"Health" is a play for one character and body parts, the body parts being played memorably in the Vancouver Playhouse staging by Ian McDonald, Ross Douglas and Stephen Miller.
I began thinking of various productions in which I have admired the work of Peterson--probably the best known thespian to emerge from Indian Head, Saskatchewan--when I read a conversation between him and Gordon Pinsent in the National Post (October 8, 2009).
Peterson was about to receive the Pinsent Award of Excellence from Toronto's Company Theatre, and the two veteran actors were exchanging on-stage and back-stage stories. Which brings me to the quotation which prompted this entry. Pinsent had suffered some unfortunate experience on a Winnipeg stage, and was sent this note:
"Never mind. High station in life is earned by the gallantry in which appalling experiences are survived with grace."
Peterson said, "I'm getting that tattooed on my chest."
For me any appalling experience Gordon Pinsent may have suffered on the stage is more than compensated by the immense success of his performance opposite Julie Christie in the film "Away From Her." He must lie awake at night grinning when he thinks of that one.
ReplyDeleteAs for Eric Peterson, I can't recall him ever appearing in anything that wasn't exceptionally good.