|
|
Robert Chafe: Two Plays
by Robert Chafe
Butler’s Marsh
Thirty years ago Nora’s mother disappeared into the
small, dense forest of Butler’s Marsh. She emerged three
days later, covered in blood, badly shaken, and completely
silent about what had happened. Having never been offered
a suitable explanation, and now finding herself at her own
moment of crisis, Nora ventures to Newfoundland for the first
time to explore Butler’s Marsh for herself. She is accompanied
by her partner Tim, who, while less than helpful, is nevertheless
adamant that she not be left alone. But as Nora’s night
in Butler’s Marsh unfolds, and Tim’s good humour
wanes, the primary question of what happened to her mother
quickly becomes less troubling than another; with whom exactly
is she lost in the woods?
Tempting Providence
In 1921 Myra Grimsley signed a two-year contract, and boarded
a steam ship from London, England to St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Her charge: to serve as the sole health care provider for
three hundred miles of the sparsely settled coast of Newfoundland’s
Great Northern Peninsula. By the time her contract ran out
two years later, Myra was married to local Angus Bennett,
and had given birth to their first child, Grace. Based on
the true story of Nurse Myra Bennett, Tempting Providence
is a play about duty and sadness, love and change. Four strong
characters drive this no-frills drama about a young British
nurse who only signed on for 2 years, and the local man for
whom she stayed for 70.
Order Now
Back to PLCN Titles
|
