Pat Larkin and Becky Mulridge starred in the Marysburgh Mummer’s 2017 production of Tomb with a View (Rod Doucett for the Gazette)
It was a day outside of the one-hall school house in Milford for those of us attending South Marysburgh Central.
We were shepherded to the nearby Mount Tabor playhouse for a midday dress rehearsal of Arsenic & Old Lace, put on by this new community theatre outfit.
We were the perfect test audience. Elementary school-aged children hopped up on juice boxes and well outside of their routine, watching a humorous but still macabre live performance. What could go wrong?
The lights came up on stage and Joseph Kesselring’s black comedy came to life. Then came the touchstone moment for the students: South Bay and Cherry Valley United minister Reverend Peter Walford-Davis appeared on stage. The local padre was playing Teddy Brewster, the comic relief role.
The person who came to our class Friday mornings just before lunch for a religious talk was now storming up the stairs of the Brewster Home screaming “CHARGE!” like Teddy Roosevelt at the Battle of San Juan Hill.
For me, it was a core memory moment. But I think we all saw Reverend Peter a bit differently the next time he visited our classroom. The performance offered us a different lens on the people in our community. Saying new things and doing new things. It’s the beauty of community theatre. It’s the beauty of the Marysburgh Mummers.
It’s been 40 years since the Marysburgh Mummers debuted with Look Who’s Laughing. To celebrate, the troupe is hosting Mummerabilia 4.0 on Friday 28 February.
Organizer Jennifer Sills said the evening will be filled with live interviews, performances, and multimedia presentations, all wrapped in a warm, Johnny Carson-style atmosphere. Performers of the past will return to the stage for a song or a small scene. Whether from Anne of Green Gables, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, or Oklahoma, Ms. Sills noted, everyone has a favourite moment, monologue, or song .
“We wanted to remember 40 years of productions and the people who gave us these great shows,” Ms. Sills said. “This organization means a great deal to me and all the people connected to it. Bruce Dowdell has been very busy running through the archives to pull out some great clips.”
Even folks who no longer live in the area have been reaching out, sending along messages or a quick video about being a Mummer, which has added to the collegial feel of the 40th reunion.
“There are some very fond memories being shared and it’s nice to hear the Mummers hold a special place with so many,” she said.
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