The struggles of Emily Carr

Canadian painting icon to be subject of new one-woman play

A new one-woman show in Tatamagouche will chronicle Emily Carr’s struggle to pursue an art career while running a boarding house in Victoria, B.C.

Carr received widespread recognition in the late 1920s for her paintings of landscapes and aboriginal designs. tatamagouche playwright and novelist Gary Blackwood created The Land Lady in 2011 after becoming inspired by Carr’s story and her paintings.

“Her life was filled with struggles and illness and disappointment, and they often give her voice an edge of bitterness or sadness. Yet at the same time she always viewed things with this sharp sense of humour that makes her oddly appealing,” said Blackwood.

After months of researching her life, Blackwood created a script featuring a combination of his words and Carr’s own words, taken from her diaries and memoirs.

“I wanted the show to be as near as possible in Emily’s own voice, which is a very distinctive one – funny, sarcastic, outspoken, sometimes outrageous,” said Blackwood. “Luckily, she wrote quite a bit about her life, so I had plenty to draw from.”

The show is set during the First World War and sees an adult Carr recounting her experiences growing up, studying art and looking for love.

“Of course, the problem is that you have to provide some justification for that, some reason why this character is addressing the audience,” said Blackwood. “In The Land Lady, I handled that in kind of an unusual way; no, I won’t say what it is.”

Blackwood will direct local actress and Anglican priest Nicole Uzans as the troubled artist.

“I’m used to being in front of a congregation but being in front of a theatre audience is different, especially in a one-person play,” said Uzans. “All eyes are on me and there’s a lot of pressure to entertain.”

Uzans, a long-time fan of Carr’s art, connected and sympathized with her upon reading the script.

“I have a lot of compassion for her. She’s fighting not to sink under a thousand different pressures, and no one is encouraging her,” she said.

The Land Lady will be performed at the Grace Jollymore Joyce Arts Centre in Tatamagouche May 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and will be available at the door,