Fall 2024 Show Lineup

Abandon Hope Mabel Dorothy

Abandon Hope Mabel Dorothy is a story of family, belonging, and a journey for love. A man in his mid 30s, adopted as a baby and taken from Newfoundland, returns to a small resettled community near the town of Grand Bank in search of a family he believes rejected him when his father was lost at sea and his mother died. The journalist in him investigates the mystery of how his father’s ship disappeared. Meanwhile the embittered and troubled soul in him searches for a sense of who he came from and for a place he barely knows. It is a play about discovery, yearning, and redemption. It is, above all, a beautiful and uplifting tale of confronting the pain of regret and separation, and embracing the future with understanding and forgiveness.

TERESE’S CREED

BY MICHAEL COOK
COMMISSIONED BY CENTAUR THEATRE MONTREAL, QUEBEC
​LOCATION: MAIN SPACE - RISING TIDE

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 1960’s. Find Terese 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.

2024 SUMMER SEASON LINE UP

Maiden Voyage

COMMISSIONED BY RISING TIDE THEATRE
BOOK BY MEGHAN GREELEY
MUSIC BY MALLORY CLARKE
LOCATION: MAIN SPACE - RISING TIDE 
DIRECTED BY MEGHAN GREELEY​

This new Newfoundland musical has all the drama and fun of a Shakespearian romp: betrayal, revenge, triumph, gender-bending disguises, duels, ships, and an epic love story with a surprising twist. Sally is about to marry her beloved fiancé, Willie, when he is pressed into the navy and sent into battle on the high seas. Her only option? To disguise herself as a sailor and find him. Based on the narrative of the traditional folk song Willie Taylor, and packed with original music, this show features a stellar ensemble cast and tunes you’ll be humming for weeks to come. 

THE FLYING DOCTOR

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY MOLIÈRE
COMMISSIONED BY PERCHANCE THEATRE
​ADAPTED BY EVAN MERCER
​LOCATION: MAIN SPACE - RISING TIDE 
DIRECTED BY MALLORY CLARKE

Writer Evan Mercer gives this timeless comedy, which is adapted from Molière's original, an entertaining Newfoundland and Labrador touch. Fit for the whole family  this delightful comedy focuses on a hilariously absurd plan to bring two real lovers back together in the middle of an arranged marriage. Complete with a phony doctor and lots of hilarious antics this colorful production will have you laughing from beginning to end! Come enjoy some humor, sly tricks, and a happy celebration of love.

​THE TRINITY PAGEANT

BY DONNA BUTT AND RICK BOLAND
​LOCATION: OUTSIDE/WALKING
DIRECTED BY DONNA BUTT

The anchor event of our festival, the pageant takes you on a journey through the town of Trinity. The whole summer company will entertain you and enthral you every step of 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 30 years, the Trinity Pageant has been hailed by all who see it as a moving and joyous tribute to our beloved Newfoundland.

 SHENANIGANS: DINNER THEATRE
LOCATION: MAIN SPACE - RISING TIDE
DIRECTED BY MALLORY CLARKE

Experience a Feast of Mischief, Music, and Merriment!
Join us for an evening filled with entertainment from our company's magnificent musicians, singers, and actors. They will delight you with traditional songs from our culture, featuring music, recitations, and comedy.
All ages are welcome to join in the fun!

A TIDY PACKAGE
BY BERNI STAPLETON AND AMY HOUSE
​LOCATION: PARISH HALL- TRINITY (2ND FLOOR) *PLEASE NOTE THIS SPACE IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE*  
DIRECTED BY DONNA BUTT

This comedy/drama will have you laughing with glee one moment and shedding a tear the next.  Set just after the cod moratorium in 1992, two sisters struggle to come to terms with a community turned upside down. This is a play about family, about loss and about the courage to move forward. Written by two of Newfoundland’s finest writers, it is a roller coaster of a ride, a journey where you will experience the strength of the human spirit, the resilience of our people and our natural humour.   ​

BIRTHDAY BALLOON
BY STEVE COCHRANE
COMMISSIONED BY RISING TIDE
LOCATION: THE PARISH HALL (2ND FLOOR) *PLEASE NOTE THIS SPACE IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE*  
DIRECTED BY DONNA BUTT

​It’s 5 am in the cove and David and Millie Brake are on the brink of divorce. David is a pipe fitter working in Fort McMurray, gone for weeks at a time. Millie is his “oil widow” trying to make sense of her life in a changing rural landscape as she deals with a family tragedy. She is a spitfire with a sharp tongue, laced with generations of black Newfoundland wit and when she finds out Dave is having an affair it is all she can do not to cleave him in two. An examination of the “new” Newfoundland identity the play still poses the question- what is it that keeps us in love with this place we call home.

FILMS

Party Pirate

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Directed by Ruth Lawrence
Written by Luke Lawrence
​Produced by Jennifer Hawley, Relatable 

In this heartwarming comedy, Tommy is a young actor/dishwasher with dyslexia who can’t seem to get a break. One day, he lands a well-paying acting gig...as a pirate for a kids’ party bus. But a series of misadventures, including a showdown with the pirate he displaced and a joyride on a stolen boat, threatens to turn it all into a spectacular failure, until Tommy learns how to fight his own battles while accepting what makes him unique.

 An adult coming-of-age story through a neurodivergent lens, with self-effacing humour, and some sweet stop motion animations.

Starring Luke Lawrence, Che Durena, Sima Sepehri, Joel Thomas Hynes,  Mary Walsh

Who's Yer Father?

Directed & Written by Jeremy Larter
​Produced by Jenna Macmillan,
Jason Arsenault & Jeremy Larter 

Who's Yer Father?  is a romantic crime story about bumbling private detective Larry Constable (Locke). In his 40s, divorced and living in his shabby office, Larry is hired by wealthy seafood buyer Luke Thorn to investigate black market lobster sales by a Sandbar Cove fisherman named Glenn Misener. Thorne promises Larry a $5,000 bonus if he can provide proof of Glenn's illegal sales. Larry travels to Sandbar Cove and instantly falls in love with Rhonda Perry (Kent), a chatty convenience store owner whose best-selling items include beer and "rubbers". After discovering a greasy secret about Luke Thorne's wife Nicole (Horn), Larry and Rhonda dive headfirst into blackmail, summer romance and the greasy underbelly of Prince Edward Island in this hilarious and sincere maritime comedy.

Sweetland

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Directed by Christian Sparkes
Produced by Allison White
​​Written by Michael Crummey and Christian Sparkes

The scarcely populated town of Sweetland is in slow decline when the mainland government offers each islander a generous resettlement package. The sole stipulation is that everyone must leave. But enigmatic Moses Sweetland refuses. Motivated by a sense of history, haunted by mistakes of his youth and concerned that his autistic nephew Jesse will wilt on the mainland, Moses holds his ground despite violent opposition from other islanders.
As he manages a diminishing food supply and battles the ravages of the weather, the border between the natural world and the supernatural world blur and he finds himself moved to acts of increasing desperation, only to be stymied again and again by the ruins of memory and the fierce will of nature.

Films On The Go

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St. John's International Women's Film Festival is celebrating the Year of the Arts with its "Films on the Go" program, featuring all local films selected from the most recent festival.
These six short films, created by women and gender-diverse filmmakers from Newfoundland and Labrador, explore themes through personal storytelling, music, dance, and visual art. They examine how the past shapes our identities and how perspectives can change over time or in a single moment.
The program includes diverse perspectives from Indigenous, newcomer, and LGBTQ2SIA+ communities, and runs for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. While the films are unrated and suitable for general audiences, they are not specifically designed for children.
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Please note that closed captioning is not available.

Directed by Christian Sparkes
Produced by Allison White; William Woods
​​Written by Albert Shin; William Woods; Kevin Coughlin; Ryan Grassby

After the mayor of an idyllic island village discovers a child with mysterious powers awash on their shores, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next saviour.

The King Tide