By Tamara Botting | The Haldimand Press
July 11, 2024
PORT DOVER— Without having a personal connection to someone who has served in the armed forces, it can be all too easy to let pinning a poppy to your chest and attending a Remembrance Day service each November be the rote extent of honouring those who fought so we could be free.
It’s not a malicious mentality; it’s just that because war is something many are largely unfamiliar with – as many haven’t experienced or seen the impact firsthand – we have an emotional disconnect from even the concept of war, let alone the realities of it.
Facts and figures are part of the picture, but to truly touch hearts, stories are needed. We need to know the people behind the statistics.
One such story is ‘Mary’s Wedding,’ written by Stephen Massicotte with Derek Ritschel now directing the show for Lighthouse Festival Theatre.
The show boasts the talents of Daniel Reale as Charlie and Evelyn Wiebe has Mary, both in their debuts on this particular stage, but each with a number of acting credits under the belts.
Charlie, a Canadian farmer’s son, and Mary, whose family recently emigrated to Canada from England, find an immediate attraction to each other and soon discover shared interests, including horseback riding and poetry.
The two actors – the only performers on stage throughout the entire production – are charming and engaging, expertly drawing the audience in. We thrill, we rejoice, we fear, we grieve alongside them as their tender love story is soon overshadowed by the horrors of the First World War.
The story, the audience is told in the opening scene, begins at the end and ends at the beginning. Besides a non-linear timeline, the story is also told with Mary sharing her dreams of Charlie.
Memories of her time with him before he shipped out blend with his experiences on the front lines. But rather than her being an omniscient observer with the latter, she walks alongside her beloved in the role of his commanding officer, Gordon Flowerdew.
Flowerdew (1885-1918) was a real soldier, who emigrated to Canada from England in 1903, but 11 years later, returned to Europe and was part of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) calvary unit. He led a calvary charge against a fortified German position in the Battle of Moreuil Wood, which proved to be critical to the Allies’ defensive efforts. He was severely injured during the charge and died the next day.
His experiences are interwoven into the play, giving an authentic grounding to the story as it unfolds.
Very often, stories about war will glory in the heroism, the honour, the valour of it – Charlie himself is caught up in the romantic notions of war before the realities of it come crashing in on him.
‘Mary’s Wedding’ is unflinching when bringing to a sharp focus the horrors of war – the mud, the blood, the death, and the terror.
But as much as this play is about war, it’s also not.
It’s about Charlie and Mary; the sweetness of young love and the funny, awkward, fluttery moments of trying to figure out how you feel about this person, and whether they feel the same about you. It’s tender moments and stolen glances, feeling so full of joy that you might burst.
And that’s the strength of the play. The impacts of war matters because Charlie and Mary matter.
To experience this heartfelt story for yourselves, see ‘Mary’s Wedding’ in Port Dover until July 20, or in Port Colborne from July 24 to August 4.
For tickets, visit lighthousetheatre.com or call 1-888-779-7703.