Stage Door News
Stage Door News
The Welland Canal Play, by Kevin Hobbs and the Company, plays in Robertson Theatre as part of the HOT TICKET season from October 12-22.
The story explores the experiences of the people who dreamed of and built Niagara's Welland Canal, from William Hamilton Merritt to the present day. Told through story, live music, movement and projections, this visually arresting theatre piece embodies our local history and animates the mayhem, tragedies and triumphs of this national waterway.
“The Welland Canal is a landmark that many of us in Niagara drive by or cross over every day, without thinking about the history of this waterway, or about how it has changed and influenced this area, “ says director Monica Dufault. “The canal brought new people to this part of the continent, and displaced others. It reshaped the land, and redirected the flow of water. Perspectives were shifted. Ways of life altered.”
The play begins with the frustration of a driver having to wait for a lift bridge on the Welland Canal to go back down. The ship is taking forever. As the driver waits, she begins to think about the canal and its history. Her musings summon the ghosts of the Welland Canal, who begin to tell the stories of the canal, of how it was built, and most importantly of the people who have worked on it.
“The Welland Canal story is not a narrative stuck in the past,” observes playwright, Kevin Hobbs. “The actions – political, commercial, social – of two hundred years ago are familiar, because the narratives have not disappeared. The themes are strikingly fresh. Everything old is new again.”
The live score and musical numbers created by Landon Doak bring a fresh and contemporary feel to the storytelling, helping to move the stories through the 200 years of history, while grounding the show in contemporary folk and pop musical styles.
For tickets, visit https://firstontariopac.ca.
2017-10-12
St. Catharines: "The Welland Canal Play" by Essential Theatre Collective runs October 12-22