Cape Breton's Magazine

with a lot of really lovely, beautiful bal? lads . But for the sake of the curves and dynamics of the show, we can't do that..,. Obviously, sometimes I have to try and get a song for Bette this year. Or Cecil, or Mary. Be? cause we need some hu? mour. And then we need some political stuff. (That's business.) Well, on the one hand that's business, on the other hand it's another kind-- it's as valid in its own way as "Around the Fire," "Hughie and Allan," or "Rise Again." Because...I have to challenge myself every year and say. Well, what do you want to say about the leader of the province or the leader of the country? I mean, sat? ire is a valid form, too. The Coal Tones, or "Drag? ging up the Past." "Just a Little Trust Fund." "Free Trade." "GST," "Only Mul- roney." Those things have their own validity. And then, so do "Piper's Lament," that Duncan and I wrote for Bette to do--the piper walks back and forth at the tourist station every day. Without put- Heather Rankin ting pipers down. I had a substantial hour- and-a-half workout to go. How can we tone this down so it's not a put-down? So that pipers like it. I still hear a few of them had a bit of trouble with it, you know.,,. Bette MacDonald: My brother Ed (Macdonald) writes all of my material. Up to this point. And I love the arrangement. I mean, he's the best writer I know. We've always done stuff to make each other laugh, ever since we were very, very lit? tle. We used to record things, actually. We'd just get a tape recorder and record. We did that for years and years. And then it became a business, you know. We'd improv stuff, and record it-- just for the tape re? corder. Then we started adding sound effects and stuff! (Were you ten years old?) Even younger than ' that, I used to do plays and things around the neighbourhood. I was the leader of that pack, and I would as? sign them their various roles and lines, I must have been very pleasant to be around! Because I was--for someone that young, I was terribly focused at play time. You know, we were going to perform, and this is the script, and I'm the director--also starring in it, by the way. You know, not much has changed! Laughter. No, I hope something's changed, as "Shirley," 1989 That's what we used to do. It wasn't what we did every single day, but whenever it was my choice, that's what we did--we'd perform, (And sometimes, with the tape recorder, just you and Ed in the room,) Just improv Mostly Books NORTH SYDNEY MALL 116 King Street, North Sydney, NS B2A 3R7 Phone (902) 794-1094 • Fax (902) 794-6000 Family Books • Inspirational Greetings • Religious Supplies Gifts • Local Authors with Great Cape Breton Stories Our Store Is Beyond Words.. . ~ Our 25th Year in Business ~ Canso Realties Ltd. Box 727 Port Hawkesbury, N. S. BOE 2V0 > Phone (902) 625-0302 * (' We carry 300 listings of property for sale in Cape Breton and Eastem Nova Scotia. JIM MARCHAND ?? BROKER Located between Baddeck and Sydney on the Trans-Canada Highway (Route 105) Overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes Seal Island Motel A and Dining Room ''L' (Licensed) 'HJJV' TOUR V Coi at the Si Seafood Our Specialty 46 Modern Units Swimming Pool Air Conditioning 674-2418 TOUR BUSES WELCOME Country Living at the Seal Island Bridge 79