Bernard Slade's hit comedy YOU SAY TOMATOES directed by Howard Siegel, and playing at the Studio Theatre at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Feb 3rd to 13th, will be Vancouver theatrical perennial Evergreen Theatre's swan-song. And no, it's not a musical, but a romantic comedy about a mis-matched pair of middle-aged star-crossed lovers: a reclusive British writer is pursued by a strong-willed American, a New York promoter after, not love, but the T.V. rights to his mystery novels. It's a match made in purgatory, at least for the first act.Comedies have been produced by Evergreen Theatre numerous times over its eighteen year history, and often of the comedy-with-a-conscience variety, like G.B. Shaw's THE MILLIONAIRESS or ARMS AND THE MAN. But Evergreen, nee Coconut's eclectic mix of forty plays spanning two decades includes premiers of 11 new Canadian plays, such as this season's mixed media TAKE TWO and last year's MAIDS MADAMS AND MUMS, classics like Congreve's LOVE FOR LOVE and Molnar's THE GUARDSMAN, cutting edge political satire like PLAY IT AGAIN, ZALM, and FREE SLAVE ANYONE, and murder mysteries from the pen of the grand dame herself: Agatha Christie's THE UNEXPECTED GUEST and THE MOUSETRAP.
Founders Patricia Andrew and John Keith have seen the company through tours of Vancouver Island and the coast, two years in residence at Burnaby Village Museum with the historical GOLDRUSH AND FIRE, the creation of the original Character Tour Guides for Vancouver's Gastown, three successive years of the PACIFIC SHAW FESTIVAL, a four-year stint of summer theatre at The Waterfront on Granville Island, and performances at venues all over Vancouver including the Seymour Street Theater, Kits House, Vancouver Little Theatre, Heritage Hall, Station Street, The Firehall, and Performance Works. In all Evergreen has been nominated for over 20 Jessie Richardson awards, but hey, who's counting? Okay, 22, and a Sam Payne.
What are Pat and John doing after putting the venerable old tree out to pasture? Is there life after producing theatre? Like Giles and Libby in YOU SAY TOMATOES, they certainly intend to "keep (their) appetite for adventure. . . and not settle for serenity".
