4th Line Theatre/The Cavan Blazers, by Robert Winslow, Winslow Farm, Millbrook ON, till Aug. 26, (Protestants in opposition to Catholics). Tickets right here. 
Blyth Pageant/The Donnellys: A Trilogy, by James Reaney, tailored by Gil Garratt, Harvest Stage, Blyth ON, till Sept. 3 (Catholics in opposition to Catholics). Tickets right here.

It simply so occurs that two of Ontario’s foremost outside phases are mounting productions that painting darkish pages from this province’s pre-Confederation historical past, and each true tales are rooted within the theatres’ personal native historical past.

The Cavan Blazers

In 1854, in Cavan Township south of Peterborough, a Protestant/Orangeman vigilante group known as the Cavan Blazers mounted a concerted marketing campaign designed to terrify Catholic settlers, in the end burning them out, and so prevented the institution of a Catholic parish. Either side had been of Irish descent. (In a contact of irony, the native hockey group is named the Cavan Blazers.)

In 1856, on the Roman Line close to Lucan, simply north of London, the Donnelly household misplaced 50 acres of land that they’d cleared when an unscrupulous landlord bought them out, and so started a reign of terror of the Donnellys versus their neighbours, ending with the bloodbath of 5 Donnelly relations in 1880. On this case the vigilantes had been fellow Irish Catholics who, shockingly, had the blessings of the church. There have been two trials, however nobody was ever convicted of the crime.

4th Line Theatre is definitely positioned in Cavan Township, whereas the Blyth Pageant is roughly an hour and 20 minutes from London on County Highway 4, additionally known as the London Highway.

The Cavan Blazers has an honoured place within the historical past of 4th Line. It was the very first play the corporate offered when creative director/playwright/actor Robert Winslow turned his household farm right into a theatre in 1992. So well-liked is the play that that is the seventh time it has been offered.

The play additionally set the format of what we’ve got come to like at 4th Line. I name it armies marching. Every play is an epic, massive scale manufacturing that includes a mixture of fairness actors, theatre college students and graduates, and neighborhood stalwarts of all ages and experiences.

The forged this time options 50 performers. Which means that once they want a mob scene, they will have a mob. They’ll mount an Orange parade with King Billy on his white horse, whereas within the farmer’s area adjoining to the barnyard theatre, they will have armed Cavan Blazers swoop out on horseback and foot bent on mayhem.

The Donnellys: A Trilogy

The Donnellys: A Trilogy (Sticks and Stones, The St. Nicholas Lodge and Handcuffs) was written by the late esteemed poet, playwright and man of letters, James Reaney (1926-2008). The performs debuted at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre in successive years, 1973 to 1975. They inform the sorry chronicle of James and Johannah Donnelly and their seven sons and one daughter.

For this Blyth manufacturing, creative director Gil Garratt has tailored and abridged the performs particularly for the outside Harvest Stage, with the blessings of the Reaney household. Audiences can see the three elements on successive nights, carried out by the identical ten skilled actors taking part in the numerous roles. (The Pageant additionally has an indoor sequence within the Blyth Memorial Corridor.)

Relevance In The Up to date World

The takeaway from these performs is the relevance.

When Winslow wrote The Cavan Blazers, Northern Eire was mired within the blood-drenched Troubles. The truth is, throughout every remount, one thing horrible has been occurring on the planet — the civil wars between the Balkan international locations of the previous Yugoslavia, the tribal massacres in Rwanda.

The Donnellys’ Catholic on Catholic violence resonates with the brutal Muslim sectarianism between Sunni and Shia, and the assaults on their fellow residents by non secular radicals.

To make this analogy plain, Cavan Blazers director Kim Blackwell, 4th Line’s managing creative director, has designed a set with all of the partitions plastered with Catholic and Protestant slogans from at this time’s Northern Eire, which is like taking a visit down Belfast’s Falls Highway.

Her 4 fairness actors, who carry the play, are very robust. JD Nicholsen shines as magistrate Patrick Maguire, the person whose dream it’s to make Cavan township a house for Catholic settlers. His nemesis and chief of the Protestant Orangemen Cavan Blazers is Dane Swain, carried out with large authority by Colin A. Doyle.

Katherine Cullen is Ann Maguire, Patrick’s long-suffering Methodist spouse, whereas Winslow (who as soon as carried out the Maguire position), performs fellow magistrate John Knowlson. It’s the hapless Knowlson whom Maguire convinces to offer land to the Catholic settlers who’re introduced en masse into Cavan township. Younger actor Julia Scaringi offers a spirited efficiency as Catholic firebrand Martha Cooney.

As common, proficient Justin Hiscox has offered the Irish-based music, whereas designer Korin Cormier has anchored the numerous costumes in genuine interval. 4th Line’s productions at all times sound and look good.

The Donnellys: A Trilogy – Handcuffs: Half III

Over at Blyth, Garratt’s adaptation of The Donnellys: A Trilogy has retained the poetic cadence of the Reaney authentic. The numerous monologues specific the character’s internal ideas, whereas the scenes carry the motion. Garratt has additionally directed, and he is aware of the wrap-around Harvest Stage effectively. With its two staircases and gallery, Garratt’s forged is up, down, and throughout the city, so to talk. As is Blyth customized, the forged additionally performs the stay music.

I caught the final of the trilogy, Handcuffs, and the 10-member (7 males, 3 ladies) forged could be very highly effective. Some performances ought to be singled out, nevertheless. Paul Dunn as Father Connolly, the self-righteous priest who units the vigilante group in movement, is splendidly loathsome. James Dallas Smith because the sly bishop can also be robust, as is Steven McCarthy because the dignified Will Donnelly.

The monumental particular results, I’m assuming, are credited to set and lighting designer Beth Kates. When the vigilantes set the Donnelly home on hearth, it’s a fully startling second. For her half, Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston’s interval costumes look terrific.

Now right here is an fascinating twist. Jonathan Goad is presently showing within the Stratford Pageant’s manufacturing of Spamalot, however he’s credited as battle director for Blyth’s Donnelly Trilogy. Properly, he has carried out a bang-up job in Handcuffs. When these vigilantes assault the Donnellys, the violence is extremely reasonable, in reality, frighteningly so.

Remaining Ideas

The Blyth Pageant and 4th Line Theatre share different commonalities. Their performs are authentic Canadian fare, with 4th Line’s largely drawn from native historical past, whereas Blyth’s productions, each historic and up to date, are chosen to enchantment to its rural viewers base. In each instances, their audiences are extremely loyal.

And, we are able to’t depart this dialogue with out speaking in regards to the rain which has plagued outside theatres all summer time.

Mercifully, Blyth’s bathe was short-lived, and the play might proceed after a military of individuals dried off the stage with enormous items of fabric. Poor 4th line needed to lastly name the manufacturing when it was practically over, however did ship a replica of the second act of The Cavan Blazers to individuals’s emails so they’d understand how the play ended.

At each theatres, the actors, with out lacking a beat, continued on within the rain till stopped by administration. Now that’s professionalism at its core.

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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 position 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 College for the Arts.

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