It’s been a long two years since live theatre graced the stage at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre in Prescott but that all changed last night as Toronto’s Guild Festival Theatre kicked off a 6 show run with their production of David French’s Salt Water Moon.
Rain held off on the muggy Wednesday night as a small crowd of theatre goers gathered on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River shortly before dark. The set, simple, with only a rocking chair and a garden archway adorned with a string of lights. The path in front of the amphitheater was lined with solar lanterns.
Salt Water Moon is a love story, of sorts, that takes place on a moonlit September night in 1926, in front of a late 19th century home in rural Newfoundland. The cast is made up of, only, two characters Mary Snow (played by Sarah Gibbons) and, her former beau, Jacob Mercer (Luke Marty). As Mary stands outside the home gazing up at the stars Jacob returns from Toronto for which he left a year before to seek his fortune. During Jacob’s absence, Mary has become engaged to Jerome McKenzie…can you see where this is going yet?
Guild Festival Theatre’s Salt Water Moon live in Prescott, Ontario
For the next 90, or so minutes, we were transported back to Newfoundland in 1926 and as if watching through a crystal ball as these two star crossed, former, lovers work through hurt and pride to rediscover the love they once had. Sarah and Luke transformed into Mary and Jacob in front of our eyes and made the audience feel the anguish and love as they worked through their emotional past. There were moments where they made us laugh and other moments where they made us cry tears of joy.
For me this performance was even more metaphorical based on where we stand in the world today. Mary represents us and our lives and Jacob represents the lives we lived before the pandemic hit. Jerome is represents the person we’ve become, the safety net so to speak. For a publication like ours that is built around covering and promoting live events, almost nightly, the last two years have been brutally quiet. So much so that you tend to get a bit complacent and have to push yourself a bit harder to actually get up and go when the opportunity comes along.
The Guild Festival Theatre production of Salt Water Moon is excellent and I encourage anyone who loves, and misses, intimate live theatre to make the trip to Prescott and catch one of the productions before the theatre falls silent once again Sunday evening. Make it a day trip and spend some time in the amazing 1000 Islands, where there is so much to offer and then cap it off with this show. There are still tickets available but chances are they won’t last long.
All shows start at 7pm get your tickets here: https://www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca/saltwatermoon
The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival returns next summer as they celebrate a milestone 20 years, stay tuned for details as they come available.
