The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Side 24

22
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER 1973
robe, which had been designed for
Greta Garbo in 1932. A picture of
Mrs. Tynan wearing the gown appear-
ed in the British Vogue magazine in
1971. The photographer was Lord
Snowdon.
A year ago the BBC/TV presented
a twenty episode production of the
play “War and Peace” by Tolstoy.
It was one year in the making. Stephen
made all the costumes for the leading
female stars, Natasha and Sonya, the
daughters of the principal family of
the characters in the play.
In his spare time Stephen and his
wife Jean (Eames) have cut costumes
for Rudolph Nureyev, of the Russian
Ballet. In 1967 he was sent to Milan,
Italy, to fit a costume for the artist.
This is apart from his work of chief
cutter with the National Theatre. Mr.
Nureyev is rather difficult to please
but has always been very appreciative
of Stephen’s work.
In his column in the Winnipeg Tri-
bune, Mr. Gene Telpner told of a
couple who had been to London and
while there atteded some of The Na-
tional Theatre productions, who said
that “Stephen Skaptason is making a
name for himself in London. He cut
all the men’s costumes for “Long Day’s
Journey Into Night”, “A Flea in her
Ear”, which was shown in Winnipeg
in 1967 with Lord Laurence Olivier,
“Lone for Love”, and “Dance of
Death”.
Lord Laurence is the director of the
National Theatre. He wrote to Stephen
saying: “Dear Stephen, I have been
meaning to write to you for some
while to say how every much I have
appreciated your splendid work on
everything you did for me. My most
sincere thanks. I hope we will be to-
gether for a long time to come.”
Stephen, who was born in Winnipeg
in 1942, is the son of Johanna Zoega
Johnson, and the late Marelius (Marl)
Skaptason, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.
Skaptason. Marelius served in World
War II.
Stephen feels, his mother told me,
that he is indeed fortunate to be work-
ing at something he gets so much satis-
faction from and also in his wife’s
understanding support in his endeav-
ours. His wife Jean, of Sussex, Eng-
land, is a creative artist herself.
He has very fond memories of his
many friends in Canada and is most
appreciative of all the assistance and
encouragement he has received in the
profession and from his friends and
relations in Manitoba.
The Icelandic Canadians wishes
Stephen Skaptason continued success
in his chosen profession, which must
be richly rewarding for him.
—Mattie Halldorson