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through all the stages... Harry: Y o u lied to us. M i s s Fibs: The parents often don't understand... Harry: A n d now he's bored and angry. He knows that you think he's stupid and so he's becoming a thug. You're turning my son into a thug. W h y the hell won't any of you people ever listen... M i s s F i b s : If y o u can't be reasonable... Harry: You're lowering your expectations of his intelligence to his expressive level. You view the world through the window of language.. ..He does not. In some ways he's much smarter than either of us... M i s s Fibs: I think that's enough. I'm going to recommend that your son be placed in a class that specializes in behaviour problems... Harry: N o , don't do that. Miss Fibs: It's all right. I often have to deal with hostile parents. I can handle it, believe me. Good-bye. M a c L e a n ' s lines clearly imply that a parent who doesn't play the game with people who are in power can be punished through the treatment of his or her children. But M a c L e a n himself likes to stress that he didn't constantly battle with bureaucracies. "I don't like promoting the idea that we beat up the world. In many instances we trusted other people to do what was best for Danny, because we just didn't know." M a c L e a n says in fact it was often the bureaucracies who helped his family, and that the medical and teaching professions could be both arrogant and helpful. The pathos comes through in this play in Harry's knowledge that his son is special and misdiagnosed. His son is an extremely gifted artist. His language is his drawings. He is as perceptive, intelligent and sensitive as the next boy his age. he just doesn't get credit for being this way because he doesn't use a verbal language to the same extent as the other boys. In reflecting sadly on this fact. Harry says. "For some reason a boy who has one foot in heaven threatens these people and they stop being people, they become machines." Happily for M a c L e a n . being reasonable and constantly advocating for his son has had a certain number of pay-offs. For instance. M a c L e a n was told that his son would have the mental age o f a ten-year-old by the time he reached his twentieth year. M a c L e a n patiently and constantly refused to accept these diagnoses. "I recognized his incredible intelligence and kept an open mind." His son is now in grade nine and last year made the honour roll. M a c L e a n himself is making this year's honour roll for the diversity of his artistic accomplishments. -~ A b o u t Face runs at the Seymour Art Gallery November 6-24.The opening for the show and launch of T h e Sound of W h a l e s is November 6, 7-9 p.m. at the gallery. For more information call 924-1378. B R I T J S H C O L U M B I A Anna Wyman School of 2)UMCe Arts Celebrating 25 Years of Dance P Gerald van Wye*. Music Director ANNUAL POINSETTIA SALE 1996 S UPPORT T H E A RTS ON THE N O R T H SHORE · Girls & Boys Pre School · · · · · · · · · · Ballet R.A.D. & Vaganova R.A.D. Examinations Contemporary Choreography Workshop Jazz & Tap Program Musical Theatre Stretch & Strength Flamenco Hip Hop NIA · Yoga ORDER TODAY 926-5230 . f B W^k 6" p o t s $ 7 . 9 5 ^58 9 5 All Ages - 21/2 to Adult Winter Registration begins Dec. 16 1457 Marine Drive West Van, BC V7T 1B8 10" pots $29. JJ f r (taxes i n c l u d e d ) ^ Corporate and Individual Orders Visa, Mastercard, and Cheques Accepted 926-6535