By Dan White – Special to the Sydenham Current
This week, I will dovetail on Dave’s most recent column, as well as an article that one of the cast members from “Remember, Maggy?” posted recently. As I write this, we are two days from opening “Maggy.” Joni and I have been working… I want to say tirelessly, but to be honest, we are both exhausted and can’t wait until Sunday. We will miss the ladies and the process of preparing for and rehearsing the show, but the unseen effort it takes to entice an audience to come to a show and the many tasks that need to be tended to if a show is not going to languish in the valley of mediocrity will be bid a fond farewell.
Thanks to the kindness of our title sponsor, Glasstown Brewing Company, and the support of Wallaceburg Kinsmen Club, Heritage Savings and Credit Union Inc., and CKXS 99.1 in Wallaceburg, who all made significant contributions to the show, as well as Haycock-Cavanaugh Funeral Home, RM Southeby’s, Dentistry in Wallaceburg, Green Clean Queen, Schepens Auto, and Royal Bank in Wallaceburg, we know we can pay the bills. But make no mistake, putting on a play is expensive. The Kiwanis Theatre is a nice little theatre with a 646-seat capacity, but the bill for that will be several thousand, and while that is not the only bill, it is the biggest by far. By contrast, when Joni and I presented “The Ladies Foursome” at the Jeanne Gordon (no longer) Theatre here in Wallaceburg in 2016, our total budget was under $1,500, and we made a profit of $4,100 that was donated to the Wallaceburg Museum. It was well attended, and we hoped it would be a springboard to regular theatrical performances in Wallaceburg. Unfortunately, it was followed immediately by that venue becoming unavailable to anyone in this community for live theatrical performances.
But really, why do live theatre? Who cares, and why should they? Isn’t theatre an antiquated, boring thing for old people? I would argue that now more than any time in recent history, theatre is needed. Traditionally, one of the roles of theatre, beyond entertainment, is to hold a mirror up to society to show us who we have become.
Theatre helps people to see that they are not alone with plays like “Maggy,” which has a theme that deals with addiction and disease, as well as love and acceptance. That part resonates with audience members and reminds them that their challenges are not in isolation, their struggles can be faced, and their efforts to be a source of light and hope for others are not in vain. Theatre is storytelling, and that is what we as a species have done since we first communicated.
We live in a society that has become fractured, and where people stand on corners crying out that their lives are unjustly controlled. Maybe a play about those who truly suffer oppression and can’t cry out about it would encourage compassion and understanding here in Canada, or a play about the atrocities committed in the name of religion, politics, conformity, or ignorance would make a dent in the standard bearers of those tragedies.
Theatre can lift your spirits, it can connect you with strangers as you gather for a shared experience, it can move you, challenge you, and set your mind at ease. Large theatrical experiences by professional companies are fun and can be amazing, but a show in your community can be specific to your community and tell the tale of that community.
It doesn’t have to reach a global audience to be successful. A show about social media created by youth can ironically draw them away from the absorption into social media and remind them of the power of social interaction. It can provide balance. Theatre has the ability to bring communities together and is a powerful and meaningful experience for the cast and crew. This often extends to the audience if the play is authentically telling a story. It can be the launching point for discovery and introspection, and it can poke fun at our follies so we remember how to laugh at ourselves.
As Dave noted, Wallaceburg doesn’t just need a theatre, it deserves a performance venue. With proper management and a strong volunteer base, it would be well used and an immense asset, encouraging residents to invest in the community. Joni and I currently purchase coffee and food in Chatham, but we would gladly present Maggy in Wallaceburg if we had a suitable venue. We prefer to support local businesses when possible. Despite being the second largest community in this oddly large municipality, Wallaceburg lacks adequate gathering spaces for the arts. Maybe, perhaps, possibly, if this community spoke with one voice, its needs would be met.
Although I am not from here, I am here, and I want to be a part of a solution, regardless of the history.
So does Dave, and so do many others. When we choose to speak with one voice, we go from a multitude of whispers to a clear and thunderous roar.
That’s just my opinion.
