June 16, 1997

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Sports COVER

EYES ON THE PRIZE

BRUCE WALLACE In the select fraternity of race-car drivers—men who squeeze behind the wheel of the “tub” and turn a skeleton of thin carbon fibre into a howling, fuel-slurping, rubber-sizzling bullet—talk among the brethren sometimes turns to fear.

Theatre

Dreams and despair

Altogether, the Stratford Festival will mount 12 productions this year. Seven start later in the summer. The following are currently running: Camelot, with music by Frederick Loewe, book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, directed by Richard Monette. By John Bemrose7 min

Queen of the festival

It was a strange way for a couple to not spend an evening together. Onstage at the gala opening of the Stratford Festival, Cynthia Dale was enjoying the most momentous opening night of her career, wearing Queen Guenevere’s crown on the glittering medieval set of Camelot. By Brian D. Johnson7 min

Opening Notes

Eerie portraits Margaret Atwood’s 1977 short story Rape Fantasies paints an eerie portrait of the southwestern Ontario town of Leamington, known for its Heinz factory and surrounding tomato farms. In the story, a woman imagines getting raped in the cellar of her mother’s Leamington home by an axewielding man who grabs her as she reaches in the dark for a jar of jam. By D’ARCY JENISH6 min

World

Europe's quandary

On French television’s nightly satirical puppet show Les Guignols de l’info, Socialist Leader Lionel Jospin’s character is called "Yo-Yo.” A naïve politician forever changing policy direction in hopes of getting elected, Yo-Yo is a takeoff on “Oui-Oui,” a well-known French children’s figure who spends his time aimlessly driving his car around Dreamland looking for ideas. By BRUCE WALLACE, NICK SPICER6 min