4th Line Theatre in Millbrook is donating a portion of ticket proceeds from an upcoming performance of Wild Irish Geese to One City Peterborough in support of the Erin Sullivan House, which provides an affordable housing option for people coming out of homelessness.
Each year, the non-profit outdoor theatre company gives back to the community by donating $2 from every ticket sold for a chosen performance to a charity of the theatre’s choice. This year, the theatre has chosen One City Peterborough and the Erin Sullivan House, named after the late Ennismore resident Erin Sullivan.
Sullivan passed away on October 23, 2022 of cystic fibrosis at 43 years old. Although she was the recipient of a double lung transplant and continually in and out of hospital, for the final decade of her life Sullivan volunteered much of her time to One Roof — the now-defunct daily community meal program held at St. Johns the Evangelist Anglican Church in Peterborough.
When Sullivan wasn’t volunteering at One Roof or working at Sullivan’s General Store in Ennismore, which her family has owned for more than 100 years, she was advocating for organ donor registration and hosting regular fundraisers for Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
After her death, Sullivan’s friends and family approached One City Peterborough which, alongside other programs, owns homes and works with private landlords and other agencies to create affordable housing options for people experiencing homelessness. As a result, one of the four-bedroom houses that has been managed by One City since 2020 is now called the Erin Sullivan House — Erin’s House for short.
Wild Irish Geese playwright Megan Murphy was a close friend of Sullivan for more than 30 years. In 2011, Murphy made the short documentary film Shelf Life, where Sullivan spoke of having reached the goal of living to 32 years old — 15 years later than the life expectancy she was given at birth — and figuring out what comes next.
VIDEO: “Shelf Life” – A profile of Erin Sullivan by Megan Murphy
“Erin believed in magic … she saw the beauty in everyone,” Murphy says in a media release. “Through both the joys and challenges in life, she relished in being completely human. She would be so honoured to be connected to One City through Erin’s House.”
With the assistance of a $225,000 anonymous donation, One City Peterborough purchased Erin’s House in November 2023 through engagement in a vendor take-back mortgage with the previous owner.
A further $78,731 has already been donated by friends and family, and the goal is to raise the remaining mortgage balance of $146,268.
4th Line Theatre will donate partial proceeds from ticket sales for the performance of Wild Irish Geese on Monday, August 24 to One City Peterborough in support of helping to pay off the mortgage of Erin’s House.
“We are thrilled to be donating $2 from every ticket sold to Erin’s House, not only a most worthy cause but one dedicated to the memory of one of Megan’s dearest friends,” says 4th Line Theatre’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell.
Blackwell is also the director of Wild Irish Geese, which tells the story of a few of the thousands of poor Irish families who settled in Canada in the Peterborough area in 1825 under an emigration scheme conceived and administered by Upper Canada politician Peter Robinson.
Murphy, who also appears in the play, is a descendant of the Robinson settlers, as was Sullivan herself.
Wild Irish Geese runs from Tuesdays to Saturdays until August 30, with an additional Monday performance on August 24. Tickets are $52 for adults and $45 for youth, plus tax and fee.
Tickets for the August 24th performance (as well as all remaining performance) are available by phone at 705-932-4445 (toll-free at 1-800-814-0055), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, and at 4th Line Theatre’s box Office location at 9 Tupper Street in Millbrook.
With files from Megan Gallant.
