Step aboard and back in time with Iron Mountain Theatre’s production of White Star Lady: The Story of Violet Jessop. White Star Lady is one-woman musical about the life and adventures of Ms. Violet Jessop. A stewardess aboard ocean liners for 42 years, her experiences at sea are unequalled by anyone in her position. The majority of her years were spent working for the White Star Line, and she was aboard all three of the ill-fated sister ships: RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic, and HMHS Britannic. Making her truly the ‘unsinkable Violet Jessop’.
The personal stories of these incidents, as well as a thoroughly researched account of the life and character of Violet Jessop, are all documented in this unique and engaging musical production. Set to the beautiful score composed by Nadine Tremblay, performer Jane Gaudet brings to life 11 different characters in this marathon of seemless transitions from scene to song. Meet characters like the enthusiastic 12 year William Brown, just a young cabin boy working aboard ships, or Ms. Priss, one of Violet’s first class passengers and her exactitude of demands.
2012 will mark the sinking of Titanic, join us for this glimps of what life was like for both women and crew to be working aboard shipping lines at the turn of the century. White Star Lady was born out of performer Jane Gaudet’s portrayal of Violet Jessop the Royal British Columbia Museum’s Titanic Artifact Exhibit.
“I was instantly captivated by Violet Jessop-hers is a solitary story, and yet I feel it speaks to the survival instinct of all people who face adversity”-Jane Gaudet
White Star Lady is performed by Jane Gaudet, written by Mark Pollard & Jane Gaudet, with music by Nadine Tremblay, and directed by RJ Peters. This creation is made possible by the generous support of The Columbia Basin Trust and The Kootenay Columbia Cultural Alliance.
“This show was spectacular, and the music composed by Nadine Tremblay was nothing short of amazing! Haunting vocal melodies and fantastic script writing made for a very entertaining and exciting show. Jane receives my highest commendation as her soprano vocal range would impress even the most discriminating adjudicator. I must also applaud the many marvelous ways that she differentiated characters, from accent to body position. I would be hard pressed to find anyone in the audience who did not thoroughly enjoy her show! “
-The Rossland Telegraph (Brogan Pastro & Maddie Taylor Gregg, Gr 11, RSS Students)
Jane Gaudet (Performer)
Jane has worked in professional musical theatre for the last eight years. An honours graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA), she co-founded her own production company Gotta Getta Gimmick in Victoria. After touring North America for three years with The Story Theatre company, Jane worked for The Belfry Theatre, Kaleidoscope Theatre, and The Okanagan Stage. It was through her work at The Royal British Columbia Museum’s Titanic Artifact Exhibit that she discovered and fell in love with Violet Jessop’s amazing story. After portraying the character at the exhibit, Jane began work on the script and states the the entire process of producing her own show has been quite literally “a dream come true”. She hopes that others will be as inspired by this miraculous woman’s life.
