Three strong women who are single parents fight for financial survival for themselves and their families. Sounds modern, doesn’t it? But the story of Mrs. Moodie, her daughter Agnes and sister Catharine Parr Traill is a slice of Canadian history from the 1800s, and it is explored now in an original play by Sechelt author Louise Phillips titled The Wild Flower Book to be performed starting May 25.
If you grew up in Ontario you might remember that Susanna Moodie’s book Roughing it in the Bush (published 1852) was on the school curriculum and it gave an account of pioneer life in the 1830s in what was then called Upper Canada. Phillips thought Canadian history was a boring subject until she read the book. She was mesmerized by it and she researched further at the Archives in Ottawa.
“I wrote the play in novel style,” she said, “but it’s based on fact.” The three related strong-willed women were widowed. As pioneers they were plagued by infant deaths, illnesses and stovepipe fires, but they survived. Somehow they all managed to feed their families by using their talents in writing and sketching at a time when women did not work outside of their homes.
The historical characters come alive through local actors in this community theatre troupe, the Chair Actors. Mardell Vestad makes a formidable Mrs. Moodie, while dreamy Agnes (played by Tracy Uchida) bears nine children, buries four, and proves herself up to the task of raising a family. Her aunt, Mrs. Traill (Danda Humphreys), is a mine of information about local wild plants and when she asks Agnes to illustrate her book, the drama unfolds.
Four young people from the Driftwood Theatre School do a great job of setting a lighter tone: Jaclyn Semaniuk, Gravity Guignard, Maria Pedraza-Kercher and Gabriel Ryan. Corinna Savien plays an Irish maid, Mac Dodge is book publisher John Lovell, Bill Forst is an irascible printer and Geran Capewell, a socially inept doctor, rounds out the cast.
The play explores some big themes: evolution, God’s purpose for us, plants for healing and the unification of Upper and Lower Canada into one country. This last issue is on the mind of a newspaper editor (played by Steve Schwabl) who meets Agnes when she is desperate to have her wildflower sketches published.
The Chair Actors’ Company, which operates with the support of the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, was founded in 2010 and is on their way to becoming a full company, Phillips says.
The play opens at the Centre (5604 Trail Ave.) on Friday, May 25 at 7 p.m. and performs again on May 27 at 3 p.m., June 1 at 7 p.m., June 2 and June 3 at 3 p.m. Then, under the auspices of Driftwood Players, it moves to the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons on June 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. and June 17 at 3 p.m. Tickets for $20 are available at Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, Sechelt Fish Market and Sechelt Visitor Centre.
