This slide show, is an introduction to LAURENCE CHERNIAK and his versatile talents.

It displays Mr. CHERNIAK in the title roles of SHAKESPEARE's Richard III, Othello, Hamlet and IBSEN's Peer Gynt.

Two very different kings: We see him as King Richard III and then as Good King Bumpygruff from the "King of Ice Cream Mountain". A wondeful children's play in which he starred, touring throughout the islands of Hawaii for six months simultaneously with the Shakespearean roles that he was performing.

We also see him as the Russian Premier Constantin Chernenko in the most financially successful play in the history of Maui Theatre "On Butterfly Wings" which was also directed by Mr. CHERNIAK. It had a cast of over 120 people and was sold out to standing room only every night of its run. As well, during the run of the play a exhibition of his paintings was featured in the lobby of the Maui Theatre.

Included in this part our web site we see the cake he designed for 2nd Canadian Theatre Arts Ball on behalf of Canadian Actor's Equity. The cake bears the logo he designed for Canadian Actor's Equity as well his trade mark of a rainbow which is a theme that is dominant in almost every one of his paintings. He also designed the cake for the 1st Canadian Theatre Arts Ball.

All this was in honor of the new Canadian Actor's union. With this new Canadian Union it meant being able to elect Canadians Actors as members to run the affairs of Canadian performers and to no longer be under the auspicies of the USA's American Actor's Equity Association.

One of the main apsects it signified was the beginning of being able to award Canadians with lifetime memeberships for their contributions to the Canadian Acting Community. This cake bears the names of the third and fourth lifetime members (Robert Christie and Gratien Gelinas) to honor their status.

As well we see Mr. Cherniak with the bronze plaque he designed, with his logo, to also honor Life Members; into which their names would be inscribed.

In this slide show we also see the 3 designs Mr. Cherniak submitted in the competition to design The New Logo for Canadian Actor's Equity Association, which in those days had recently been formed as a result of an amicable separation from American Actor's Equity Association.

Under the leadership of one of Laurence's kindest supporters, Mr. Larry McCance R.I.P. (the chief executive of the Canadian Union for Actor's) the Professional Canadian Theatre Community which includes (the Operaha, the Ballet, the Theatre Directors, the Stage Managers and theActors) became a completely independent entity, from the USA, as a result of these activities.

At that time LAURENCE CHERNIAK was elected by the members to serve as a charter executive member of the 1st Executive Committee of the Canadian Actor's Equity Association. He subsequently served on 7 of 9 committees to improve the situation of Canadian Actors and other artists in the theatre community, which included performers in the Opera and Ballet amongst others, all of which come under the auspicies of Canadian Actor's Equity Associaition.

He also served as the vice president of the association's Actor's Equity Library.