Written By Olena Riznyk
AILSA CRAIG – Jessica Ducharme first performed at Ye Olde Towne Hall in 2013. This month, she returns with Sea Through the Glass, a play she wrote and will perform with fellow actor Gregory Brown.
Their company, Pas de Deux Productions, will present Sea Through the Glass on October 23. The evening will include artwork by members of the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre and readings by the local writers’ group.
Brown said conversations in smaller communities helped shape their plans. They heard from people who wanted to bring back arts activities that had faded over the years. “It’s not just us doing the show up front,” he said. “We’re actually partnering with others in the community as well.”
Sea Through the Glass follows two people travelling by yacht from Miami to Havana. Ducharme and Brown play four characters in a story that combines mystery, comedy and suspense. The performance includes original music, singing, guitar, ukulele and some dancing.
They also handle the work behind the scenes, including costumes, production design, directing and producing.
Ducharme is a school teacher and dance instructor who has performed in theatres across Southern Ontario. She also brings music and dance performances to retirement homes and long-term care centres.
She and Brown appeared together in A Streetcar Named Desire, playing Blanche DuBois and Mitch. They later met again at a playwriting conference, where conversations about their own scripts led to plans to work together. Both are building the company around full-time jobs, spending evenings and weekends on their productions. They hope to eventually make it their full-time work.
For Ducharme, the October show is a return to the hall where she appeared in a staged reading of Like A Hero Going Home: The Final Days of Tecumseh in 2013.
Ducharme and Brown said the enthusiasm they found at the hall and among local artists helped them choose Ailsa Craig for their company’s first production. Working in the space has also given them ideas for lighting, sound and movement.
They have two more plays in development and hope to continue working with smaller communities, involving local artists wherever they perform.
Sea Through the Glass begins at 7 p.m. at Ye Olde Towne Hall, 160 Ailsa Craig Main St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 plus fees, or $15 per person for groups of four. The event is for ages 12 and up. Tickets and details are available at ahomeforstories.com.
