Even though sheB次元官网网址檚 performed JakeB次元官网网址檚 Gift countless times over the course of its 10 year run, itB次元官网网址檚 not hard for the showB次元官网网址檚 writer and solo actor Julia Mackey to pinpoint a show that stood out among the rest.
The story centres around Jake, a Canadian war veteran who returns to Normandy 60 years after the D-Day landings, and Isabelle, a young, inquisitive French girl who breaks down some of the emotional barriers Jake has held since the war.
In 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the allied invasion of German-occupied France, Mackey had the opportunity to perform her show at the site of one of the most significant military operations of the Second World War.
B次元官网网址淚t was kind of like a pipe dream to be able to perform it in Normandy,B次元官网网址� Mackey said.
B次元官网网址淵ou could hear the waves crashing up on Juno Beach because it was high tide. So it was this amazing added soundscape that we didnB次元官网网址檛 anticipate that was such a beautiful addition to the play. It was a pretty emotional experience.B次元官网网址�
Mackey, who grew up in Montreal, performed those shows in French, but sheB次元官网网址檒l perform in English on Oct. 6 at the Teechamitsa Theatre at Royal Bay secondary as part of drama teacher Melissa YoungB次元官网网址檚 initiative to bring professional theatre to the schoolB次元官网网址檚 impressive facility.
Originally the character of Jake was a part of a different production, but Mackey felt the character had a bigger story to tell and sought to find another avenue with which to tell it.
After watching the news and hearing Peter Mansbridge discuss the upcoming 60th anniversary ceremonies in Normandy, Mackey realized that was where the rest of JakeB次元官网网址檚 story would take her.
Mackey spent four days in the French coastal region in June of 2004, interviewing as many veterans as she could, walking the beaches, visiting landing areas and attending commemorative ceremonies.
B次元官网网址淲hat you hear in the play is a combination of real quotes from veterans that I interviewed as well as my own experiences being there and ... my own imagination with how all of those things would all meld together,B次元官网网址� she said.
Mackey decided to make it a solo performance, and says that initially the biggest challenge for her was ensuring that her transitions between characters were as smooth as possible.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to make sure ... there would never be any question for the audience who was speaking,B次元官网网址� Mackey said.
Mackey and director Dirk Van Stralen accomplished this through vocal changes and physical changes.
B次元官网网址淪o far this has worked, where the audience just comes along for the ride and believes whoever is talking to them,B次元官网网址� she noted.
JakeB次元官网网址檚 Gift has received a lot of accolades over the course of its run, earning awards for Best Drama, Best Solo Show and Best New Play at the Victoria Fringe Festival and Best of the Fest nods at the Edmonton and Winnipeg Fringe Festivals, among other awards since its debut. Still, the most significant praise Mackey has received for her work has come from D-Day veterans, who have credited JakeB次元官网网址檚 Gift for its accuracy.
B次元官网网址淚 think one of the scariest things about writing a story like that, because itB次元官网网址檚 not my own experience ... I wanted to get that story right,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 just made sure that I never strayed from the truth of the interviews that I did ... ItB次元官网网址檚 been a real blessing to both me and Dirk that so many of the veterans that have come have given me a thumbs up for it.B次元官网网址�
Tickets for the Oct. 6 show at Royal Bay are available at the Royal Bay Bakery or by calling the school at 250-474-2377 (press 7 for the theatre office).
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
