"an additional and wonderful venue for the performing arts'', says Patrice Frith.

She decided to stage her latest play there after touring the facility. "The acoustics are excellent, with a very big stage, good dressing rooms, as well as a big lighting and sound booth. I think people will enjoy the experience of going to St. David's and I know that a lot of people are planning to make a real evening of it by having dinner in St. George's before the play begins.'' `That Was Then', which opens tomorrow and runs through Saturday evening, is Bermudian in theme and explores the culture clashes that occur when three generations find themselves living under the same roof.

"I wanted to do this play because times are changing so fast in this Island and I wanted to have a vehicle in which people could reminisce about `the old days', using the old sayings and the way people used to talk,'' says the author.

The cast includes Denise Whitter, one of Bermuda's leading performers who received rave reviews for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Jabulani Company's production of `Lady Day', well known comedian `Bootsie', Lauren Perinchief, Nadanja Bailey, Tyrone Smith, Jewell Eve and Roddy Nesbitt. Also making a brief appearance is Ms Frith's ten-year old niece Phylicia Frith, a student of Suzette Harvey, who will perform a dance.

This will be the third play written and produced by Ms Frith who, by day, is a civilian station duty officer for the Bermuda Police Service. Educated at Berkeley Institute, she has recently completed a course in broadcast journalism in Georgia.

"I never had any training to write,'' she reveals. "When I was at school I thought plays were really boring, but then my mother took me to see a play at church written by Lorin Smith and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought `I can do that' -- and that's what I did. The next weekend I sat down and wrote my first play and then produced it at City Hall. That was `Contrast' and the next one I did, six years ago, was `Collages'.'' `That Was Then', which is directed by Royce-Ann Dill, takes place in Bermuda in 1998. The peace of an elderly couple is shattered when their adult daughter and her 17-year old son return home to live after she has separated from her husband.

"This play addresses some serious issues,'' she explains, "but a lot of the situations and conversations that arise are very comic. There's a lot of interaction between Lauren and `Bootsie' (the grandparents) and Denise, who is the grandmother's sister. She lives next door but never seems to go home and is always involved in all their business! The trouble really arises when grandfather, who is determined that everyone follows his rules and the teenager, who doesn't approve of any rules at all, are thrown together. The grandfather can't accept that times have changed -- and feels that even if they have, they shouldn't have done! The grandmother's reaction to all this is typical -- she believes her grandson can do no wrong, covers up for him and tells her husband to `leave him alone'. The mother thinks her son is now a man, and can therefore do as he likes. It seems to me,'' adds the author, "that kids today don't fear God, parents, or authority.'' Other issues that are tackled in the play include teenage promiscuity, infidelity and spousal insecurity, inappropriate parental guidance and `Christian' hypocrisy.

Ms Frith says that some aspects of the grandfather's character are drawn from her own grandfather, still alive at 86. "I can remember what we could and couldn't do, or say, in his presence!'' She adds that her own parents also like to talk at length about Bermuda customs and the way of life that prevailed as they grew up.

"`Bootsie' has appeared with us before but he's thrilled with this role because he has to be a 73-old man. Denise has not performed with our group before but we're very pleased to have her. She's been very helpful and, of course, has so much stage experience. Both she, Lauren and I were all at school together, so it's great to be working together, doing this play.

Nadanja Bailey is also a comedian and Rodney Nisbett, who's only 19, is wonderful. He works very hard, follows direction and, I would say, is a natural actor.'' Ms Frith says that although there is no profanity in this production, she has requested that children under the age of ten do not attend.

`That Was Then', staged by Hasana Productions, will be presented on September 24 through 26 at the Southside Theatre, St. David's, at 8 p.m. nightly.

Tickets at $20 ($30 for patrons) are available from True Reflections, Malcolm's Barber Shop (St. George's), Webs (Somerset), Jeans Plus, Halfway House, and the Ship's Inn Book Gallery in Dockyard.

Patrice Frith