It’s a history lesson and a sometimes serious, but often humourous, slice-of-life drama rolled into one.
Canadian playwright David French’s 1949 receives a detailed, period authentic production by Southridge School senior students next week (Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 23-25, 7 p.m. at the school, ticket information: 604-535-5056).
The play takes its title from the notable year in which Newfoundland, long a British colony, joined Confederation as its newest province – and French’s exercise in domestic realism is rooted in, and contrasted with, the politics of that change.
There was an excitement that much was to be gained by joining Confederation – but a sober realization, particularly among older and more fiercely independent Newfoundlanders, that much was also to be lost.
The bittersweet nature of the divisive decision is a constant subtext to the play 1949 – but far from its only focus.
As French – who was born there himself – recognized, Newfoundland is as much a state of mind as a physical location. The actual action of 1949 take place in Toronto, where the playwright’s Mercer family – native Newfoundlanders at heart – were transplanted at the beginning of the war.
The fact is the Mercers – father Jacob (Ben Rasera), mother Mary (Olivia Gerow) and their two young boys Ben (Brent Mosher) and Billy (Kyren Bueckert) – are as caught up in the day-to-day dramas of family life, with all their emotional and comedic resonance, as they are in the unfolding political drama of Newfoundland.
Also very present in their lives are acerbic Mercer matriarch Rachel (Rowan Laird), Mary’s sister Dot (Alexa Mordhurst) and passionate Newfoundlander Ned (Braxton Bonneville), as well as a rich cast of friends and neighbours, including the elderly Norman (Carson Van Noot) who has a crush on Rachel, the boys’ teacher Miss Dunn (Chelsea Andreou), April (Stephanie Nowak), Jerome (Shaquille Pabani), Dr. Hunter (Arjun Hair), Wiff (Kyle Ketchum) and Grace (Katie Bishop).
It’s only one of five plays that French, who died in 2010, wrote about the Mercer family, which he acknowledged was based very closely on his own.
The other plays provided more background for their characters than student actors usually get, agreed drama teacher-director Beth Mullin, who is being assisted in the production by student director Chandrika Manjunath.
“We’re so lucky that David French wrote all these plays,” she said, adding that several of the students involved in the current production have seen Salt-Water Moon, or are reading other plays in the cycle.
“I understand that 1949 is not performed as much as some of the others.”
For Mullin, who returned to the school – and her old job – last fall after a five-year sojourn in New Zealand, 1949 fulfills all the requirements for a volunteer student show.
“I wanted to do something that was Canadian-centred, something that told us about the east coast of Canada, and something that was full of drama, tragedy and comedy,” she said.
And the energy that her young cast and crew – which outside of four Grade 11- Grade 12 principal actors, consists mainly of Grade 9s and 10s – have brought to the project has been gratifying, she said.
Jacob’s emotional journey is one of the keynotes of the play, Rasera said.
“He’s had a tough life and he’s worked very hard to provide for his family,” he said.
Rachel’s attitude provides a stark contrast, according to Laird.
“She’s a very proud Newfoundlander and completely outraged at joining Canada,” she said.
Mary isn’t political, Gerow said.
“I don’t think she’s that hopped-up about Confederation. What she really feels is how it’s affecting her whole family.”
Dot’s agenda is more basic, Mordhurst said.
“I don’t think she’s that worried about Confederation,” she said.
“Her issue about (wanting to) get pregnant is what drives her through the play. She tries to create drama. She’s very flamboyant.”
