While 4th Line Theatre is not presenting its regular season of two plays this summer due to the pandemic, the outdoor theatre company is welcoming live performance back to the Winslow Farm in Millbrook in mid August.
Tickets go on sale Monday morning (July 5) for The Verandah Society in Residence at 4th Line Theatre featuring Megan Murphy and Kate Suhr with musical accompaniment by Saskia Tomkins.
The 10 performances, which run at 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays from August 17 to 28, are directed by 4th Line’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell with set design by Ian Burns.
Murphy and Suhr launched The Verandah Society during the pandemic last summer, combining music and local stories for an intimate production they performed for small audiences on porches, backyards, and verandahs. The pair has since created two other versions of the show, with renowned performer and director Linda Kash contributing her skills as dramaturge.
The Verandah Society is named after a story written by Murphy’s great uncle Clare Galvin in his 1993 book My Town My Memories, where he describes growing up in Peterborough in the 1930s when it was common for neighbours to spend their summer evenings on their verandahs.
“We’re so thrilled to be collaborating with the 4th Line team this summer,” Murphy and Suhr state in a media release. “To have the first show back after COVID at the (Winslow) Farm is an absolute delight. We can’t wait to have a live audience join us safely on the verandah.”
Tickets for each performance are $40 each, including service fees and taxes, and go on sale at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 5th.
Tickets can be purchased by phone at 705-932-4445 (1-800-814-0055 toll free), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or in person at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street in Millbrook.
Gift certificates are also available.
By mid August, Ontario should be well into step three of its reopening plan, which will allow for larger capacity outside theatrical events. Ticket availability for each performance will depend on the gathering limits set by the provincial government in step three.
“I am filled with excitement to be hosting Kate, Meg and Saskia at the Farm this summer,” Blackwell says. “The songs and stories that Kate and Meg have created will bring art back to the Farm as we begin to recover from our time of isolation. I cannot think of three better artists to guide us forward.”
4th Line Theatre will also be following any other pandemic-related health and safety requirements mandated by the government at the time of the production.
The concession stand and picnic area at the Winslow Farm will open at 4 p.m. on performance days, with local food vendors offering cash-only treats for sale before the show.
