters will equal murder. Westgate cornes close to stealing the show in his role as George, the whiskey-loving farmer who really does have al the lines. George vacil- lates between allaying the wife's fears about living in the country, and adding fuel to the fire with grotesque stories of murder. Ail the while, the wimpering husband switches loyalties from his wife, to his overbear- ing sister and back agamn. In the meantime, she makes a project of driving the wife to the brink of insanity. The set itself goes a long way toward creat- ing a lonely and fright- ening atmosphere. The simple., ,farmhouse creaks and ratties, thé windows and doors pro- vide flimsy protection from the noises without,, and the austerlty 0f the wooden wails and floors conjure up a sense of complete isolation. For a live audience so close to the action (the Marigold seats about 150), the gunshots, thun- derstorms and charac- ters groping, on the darkened stage are just as frightening and joît- ing 'as the television blood-baths. Just, who is respon- sible for the bodlies that steadily pile up on stage isn't revealed until the final curtain, but it's a lot of fun guessing in the meantime. Producers Larry Sol- way and - Nuala Fitz- Geraid have so far given Whitby, audiences-a var- iety of subject matter. The Marigold's first production, A Romantic, Comedy, starring Solway and FitzGerald, appealed to the funny bone, while "Midnight" tickles your sense of horror. PL' Be Back Before Midnight is running at the Marigold until Jan. 3M. * ANNOUNCEMENTS - * RECEPTION CARDS ~$1~J* INVITATIONS /4/j)* THANK YOU CARDS Judith McGilligan piays a convincing role as Jan,^ the mentally tanstabie wife who is afraid of anything that moves - and some things that don't. -Photo Courtesy of Marigold Dinner Playhouse Crack-down on- parking* Vehicles parked ille- galiy at the median 0f White Oaks Court, on Dwidas Street West will be ticketed and towed away, council decided Monday night. Council also resoived to' remove part .,0f the. median to allow for easier access to the apartment buildings by Whitby Fire Depart- mhent. The Fire Department has expressed concern that because of illegally parked carsin the nar- row»- median it could not- get its trucks into the area. Town officiais say the police have indicated they are willing to co- operate in issuing t ick- ets and have illegaily parked vehicles towed away. The removal of a por- tion of the median will cost the town approxi- mately $7,00, a price East Ward Councillor Joe Drumm feels is too high. I ."That means it's cost- ing us $7,000 because people park iliegally,"I Drumm said. "Those people who are parking iliegally shouid be nailed to a tree. " Drumm said he hopes the new by-law wiil be strictiy enforced.» Whutby Aluminum It's time for REPLACEMENT WINDOWS 668-2252 C ali Us Now 686-1853 BRIAN DEEGAN DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC HARWOOD AVENUE SOUTH AJAX, ONTARIO 683-6074