Elephants to roam Shelburne again

Basement Theatre preparing to present The Elephant in the Backyard

“When elephants roamed Shelburne.”

As absurd as that sounds, it really happened. Shelburne’s longstanding theatre troupe the Basement Theatre, aswe previously reported, is now just days away from presenting an original play, written by one of their own, telling the story.

The play’s setup: “It is 1979, and the circus has arrived in Shelburne. A fisherman’s family is dealing with a family crisis, while elephants roam the streets and backyards of the town.”

It happened on July 24, 1979. After a pair of elephants finished their act in the circus ring, instead of going straight out of the tent, they turned left and ran for the main gate. They were on the lam for two days before their rhinestone headpieces, glittering in the sun, were spotted.

The Elephant in the Backyard is penned by Shelburne resident Ed Trevors, who calls it his “love letter” to Shelburne County. “I base these characters off of Shelburne County. The character of the people here is amazing.”

Trevors, an Anglican priest at Christ Church, moved to Shelburne eight years ago. Part of his job is to listen, and in listening to people he began hearing stories about the circus elephants that got away in Shelburne.

“I heard these stories about the night these elephants escaped, and as I heard them, I realized these stories were so absolutely ridiculous,” he recalls. “I mean that in the best possible way. You couldn’t possibly make this up.”

The elephants’ escape inspired Trevors to write his first play. Initially Trevors focused on the elephants, but as he continued to write, he began focusing more on the people. The elephants serve as the backdrop for a larger personal story interwoven among his characters.

The Elephant in the Backyard blends comedy and drama, with poignant scenes strewn throughout. “Any good comedy rides the back of something traumatic,” Trevors reflects.

Trevors finished his play last June, then invited friends over to do a read- through just for fun. Producer Susan Hoover saw magic in the story and insisted it should be the next play the Basement Theatre took on. The Basement Theatre subsequently received $ 500 grants from the Town of Shelburne and the Municipality of the Dis- trict of Shelburne to produce the play.

“We pitched them with the fact that the play was written by a resident, and that the story actually happened in July of 1979, when two elephants escaped from the circus and ran all over Shelburne,” Hoover explains. “I have been surprised at how many people remember this.”

Directed by Shauna Lee Allen, The Elephant in the Backyard stars Trevors and Amanda Pedro, along with Basement Theatre President George Thorburn, Alex Buchanan, Ben Pooley, Guy Tipton and Mary Jane Puxley. The cast also features three Basement Theatre youth members: Mya Chidiac, Clara Jurgenliemk and Neve Pedro.

For the first time, the Basement Theatre is offering a Pay What You Can admission for opening night on June 1. “We want everyone in Shelburne to see the play, and we will have a talk after the play so that people can share their memories,” Hoover says.

“Also we are going to arrange pickup for people who can’t drive or don’t like to drive at night. All they have to do is call the Osprey and tell them which time they are coming to the play, and we will arrange that.”

Call the Osprey Arts Centre at 902-875-2359 to request transportation.