Audiences can get a preview of a new historical play written by Peterborough’s Megan Murphy when Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre presents its 18th annual Breaking Ground event on Sunday, February 4th at Bagnani Hall at Traill College (315 Dublin St., Peterborough).
Beginning at 2 p.m., the free public reading of excerpts from Murphy’s Wild Irish Geese will feature 4th Line Theatre founder Robert Winslow, Jonathan Cullen, M. John Kennedy, Kelsey Powell, Patti Shaughnessy, Nancy Towns, Hilary Wear, and Lindsay Wilson. 4th Line’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell is directing the public reading and is also dramaturge.
The play tells the story of impoverished Catholic Irish settlers who came to the Peterborough region in the early 19th century under a emigration plan overseen by Peter Robinson, a politician in Upper Canada who represented the riding of York and Simcoe.
Around 2,500 settlers, mostly from County Cork in Ireland settled in Lanark County, Carleton County (today Ottawa), and Scott’s Plains — later renamed Peterborough.
Murphy, who is herself a descendant of the Peter Robinson emigrants, is no stranger to Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre, having most recently appeared in the summer 2022 production of Maja Ardal’s Wishful Seeing. In the summer of 2021, Murphy and musician Kate Suhr also presented The Verandah Society in Residence at 4th Line Theatre.
Breaking Ground is part of 4th Line Theatre’s New Play Development program, designed to support, nurture, and encourage the creation of environmentally staged historical plays.
“Public readings are an important part of the creation of plays,” says Blackwell in a media release. “This forum gives the writer the opportunity to figure out what resonates with audiences. The audience’s feedback during the discussion afterward may be the most valuable aspect of Breaking Ground.”
While the public reading is free, seating is very limited. To reserve a seat, call 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 705-932-4445 or email boxoffice@4thlinetheatre.on.ca.
