Brides in the bathtub
New play The Dr owning Girls opens tonight at the Peterborough Theatre Guild
In The Drowning Girls, opening Friday at the Peterborough Theatre Guild, a con man marries three women then drowns them to collect life insurance. More than a murder mystery – there is no sign of a struggle – the play is a bittersweet reflection by the brides on marriage.
The play is based on a true story. In 1915, George Joseph Smith was hanged in Britain for the Brides in the Bath Murders.
When director Bea Quarrie saw the Curtain Club production in Richmond Hill two years ago, she knew she had to direct this play. “The issues that women 100 years ago were dealing with resonate with women in today’s world. The struggle continues for human rights, for the worth and dignity of every individual,” she says.
“But the show is not preachy or serious,” she adds. “It has a great deal of whimsical comedy and farcical elements.”
It is also physically challenging for the actors. Wearing corsets and full-length wedding dresses, they step in and out of clawfoot bathtubs full of water for 90 minutes, without intermission.
The Drowning Girls premiered in 1999 at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. In 2008, Daniela Vlaskalic, Beth Graham and Charlie Tomlinson rewrote the play for a premiere at Alberta Theatre Projects PlayRites Festival. The production toured nationally and won many awards. The play has been staged in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
On display in the guild’s lobby will be an array of wedding dresses from 1874 to 1991, donated by local families. There will be photos of the original brides and lists of historical facts about advancements in women’s rights.
Some of the wedding dresses are unusual. Look for the blue linen suit worn in 1874, a pearl-embroidered flapper- style dress from the 1920s, and a black and red dress with matching black fur coat from the 1930s. One white gown was cut from a Second World War silk parachute.
The theatre guild will present 10 performances of The Dr owning Girls Nov. 3-18, including two Sunday matinees. Order tickets online at theatreguild.org or by phone at 705-745-4211.