The New Founde Lande Trinity Pageant
Directed by: Donna Butt
The anchor event of our festival, the Pageant takes you on a magical journey through the lanes and roads of Trinity. The whole summer company will entertain and enthral you every step along the way. You will meet an array of colourful characters as our past unfolds in story and song. You will long remember Dustabella Durdle's first winter here, Peter Easton and his band of pirates, the Minister consoling his parishioners at St. Paul's church, the raucous mischief of the old travelling court, the heart wrenching stories of hardship and privation, and above all, the strength, courage, and humour of our people. And you will surely sing the Ode to Newfoundland as you bid farewell to a great and grand recreation of our cherished past. For 17 years the Trinity Pageant has been hailed by all who see it as a moving and joyous tribute to our beloved New Founde Lande. Showtime is 2pm outside the Interpretation Centre in Trinity. Please prepare for the possibility of inclement weather. As it is an outside walkabout, proper footwear is suggested, and we cannot guarantee that walkers and wheelchairs will always have an unobstructed view. If you have special requirements, please contact our Box Office.
Brand New Beat
Written by: Amelia Manuel & Petrina Bromley
Directed by: Stephen Drover
Musical Direction by: Amelia Manuel & Petrina Bromley
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
On October 1st, 1964, while the free speech revolution launched in Berkley, California, a movement of another kind was happening in Newfoundland. The Art Andrews Dance Party lit up television screens from coast to coast, bringing the beat to the teenagers... the Rock was ready to roll. Hosted by Trinity Bay native Art Andrews, young Newfoundland bands were broadcast live into living rooms across the province, making instant celebrities of the musicians and their dancing fans. A sound you couldn’t dismiss, breaking down religious barriers, uniting townies and baymen — rock n’ roll was here to stay. Join us on Friday nights as we gather around for some swinging, swaying and records playing, some dancing on TV!
Culture Shock
Directed by: Sandy Gow
A rollicking fun evening that will lighten your day and bring a smile to your night. Culture Shock takes a young fella from a small town in Newfoundland and plants him in a foreign country — Quebec — where he meets 2 hard cases speaking a language he doesn’t understand and carryin’ on in a way they never did back home. Throw in the middle of all that trips back home to Dad who doesn’t know what’s going on and the postmistress who knows everything, or so she thinks, and you have a great time for all. Culture Shock will feature Glen Downey, Tina Randell, and Rory Lambert.
Lead Me Home
Designed by: Frank Lapointe
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
On the night of October 13th, 1942, the passenger ferry S.S. Caribou plied the waters of the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The ship, like our play, was filled with music, laughter and romance as a lively mix of U.S. and British military personnel, civilians, and a Newfoundland crew, gathered around the piano in the ship’s lounge. They joked, they sang, they even had an innocent racket or two. In the early hours of October 14th tragedy struck. A German submarine hit and within 5 minutes the ferry was gone. As a small band of survivors cling to their lifeboat we watch a tale of courage and generosity unfold, guided by the haunting words of the Captain of the Caribou, Trinity native Ben Taverner. Written by one of Newfoundland’s most beloved authors.
Rig
Adapted by: Joan Sullivan
On the night of February 15th, 1982, the Ocean Ranger, the rig they said they could never sink, toppled into the sea, creating one of the worst tragedies in Newfoundland’s history. There were no survivors. The whole province mourned. We were gripped in a sadness, an anger and a collective sense of pain. Mike Heffernan’s relative was on the rig that night. His book simply and eloquently, in the words of those affected most, captures the many facets of that terrible night and its aftermath. Joan Sullivan has edited his book with sensitivity and an eye to juxtaposition.
Terese's Creed
Terese’s Creed is a tribute to the women of Newfoundland and Labrador who, through hard work, humour and indomitable spirit, survived the good times and the bad in small outports in the early 1960s. We find Terese, played by our Artistic Director, at her old wringer washer and eavesdrop as she talks to herself about her fisherman husband, her kids and a time passed but much missed. She’ll make you laugh and she’ll make you cry — she might even make you wring out the laundry.
Saltwater Moon
Directed by: Charlie Tomlinson
This delightful hit returns for its 16th season. It takes us back to a lovely summer evening in 1926 when the moon is full and young Jacob Mercer has come home from Canada to win back his sweetheart. Mary Snow is about to marry the merchant’s son but Jacob will have none of that. Told outside under the stars, this funny and moving play will warm your heart and put a twinkle in your eye.
Play Me Home
Directed by: Petrina Bromley
Compelling, riveting and warm with humour, Play Me Home is the latest offering from one of our best playwrights. Set in 1950s Newfoundland, the play follows the lives of five young people suffering from TB and sent for prolonged confinement in the San. Laughter, tears, fabulous characters and entrancing stories open a window into the wards of the San where sometimes the best medicine is the comfort of friendship. Beautifully told with grace and joy, it will truly Play You Home.
No Man's Land
Directed by: Donna Butt
Designed by: Frank Lapointe
Adapted from the novel published by Doubleday Canada
Original play now available in print by Flanker Press
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
July 1st, 1916 is remembered as the day the best and brightest of a generation of Newfoundland men were virtually wiped out. From every bay, cove and town, from fishing stage to merchant’s home, they marched off to the Great War, proud members of their very own Newfoundland Regiment, never suspecting what one terrible morning of treachery would bring. Our soldiers were part of the immeasurable toil of war, yet as they travelled to distant lands they were never without the spirit and humour they brought from their homeland. You will see why this July morning will never be forgotten.
The Silent Time
Directed by: Donna Butt
Dramaturgy by: Donna Butt
Based on the novel published by Creative Book Publishing
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
A ship-wreck with a missing cargo, a civil-servant’s vengeance, a young woman’s broken dreams and a disillusioned politician who finds purpose in her cause. These are the elements of The Silent Time, set in 1920’s Newfoundland. In the midst of it all is Dulcie Merrigan, a deaf child alone in a silent world, trapped it seems on the bleak coast of the Cape Shore until her mother confronts a long held secret so Dulcie can travel abroad to a school for the deaf. This wonderful play, rooted in the years leading up to Newfoundland’s loss of responsible government in 1934, makes political events a mere backdrop for a very human tale. A fabulous cast and haunting sights and sounds combine to create a moving and uplifting experience.
Dinner Theatre Shenanigans!
A light and lively look at Newfoundland Culture. Shenanigans celebrates the “golden age” of life in the outports. Songs and recitations compliment wonderful stories. Each year new company members bring something from their part of the province, plus some old favourites that bring people back every year, giving you a wonderful cross-section of all Newfoundland has to offer. Great home cooking is topped off with the arrival of a band of Mummers. Dinner is served indoors in our beautiful Arts Centre overlooking Trinity Harbour.
Dead Ducks
Be prepared for gritty, gripping theatre in this premiere of Larry’s tough new play about a crowd of young Newfoundlanders making their way in the rough and tumble of Toronto. They have all had their troubles on the island and now they find themselves adrift in a city where drugs, drink and temptation are all too present. The central character in this humorous and hard-hitting story is a sensitive character from back home trying to seek a better and different life than the one he finds himself in. WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE.
To Each His Own
A co-production of Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity Historical Society, and The Coaker Foundation
William Coaker was one of the most controversial figures in Newfoundland history and To Each His Own was the motto of the union he built. It all started one cold November night in 1908 when Coaker dared to organize the fishermen and free them from the control of the merchant. Along the way he built a movement, a business empire and a political party. To some he was a great reformer, to others a tyrant and hypocrite. To all though, he and his Fishermen’s Protective Union were a force to be reckoned with. Performed in The Factory, the restored FPU premises in Port Union, this is history with wit, warmth and drama.
Autumn in Trinity Bight is as magnificent and breathtaking as Summer. Come join us as we carry Summer favourites, new shows and exciting special events into the Fall. Find scheduling information on our BRAND NEW website as it becomes available, or contact our box office at any time: 1-888-464-3377. A sampling of our Fall shows are listed below. It will be a Fall to remember, so stay in touch!
The Lone Randells
Directed by: Charlie Tomlinson
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
Jack Randell was a self-made adventurer, a sea captain who lived in his own image of his own world, a world that included rum-running, ship-racing, and overseas battles. His sister Mae, whose house still stands in Port Rexton, was a nurse in WWI who never married and returned home to teach school where she fearlessly lived outside the conventions of the early 20th century. Two stories interweave with brother and sister for whom homeland, family and place mean very different things. One evening as the harbour is about to celebrate Captain Jack’s return a stranger arrives and everyone’s perceptions are changed forever. A poet, film writer and playwright, Des Walsh is a Newfoundland icon and Ruth Lawrence an actor, writer and director every bit his equal.
Abandon Hope, Mabel Dorothy
When Wayne’s father was lost at sea and his mother lost to illness, the family dispersed and Wayne ended up in Ontario. This true-to-life play recounts his return to the small resettled outport his family once lived in. It is a touching journey of love and forgiveness, told with wit and drama. Journey with us and discover a family, a community, a history, and a place called home.