Casting call out for original play
Durning, Stiles partnered on compositions for tale about rural community
A new play coming to the East River Valley weaves a musical tale about the joys, and struggles, of living in rural areas.
The playwright is Deborah Stiles, a poet and professor of rural studies at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus who lives in the East River Valley.
Inspired by the melodies of New Glasgow musician George Durning, Stiles wrote the lyrics and script for Go To The Dickens, which tells the story of a minister facing the struggles of a dwindling congregation and trying to deal with troublesome cast members of the congregation’s upcoming fundraiser: a reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
“She just got me to play a bunch of melodies and she put words to them,” said Durning, modestly noting Stiles had “all the ideas.”
Durning’s music, of which he has “stacks and stacks” around his home, suggested lyrics to Stiles, she said.
“One of the words was community, the sense of community that rural communities have.”
The play with music, which Stiles isn’t calling a musical, was born out of her experience growing up in the countryside and her current surroundings as well as conversations she had with Durning.
The tune Christmas in the Countryside talks about “fir trees as far as the eye can see,” with Stiles noting the difference in some of the ways the holidays are celebrated. She describes people from town picking out a tree in a parking lot or travelling once a year to a rural area, while rural residents can go to their neighbour’s property or their own acreage.
“It’s that different perspective that rural people have that kind of came out in this script….” Stiles said, after describing her love of the countryside and the quiet that comes with it.
Among the songs is a tune about the parishioners making sandwiches, inspired by the many sandwiches rural congregations will make for events – a sight Stiles has witnessed and describes as a “giggling assembly line.”
Another song speaks to the “sandwich generation,” people in their late 20s up to mid 50s trying to meet the needs of both their children and parents or grandparents.
The play was copyrighted in 2013, with the final two scenes drafted last year. Last fall, the pair held a meeting at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in the East River Valley, inviting community members to discuss if their idea to put on this production as a fundraiser was feasible.
They decided to split proceeds between St. Paul’s Presbyterian and St. Columba
United Church in Hopewell and combine choirs.
Stiles, who has limited experience with theatre herself, says everyone is welcome to take part, regardless of level of experience.
There are six roles to fill as well as two choruses. They’re hoping to see many people turn out for the next round of information meetings and casting calls, taking place on April 27 at 7 p.m. and April 29 at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in St. Paul’s on the East River East Side Road.
The production, which will show at both St. Paul’s Presbyterian and St. Columba United, is expected to take place in November with rehearsals to begin in September.