[ad_1]
4th Line Theatre 2023/The Tilco Strike by D’Arcy Jenish, directed by Cynthia Ashperger, Winslow Farm Barnyard, Millbrook ON, June 27 to July 22. Tickets right here.
4th Line Theatre is like no different performing arts group. Who else can mount epic productions with a solid of 30? Effectively, perhaps Stratford and Shaw… however 4th Line Theatre is on a farm an hour and a half northeast of Toronto.
The corporate places armies marching on stage by hiring a number of fairness actors and surrounding them with theatre college students and up to date grads, plus important illustration from the local people theatre habitués.
Extra to the purpose, 4th Line performs are anchored within the Peterborough-Kawartha space, so the corporate is highlighting native historical past whereas offering leisure with unique Canadian performs.
Take, for instance, this 12 months’s fare. The July play is a world premiere concerning the Tilco Plastics strike in Peterborough in 1965-66 (solid of 30), whereas August presents a remount of the ever-popular The Cavan Blazers (solid of fifty), which is a chronicle of the battle between Protestant and Catholic settlers from Eire in Cavan Township within the 1800s.
The Tilco Strike is by famous journalist and non-fiction author D’Arcy Jenish, who found the story when researching Trent College’s first 50 years. It was distinguished historian, Prof. Joan Sangster, who referred Jenish to a paper she had written on Tilco.
The Tilco Strike is, in a manner, a stunning story, as a result of the legislation within the Sixties was tilted in favour of the employer who might, for instance, file injunctions to restrict picketing whereas hiring scabs.
Peterborough was a union city on the time, with 54 unionized firms massive and small, so there was group assist for the Tilco strikers and their union, the Textile Staff of America. The large downside was the wilful behaviour of the employers and their use of the legislation.
Jenish has remoted 5 staff to symbolize the 35 girls who labored at Tilco Plastics, which made low-cost objects like combs and barrettes. They offer the human facet to the disaster. They’re those that endure from poor wages and dangerous working situations,
Lil Downer (fairness actor Katherine Cappellacci) is the strike chief. She has a daughter and a wannabe musician husband who’s a little bit of a wastrel. She offers a passionate efficiency whereas virtually carrying the present on her troopers.
Molly Curtis (Sierra Gibb-Khan) regrets not going to secretarial college. Belle Merritt (Laurin Isiekwena) is a celebration lady. Flossie Whitten (Sarah McNeilly) has 5 youngsters, whereas Rita Brioux (Ellyse Wolter) is 28 and nonetheless lives together with her mom.
Now admittedly, among the younger girls are a bit of younger for the roles, however all of them give dedicated and spirited performances.
Two of the Tilco bosses are fairness actors. M. John Kennedy as Harold “Dutch” Pammett is probably the most hateful, refusing to offer an inch to the strikers, whereas Jason Grey is Donald Harwood, the agency’s numbers man, who grows extra choleric together with his accomplice’s rising obstinacy. They each give a powerful account of themselves.
The third accomplice, Donald Tripp, the chief salesman, is hilariously carried out by very long time 4th Liner Mark Hiscox. He’s a bit on the dim facet and has some hilarious traces. He actually is comedian reduction as Tripp, however he additionally doubles as three different characters.
Another actors ought to be talked about.
Theatre grads, Rebecca Burrell will get a number of laughs because the Tilco secretary Gladys together with her very particular stroll, whereas Nathan Simpson performs Vic Skurjat, the sympathetic union organizer from Toronto. Hilary Put on is terrific as Gertie Rajsky, the Polish store steward and Tilco loyalist.
And what would a 4th Line play be with out very long time group theatre stalwart Matt Gilbert, who offers one other nice efficiency in 4 completely different roles?
A director has to govern a big solid across the two barns and the prolonged barnyard which make up the 4th Line stage, and Cynthia Ashperger is aware of that area effectively as each an actor and director. Her manufacturing of The Tilco Strike is fast-paced and full of motion, together with a number of thrilling cat fights between staff and scabs, staged by Edward Belanger.
As soon as once more, musical director Justin Hiscox has put collectively an fascinating rating of principally labour and protest songs, whereas Korin Cormier and Esther Vincent have labored their magic with costumes and set/props respectively.
The Peterborough Tilco Strike was essential within the annals of Ontario labour historical past, and Jenish has given us a play, whereas a bit on the rambling facet, that’s each entertaining and substantive. The script additionally cunningly contains actual life folks to nice amusement.
You’ll should see The Tilco Strike at 4th Line Theatre to search out out what occurs, as I don’t wish to give something away.
And right here’s a closing thought from this system notes: the not-withstanding clause of right now, ordering staff again to the job, is suspiciously just like the injunctions of the Sixties.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the every day arts information straight to your inbox.
Join the Ludwig van Day by day — classical music and opera in 5 minutes or much less HERE.
Paula Citron is a Toronto-based freelance arts journalist and broadcaster who hosts her personal web site, paulacitron.ca. For over 25 years, she was senior dance author for The Globe and Mail, affiliate editor of Opera Canada journal, arts reviewer for Classical 96.3 FM, and dance previews contributor to Toronto Life journal. She has been a visitor lecturer for numerous cultural teams and universities, significantly on the function of the critic/reviewer, and has been a panellist on COC podcasts. Earlier than assuming a full-time journalism profession, Ms. Citron was a member of the drama division of the Claude Watson Faculty for the Arts.
[ad_2]