GORE BAY—In two weeks the curtain will be going up on Gore Bay Theatre’s next anticipated production of a modern classic, ‘Kindertransport’ by Diane Samuels, which will also represent Gore Bay Theatre at the annual Northern Ontario Drama Festival. The festival will be held in Sudbury and feature plays from across Northern Ontario including Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Elliot Lake.
‘Kindertransport’ was the name given to the operation which lifted Jewish children and others whose ethnic origins made them targets for persecution out of Nazi Germany at the start of World War II. The Nazis would not allow a parent to accompany their child, and frightened and on their own, these children-some as young as five-years-old—travelled by boat and train to safety in England.
The drama illustrates the complications and difficulties in the life of a woman who as a child was among the ten thousand children brought to England. The production features Gore Bay Theatre veterans Tara Bernatchez, Lori Evans, Kayla Greenman and Shannon McMullan and newcomers Jack Clark and Kyleen Robertson.
The play has been universally acclaimed with rave reviews wherever it has been performed. The Milton Citizen called it “deeply moving, thrilling drama.” The New York Times said “searing theatre, a must see.” The Latest called it “a stunning production that proves the power of great theatre,” and the New York Post said it was “extraordinarily moving.” The Noda Review called it “truly memorable, so powerful and meaningful.”
Co-directors Andrea Emmerton and Walter Maskel are very excited about the production. Ms. Emmerton said, “it is one of the most powerful scripts we have ever directed because it is based on fact, a history lesson come to life. The play uses the historical context to explore the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship, to probe the inner life where memory is shaped by trauma and raise the question as to whether the gates of a country should ever be closed to asylum seekers, a topic which is very relevant today. At its heart, though, the play is about that universal and timeless aspect of human experience, the separation of a child from its parent. Every person can relate to that.”
Mr. Maskel added, “Kindertransport’ is one of the most challenging plays we have ever directed. The play is filled with symbols and metaphors and the set, sound, lighting, props and costumes have to reinforce the themes and visual metaphors. All the actors have to learn English or German accents or both. It is a tremendous acting challenge to capture authentic dialects as well as the powerful emotional intensity of each character. We know that audiences will be swept away by this thought-provoking and moving story and the powerful performances by our remarkable cast.”
The play will be on stage March 11 and March 12 at 7:30 pm and March 13 at 2 pm at the Gore Bay Community Hall. All tickets will be sold at the door, and patrons of the Gore Bay Theatre will be able to redeem their free ticket vouchers with this production.
