Lögberg-Heimskringla - 19.01.1990, Page 1

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*' ANKI ISLAND3 BOKASAFN JAN 89
KÁIjKÖFNSVEGI 1
150 REYKJAVIK IC3LAND
Inside this week:
News from Kansas City...................page 2
The Sugarcubes - Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week.3
Kristjan Theodore Arnason “Mayor Ted”.......4
"Tut" Asmundson retires.....................6
Lögberg
Heimskringla
The Icelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnað 14. janúar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnað 9. september 1886
102. Árgangur
102nd Year
Föstudagur 19. janúar 1990 Númer 1
Friday, 19 January 1990 Number 1
lcelandic
Dríftmg ice causing shippmg
problems Jowep temperatures:
Iceland experienced the worst cold snap
they’ve had in recent memory, lasting from
the middle of December until just after
Christmas.
Polar ice had congealed in waters off
northern and western Iceland, most
particularly in the northera part of the
West Fjords and Húnaflói. There liad also
been some ice reported in Skagafjörður.
Iceland was blocked; but the rest of the
country felt the effects of the ice as well.
The excess of this cold mass caused
unusually cold temperatures throughout
was recorded at Hveravellir.
Iceland’s lowest recorded temperature
was at Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum in 1918, regis-
tering a temperature of minus 37DC.
Reykjavík’s lowest, from that same period,
was minus 24.5°C. These temperatures are
far below the norm. Relatively speaking,
Icelandic winters are quite warm.
New Traveller's Gmde to lceland:
French writer Jean-Jacques L Maerel
has just published a travel book about Ice-
land in the Very Special Places series,
called Discoveran Unknoum World: Iceland.
It is apparently a very interesting book. It
covers a greatrange of Icelandic subjeds, in
an alphabetical listing, and is written in a
Maerel’s book provides the visitor with
etiquette, as well as a panoramic view of the
country, itshistory and people. Readerswili
be engaged by Maerel’s distinctly French
set an interesting, if less accurate, prece-
dent...
National Theatre Soffers Cuts:
Staff at the Icelandic National Theatre at
cuss new operational strategies, in view of
the Government’s decision to cut its finan-
cial support by one third of its existing con-
tribution.
, Since 85% of the theatre’s expenditures
go towards wages, someemployees may be
laid off.
Play based on lcelandic Immigrants
to be presented in lowa
The World Premiere of Veranda by
Betty Jane Wylie will be presented by the
Waterloo Community Playhouse in Wa-
terloo, Iowa.The show follows a family of
immigrants from Iceland as they begin
their new life in Canada. Set in Gimli,
Manitoba, the play covers the period from
1893 through 1953.
Veranda will be presented in the
Rumsey Studio Theatre at the Waterloo
Recreation and Arts Center, 225 Cedar
Street, Waterloo IA 50701, January 23 -
February 3.Theplay is sponsored, in part,
by U.S. West as a member of the WCP
Producers Club.
The play draws on Wylie’s own Ice-
landic heritage and upbringing in Gimli
as her characters tell the sagas and prov-
erbs of Iceland to each other and the
younger generations. Pétur and Anna
Magnusson are the elder generation in
the play.The characters are loosely based
on Betty Jane’s own grandparents. The
two face building a new life with pioneer
spirit. Pétur is a merchant and leader in
the community. He disapproves of cele-
brating íslendingadagurinn in Gimli be-
cause the original settlers did not come
there first But in the end he relents as
their daughter Karin is chosen to be Maid
of the Mountains during the festival. The
family’s Icelandic heritage is a central
theme in Veranda.
-Loa, Pétur’s granddaughter, wants to
hear all about the old days. The old trunk
is filled with the symbols of that history.
Péfur breathes life back into those days
gone by as his daughter Karin and Loa
lovingly go through the trunk.
The two kids are indomitable as
they race through the day with imagi-
nations truly reserved only for chil-
dren. When they find Svenn’s box of
magic tricks, they decide to put on a
show. But Aunt Karin is havingnone of
their using Anna’s afghan as the curtain
nor her rally banner’s being repainted to
advertisetheimpendingeventWithgentle
good humor, though, she helps the kids
and feeds them cookies as the family’s
love reaches a new generation.
By 1953, Anna is gone but Pétur re-
members her and all that has passed in
their lives. He tells wonderful stories of
Icelandic folklore, and of the family as it
enters fourth generation with young J oey
and Jennie.
Veranda is filled with warmth and
humor and heartache. The Magnusson’s
store burns to the ground but the gener-
osityoftheirneighborskeepsthemgoing.
Anna and Pétur laugh and love as they
build a house and their family together.
Their son Svenn goes off to “the war to
end all wars.” When he retums, he’s lost
his purpose in life and finally, he can go on
no longer.
But through it all, the Magnussons
show their pioneer strength and unflag-
ging spirit.
Betty Jane Wylie is a busy author of
plays, books and articles. Currently resid-
ing in rural MacTier, Ontario, Bettyjane
lived for many years inToronto where she
Above: Veranda author Betty Jane Wylie
Left: Veranda cast and author:
front: Anna Brandau, Betty Jane Wylie,
Ethan Fisher; back: Jane Ingraham, Beverly
McCusker, Steve Stabenow, Matthew Machula,
Shawna Brimm, Robert Blitsch
wrote a personal newspaper column called
“Betty Jane’s J oumal.” She is the author of
several books on such varied subjects as
finance, children and cooking.
Veranda is the fourth of Wylie’s plays
to premiere at the Waterloo Community
Playhouse. The others include Mark in
1973, What’s so great about size 10? in
1976 and Time Bomb in 1986.
The Waterloo Community Playhouse
has an intemational reputation for its New
Play Program. Veranda will be the thirti-
eth new work presented by WCP since
1971. The theatre was founded in 1916
and is the oldest community theatre in
Iowa. Producing twelve to fifteen shows
each year, WCP is one of the largest per
capita community theaters in the United
States.
Veranda will be presented nightly
except Monday at 8:15 p.m. Curtain time
Sunday, January 28 will be 3:15 p.m. Tick-
ets go on sale to the public at noon Thurs-
day, January 18. Member and mail orders
(WCP, Box 433, Waterloo IA 50704) will
be filled before that time. Group orders
are also available. Weekday Box Office
hours are noon to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. on show
nights). On show weekends, the Box
Office is open 2 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and
noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more informa-
tionabout Veranda or tickets, call the Box
Office at 319/2914494 or the Playhouse
Business Office at 319/235-0367.