The Mercury Players are breathing new life into historical figures in their second staged reading of the season, Canadian Wild Flowers, which will play for one night only on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Sands Funeral Chapel Reception Centre in Duncan.
Canadian Wild Flowers is based on a true story of one woman’s courage and hope in meeting the challenges of poverty and loneliness in Upper Canada in 1865 is the second original play written by local talent Louise Phillips. She previously wrote the one-woman show called Seasick, which she performed in a wetsuit and flippers at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Her other credits include co-writing three staged reading scripts with a group of seniors in Sechelt which led to a 2017 commission from the Sechelt Arts Festival called Syiyaya for Canada’s 150th, and then a full production of CWF in Gibsons at Heritage Playhouse in 2018. In 2021, she also wrote Voices, about Canadian opera star Jeanne Gordon, for the Sechelt Arts Festival. She said her inspiration for CWF, which was initially produced as The Wild Flower Book, came from the Lee Valley Catalogue when they featured a soft-cover reprint of the book nearly 20 years ago.
"I enjoy researching Canadian historical figures and giving them life on stage," said Phillips. "I was immediately smitten by the story of how Agnes Fitzgibbon overcame so many obstacles as a young widow in a man’s world."
Fitzgibbon is a Victorian woman and talented amateur painter who is newly widowed and must find a way to support her six children. She sets out to create the very first book of Canadian wildflowers, but without a single colour press in the colony to print her illustrations she fears her dream will wither on the vine. She faces her publisher’s reluctance, her mother’s disapproval, as well as her own self-doubt. She discovers the importance of family, and of the belief in her dream after enlisting the aid of her three young daughters to hand paint each drawing and in the process forever changes Canadian book publishing.
"On the theme of new beginnings, with the new year just underway, I think it’s appropriate to be telling the story of an enterprising young woman starting a new life journey in a newly minted country and taking Canadian publishing in a new direction," said Phillips.
A staged reading has no set, no props, and costumes are minimal at best. There are no dramatic light changes — just the actors interacting, and performing the story with their scripts in front of them. CWF showcases a large cast of 13 adults and four children to remind people that community theatre is truly for everyone. Some of the main players include Alison Bendall who plays Agnes, Louise Phillips who plays well-known author and Agnes's formidable mother Susanna, Katherine Reid who plays Agnes’s kind aunt Catharine, and John Close playing the role of eligible bachelor and newspaper publisher Brown Chamberlin. While some new faces grace the stage, local theatre scene devotees will also recognize Rob Foell, Karmin Mutter, Erin Butler, and Tom Przywara.
Layne Kriwoken, who has a background in community theatre as youngster in Prince George as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Victoria, is excited to be directing his first play with the Mercury Players. He was involved with Fringe in Vancouver, and after a hiatus in the theatre world he returned to it after joining Mercury Players last year and noted it was the support and passion of the players that motivated him to try his hand at directing Working with four younger actors ages eight to 12 has been a delight, he said.
"I met Louise when we acted together in Lesser Demons last year and was immediately impressed with her talent and professionalism," said Kriwoken. "I feel honoured to be trusted with the role of bringing her tender script to life in this staged reading. Working collaboratively with such an artistic group is a rewarding way immerse myself in the craft after so long."
Admission for Canadian Wild Flowers will be by donation. Doors at the Ypres Street entrance of Sands Funeral Chapel will open at 6:30 p.m, those planning to attend can pre-register on the Mercury Players website for advance seating.
"This story is an encouraging reminder that determined talented people, often who are minorities, can persevere and even prosper when facing systemic prejudices, especially in difficult times," said Kriwoken. "I've really enjoyed the process of making choices during rehearsal and then seeing how they manifest and change through working with the actors. I think the audience will enjoy an interesting and entertaining evening of Canadiana story telling."
