Local actor and writer Lindsay Wilson is writing a play about the former Millbrook Correctional Centre, and 4th Line Theatre is inviting members of the community to a special reminiscence event this fall.
The outdoor theatre company’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell will join Wilson at the October 25th public gathering, which will aid in the development of Wilson’s forthcoming play The Penn about the history of Millbrook’s maximum security prison, which operated from 1957 to 2003 and was demolished in 2015.
According to a media release, Wilson is “ideally positioned” to write about the former institution, as two of her family members worked there and her grandparents, Ruth and David Clark, ran The Penn restaurant on Millbrook’s main street from 1957 to 1963, “serving locals, late-night jail guards, and anyone in need of a hot meal or a bit of kindness.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the community reminiscence event to share related stories, family histories, recollections, and photographs.
Blackwell says community reminiscences are central to 4th Line Theatre’s play development program and its historical research.
“Reminiscences give us first-hand accounts of the history we are researching and are an essential part of developing our plays,” Blackwell says. “Without this research, our productions would not have the historical authenticity and realism our patrons have come to expect from us.””
Past 4th Line Theatre productions developed through reminiscences include Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow’s Doctor Barnardo’s Children, Leanna Brodie’s Schoolhouse, and Maja Ardal’s The Hero of Hunter St.
The community reminiscence takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 25 at the Millbrook Legion at 9 King Street East, which is fully accessible. The event is free-of-charge and registration is not required to attend.
