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Disposing of the Dead Preview by Colin Smith of the individual, yet another i m m i jNineteen-year-old Saturday July. Miss morning, Smith, Janet K. Smith grant, wrongfully accused of a crime? What really happened here? What can we hope to learn on the stage in a play entitled Disposing of the Dead! Writer Kate Schlemmer (Iceberg Lettuce, Justice), directors Wayne Specht ( A x i s Theatre Company) and Sandhano Schultze (Pink Ink Theatre Productions) were so emotionally provoked by this tale of misfortune that the trio decided the subject warranted a dramatic interpretation of events. Late last summer, they began to assemble the bare bones of a script that would one day illustrate some of the circumstances of this landmark case. Such a tale deserves, at the very least, a three-dimensional perspective and hopefully, an insightful rendering of the "facts" as we know them. L i v e theatre is certainly capable o f bearing greater scrutiny of the facts than that which the papers of the day sadly reflect in the dusty strips o f microfiche found in the public library. Computer screens ultimately fail in their bid to illuminate the pathos that accompanies such human tragedy. According to A x i s Theatre's general manager Greg Fruno, Disposing of the Dead is described most accurately as "a tale o f horror." "It's based on an examination of the relationships between the characters," says Fruno. "It is a study o f racism, societal status and powerlessness, as they relate to one another in the context of a brutal murder." This unique co-production promises to peel back layer after layer of human behaviour until nothing remains but the skeletal truth. There are so many unanswered questions, so many dimly lit discoveries, that the play itself presents an exceptional challenge to all those involved: cast, crew and creators. The complex staging of Disposing of the Dead w i l l incorporate the use o f slides and video to furnish the actors with a host of additional psychological tools to bridge the gap between audience and performer. Specht thinks the was found dead in Vancouver early the 26th day of a Scottish immigunshot theatre multimedia aspect of the production w i l l only enhance the psychological hyper-realism o f this theatrical event. "We are witnessing lives shattering and reforming before our eyes," says the veteran director. "It appears that we are creating a kaleidoscope of images and ideas that may ultimately define the play. We plan to use them primarily as transitional pieces within the play as it shifts from time and place and back again. M y brother A l l e n Specht is employed at the Provincial Archives and he has provided us with a wonderful array o f aural and visual elements. The people at the Vancouver Archives have also been instrumental in their assistance. I think we can count on a very exciting month ahead. Every day is a bold realization of many things to come." Disposing of the Dead features a grant, died of an apparent wound to the head. Despite a provincial autopsy which ruled her death did not occur as the result of a attempt or accidental enforcement officials any motivation sources. for are suicide law or Her to shooting, confounded as to the identity of her assailant the crime. killer is still "at large" according official It is a sad fact of modern life that many heinous acts, including murder, occur almost every week in our dreamy, balmy Lotusland. What makes this crime particularly unsettling is that, despite overwhelming and repeated attempts to bring the criminal(s) to justice, the case remains unsolved. It happens. What then, is so special about this case, you ask? Well, for starters, this unforMarya Delver as Janet Smith in Disposing of the Dead, which runs at the Waterfront Theatre October I O-November 2. tunate "maidservant" drew her last breath on Saturday morning, July 26...1924! More than seven decades after her lively chorus of local talent including set designer Robert Gardiner, photographer and visual artist David Cooper, costume designer Sheila Whyte, lighting designer Del Surjik. soundscape artist David Rimmer, and dramaturge John Lazarus and a cast which includes North Vancouver resident Andrew Wheeler. G i v e n the moribund nature of Vancouver's theatre community in terms of its pallid programming, this A x i s - P i n k Ink co-production might very well "wake the dead" just in time for Halloween this year. Histrionic trickery or transcendental treat? Keep that thought in mind when a certain showboat sets sail in a sea of cheese and the time comes to purchase a pair of tickets for a stage closer to home. Forgive me, I digress. The subject of Disposing of the Dead raises at least one axiomatic question. After all these many years, does anyone care who killed Karen Smith? Does anybody still care what happened to Nicole Brown Simpson? O f course. W i l l her killer ever be brought to justice? Case closed. N o w that's a scary thought, eh?-- still-warm body was discovered on '·or tickets call 280-331I. the floor of a Shaughnessy mansion, Photo: David Cooper. in the home of her employer, does anybody really care what happened to this innocent young maiden? The answer is a resounding yes. W h o was she? H o w could this have possibly happened to her? What was the fate Colin Smith is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.