Salt-Water Moon: A love story from the heart of Newfoundland
It’d be some sin if you missed the Studio Theatre, Perth production of Salt-Water Moon. There’s gonna be a jolly time when people start talking ’bout this play – like they got a record in them as big as a 45 gallon drum, no mistake! So, if you don’t want to feel like a Friday fish at a Saturday market you’d best come in out of the wet and get on down to the Studio T’eatre, where you’ll be greeted with “Best kind, b’y, and hows’ yerself?”
David French’s touching love story, set in Newfoundland in 1926, will make you stand up and cheer. The poignant scenes will give you goose bumps, and the stories about the fairies and tooth-charmers and St. Elmo’s Fire will enchant you. You’ll hear tell, boys, of the heroics of the First Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont Hamel in France on July 1, 1916, and what it was like back home to go fishing on the Labrador for 6 months when you was only 10 years old. And every once and a while you’ll be looking tru’ a spy glass at the Constellation of the Harp or King Charles’ Wain, over Spaniard’s Bay, and the moon over Jenny’s Hill.
Award-winning director Jane Stott was thrilled to have two extremely talented new graduates of Algonquin College’s Performing Arts program, Corgand Janeway-Svendsen from Westport, and Jasmine Halish from Ottawa, take on the roles of Jacob Mercer and Mary Snow. Mary Snow, 17, is from Hickman’s Harbour. She is employed as a servant by the Right Honorable Henry Dawe and his wife Lady Emma. Mary is engaged and soon to be married to the local school teacher, the son of a wealthy merchant in Coley’s Point, Nfld. A year earlier, Jacob Mercer, 18, had left for Canada without even saying goodbye, and has spent the last year making cement blocks in the big city of Toronto. Now, just like his movie idol Tom Mix in The Lucky Horseshoe, Jacob plans on riding in and rescuing the bride from being married against her will. Except that Mary doesn’t appear to want to be rescued…
Salt-Water Moon opens on Thursday, August 8 for 12 performances: August 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 7:30PM and August 11, 18 and 25 at 2PM. Advance tickets are $24 at Tickets Please (485- 6434; ticketsplease.ca) and at the Studio Theatre box office on show nights. Save $2 by purchasing advance tickets at the box office Saturday mornings between 10 am and noon. Students with ID pay just $10 at the door, subject to availability. Save $5 on opening night.
So don’t be lazy as a cut dog…get on the go, b’y, and enjoy Salt-Water Moon at the Studio Theatre, premiering August 8th. It’s a love story with the heart and soul of Newfoundland.
Jane Stott
Photo caption: Salt-Water Moon in rehearsal: Corgand Janeway-Svendsen tries to lure Jasmine Halish with real silk stockings all the way from Eaton’s Department Store in Toronto.
Photo by Terry Boyd
