Marshlight Theatre Company, a merger of the former Performers Theatre and Live Bait Theatre,  is in the midst of its second season in Sackville.
Located in a rental space at the corner of Queens Road and Fairfield Road, the little black box theatre which seats 42 patrons, is a cozy and inviting space. In the short time since they began, Marshlight has mounted several mainstage productions, children’s productions, and new works. They have also produced shows at the Motyer-Fancy Theatre on the Mount Allison campus.
This evening is opening night for their most recent offering, Daniel MacIvor’s Small Things. A play for three women that opens with Patricia, an older woman who has just recently moved to a new town and is in search of a housekeeper who might also offer some personal care and support.
Patricia is played by the delightful Penny Mott, who has been with Marshlight since its beginnings and before that with Performers Theatre Company. She is a member of the board of directors and has done all manner of jobs along the way from cleaning the bathroom, to creating costumes, to doing sets and props, and even a little acting.
Allison Bernardi plays Dell, the daughter of the housekeeper Birdy, played by Danielle McFarlane, whom Patricia hires. Allison had her start with Marshlight in its first season in the inaugural show, The Wyrd Sisters, and is enthusiastic about being back on stage for this production.
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CHMA talked with both actresses ahead of their final rehearsal and learned that this has been a revelatory experience for each. Both credit the thoughtful and thorough direction of Paul Griffin as being a very positive experience where they learned a great deal about the play, their characters and the art of acting.
“I’ve never been trained as an actor. I’ve no experience. I started to do a little bit here, but this time, this play, being directed by Paul, has been an amazing experience. It’s been like a course. It’s been a huge learning experience,” says Mott.
For Bernardi, the initial prep stands out as being central to the positive, professional experience they had working on the play with Paul.
“We started just by dissecting the play so that the three of us really understood our characters and understood the relationships they have with each other. After maybe two or even three weeks, we started actually acting it out. By the time we were on the set, it felt like I already knew who Dell was. So, it was a really interesting way to start learning the script. I’ve never been trained as an actor, and I feel like Paul really brought a lot to giving us a really professional experience.”
Director Paul Griffin has been involved in theatre for over 40 years and was the Crake Fellow in Drama from September 2022 – April 2024 at Mount Allison University.
Marshlight Theatre’s Production of Small Things has performances November 14 – 16 and November 21 – 23 at 7:30 pm with Saturday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. The Theatre is located at 3 Fairfiend Road and the door opens 30 minutes before showtime.
For more information or to purchase tickets, vist the website at: www.marshlight.ca
