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Jam-making sisters take theatre audiences on life's journey

Theatre Collingwood and Theatre Orangeville bring the world premiere of Where You Are to the Collingwood stage May 21 to 25.
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A scene from Where You Are, a Theatre Orangeville production coming to Theatre Collingwood next week. Photo supplied by Theatre Orangeville.

You’ll know exactly where the characters in Theatre Collingwood’s upcoming play are, but the performance is more about how you’re living Where You Are.

Where You Are is the first play of Theatre Collingwood’s summer season and it's coming from Theatre Orangeville where the show, written by a Canadian woman and set on Manitoulin Island, made its world premiere.

The story features four characters. Susanne and Glenda are sisters living on the island and making jam together. Their neighbour Patrick is a young veterinarian. Susanne’s daughter (and Glenda’s niece), Beth, comes home, and the story is about their journey as one of the women deals with declining health.

Beth is played by Kristen Da Silva, who is the playwright for Where You Are. The rest of the cast includes Debra Hale as Susanne, Jeff Hanson as Patrick, and Melanie Janzen as Glenda. Directing the play is David Nairn, and all are coming to Theatre Collingwood fresh off a run of the play at Theatre Orangeville.

“It’s been selling out, and a standing ovation every night,” said Nairn. “Audiences are finding it really honest, really funny, and really true. It’s a very life-affirming play.”

Nairn said the mandate of Theatre Orangeville is to do Canadian work that has been written, composed, or adapted by Canadians, and he’s excited to be working with a young, female playwright who is also part of the cast.

“It’s been super neat to have the author in the room,” said Nairn. “It’s very much a collaboration between director, playwright, and cast.”

The play, said Nairn, will resonate with most audiences for its universal message, but particularly mothers and daughters.

“It’s a comedy, but there are some moments where we’re going to take you to some emotional places,” said Nairn. “I think it’s more about finding the joy in your life, no matter how much life you have left, whether it’s 50 years or 50 minutes.”

With Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) not far behind him, the director easily slips into a Star Wars reference and life lesson.

“It’s a little bit like Star Wars. Do you go to the light side of the force or the dark side?” said Nairn. “When life throws crap in your way … are you going to be a Jedi or are you going to be Darth Vader?”

While there’s no outer space battles and droids in Where You Are, there are plenty of uniquely Canadian references, and those familiar with Manitoulin will see the Island throughout the play.

For Nairn, his hope is audiences learn a little about finding joy where they are.

“It’s always great to bring [a show] to Collingwood,” he said. “It’s my hope audiences come away engaged and entertained, but also … that there’s a lot of discussions afterwards in the bar, or on the way home, or a couple of days later about what they saw.”

Where You Are runs from May 21 to 25 at the Simcoe Street Theatre, and is being hosted by Theatre Collingwood through a six-year partnership with Theatre Orangeville to bring original, Canadian content to Collingwood. The shows run at 8 p.m. every night with 2 p.m. matinees on May 22, 23 and 25. You can buy tickets online here.


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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