4th Line Theatre is thrilled to announce the seeded playwrights for its Semi-Annual New Play Seeding Competition, selected from a pool of 11 submissions. This initiative is part of the company’s ongoing New Play Development Program, which supports the creation of original, historically rooted Canadian plays.

These seeded playwrights reflect the bold, imaginative spirit that 4th Line Theatre champions— these stories are rooted in truth, rich with local heritage and brimming with emotional depth. Each selected playwright brings a unique voice to the stage and their stories promise to challenge, inspire and move audiences.

The seeded playwrights are Steven Elliott Jackson and his play idea The Deaths Of Margaret Laurence; Megan Murphy and her piece, tentatively titled Charlotte Nicholls – Peterborough’s First Female Philanthropist; and Lindsay Wilson with her play idea The Penn.

Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell has this to say, "By seeding three new plays through our play development program, 4th Line Theatre reaffirms its commitment to nurturing bold, original Canadian voices and bringing untold stories to life on our stages.”

The Deaths Of Margaret Laurence by Steven Elliott Jackson

This play explores the meaning of death through the final days of celebrated Canadian writer, and Lakefield resident, Margaret Laurence, as she reflects on her complicated life, creative legacy. It weaves together moments of pain, beauty and hope, illuminating the profound humanity behind one of Canada’s literary icons.

Charlotte Nicholls – Peterborough’s First Female Philanthropist by Megan Murphy

This play tells the story of Charlotte Nicholls, a visionary 19th-century woman who used her inheritance to build Peterborough’s first hospital and donated generously to her community, challenging gender norms of her time.

The Penn by Lindsay Wilson

Set in Millbrook, Ontario, this play centres on Ruth Clark and her family’s struggles and resilience, running a local restaurant serving the town and employees of the nearby maximum-security prison. It explores themes of community, survival and the social and emotional effects of the prison on a small working-class town.

This Seeding Phase marks the earliest stage in 4th Line’s development process. These selected playwrights are provided with a honorarium to support initial research and the creation of a synopsis or sample scenes. Seeding isn’t just about developing plays—it’s about empowering playwrights to tell stories that matter. Seeding provides a unique opportunity for Canadian voices to explore the richness of their communities, challenge historical narratives, and bring forward the people, places and moments that shaped who we are.

Over time, typically three to five years, these seeded plays are likely to grow into fully staged productions on 4th Line’s beloved Winslow Farm. 4th Line is looking forward to working with these playwrights and watching the development of these scripts over the next few years.

BIOGRAPHIES

Steven Elliott Jackson, Playwright - The Deaths Of Margaret Laurence

Steven Elliott Jackson is the award-winning playwright of The Seat Next To The King (2017 Toronto Fringe Best New Play and published by Scirocco Drama) and Three Ordinary Men (2020 Hamilton Fringe Best New Play, 5-time Dora nominated 2022 production by Cahoots Theatre). In 2022, Steven premiered The Garden Of Alla and The Prince’s Big Adventurer at the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival and is currently developing The Will Of A Woman for the 2023 Toronto Fringe and Poppies For The Sikh in Kitchener. Also in 2023 was the Manitoba premiere of The Seat Next To The King at the Winnipeg Fringe and A Stage Of Her Own in Brandon, MB and The Funeral To End All Funerals for Kitchener-Waterloo. In 2025, he is premiering his play, A Question Of Character, at Hamilton Fringe.

Megan Murphy, Playwright - Charlotte Nicholls – Peterborough’s First Female Philanthropist

Megan Murphy is a graduate of York University's Fine Arts program and has worked as an actor in film, television, theatre and radio for more than two decades. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and the Seneca College Documentary Filmmaking Institute. Locally, she spent ten years co-hosting the morning show on Star 93.3 FM Radio. Her feature documentary, "Murphy's Law" won Best Documentary Film at the Fingal Film Festival in Ireland, and her short film, "Towns End" won an Audience Choice Award at the Vox Popular Film Festival. She co-created The Verandah Society, a theatrical experience of storytelling and song, alongside singer/songwriter, Kate Suhr. She is a public speaker, professional emcee, and published writer.

Lindsay Wilson, Playwright - The Penn

Lindsay is a graduate of the Acting program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Creative Writing program at Concordia University in Montreal. In 2016, she was selected for the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program through the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, where she developed her novel The Peacekeeper. Her full-length play Blind was produced by Scapegoat Carnivale at the Montreal Arts Interculturel in 2014 and was nominated for Outstanding Independent Production at the 2013–2014 Montreal English Theatre Awards. In recent years, her focus has been writing theatre for young audiences, including The Amazing Melvins (2015) – Staged reading, Halifax Theatre for Young People, Halifax, Nova Scotia and the short musical There Are Rules (but only sometimes) (2018) – Production and touring production, Halifax Theatre for Young People, Nova Scotia.