The Kincardine Theatre Guild recently partnered with the Point Clark Beach Association (PCBA) to bring a show that celebrated all things Canadian to the PCBA’s 75th anniversary celebrations that were held on July 9th.
Two performances of ‘Canajun, Eh?’ were shown at the Point Clark Community Centre under the direction of Debbie Deckert, who helped to originally bring the show together in 2005.
“It was actually a collaborative effort by the Elmira Theatre Company of which I am a member,” she explained. “We put the show together to take to the Turks and Caicos back in 2005 when the company was invited to perform there. We wanted to showcase some Canadiana, plus we pulled out every Canadian cliche and joke we could think of.”
Of course, the world has changed quite a bit in the almost 20 years since its first performance, so Deckert knew the show had to be updated to fit today’s world.
“After reviewing it, I realized it needed updating. In the last 17 years, we have become much more culturally and politically sensitive. Once again, the rewrite became a collaborative effort with everyone in the cast adding insights, jokes and suggestions to make the show more current.”
The show’s cast featured Deckert, Andy Wasylycia, Jaki Mayer-Duggan, Sid Duggan, Bruce Fenton and Mary Beth Dennis.
When the PCBA approached the KTG about providing some entertainment for their celebrations, Debbie knew that Canajun, Eh? was just the right fit.
“I thought of this one right away. It’s funny, it’s light and just a happy, feel good kind of show, perfect for a celebration.”
Deckert said the music is by far her favourite part of the show. “Finding a song to suit each province was sometimes a challenge but we learned some new ones that are delightful. And of course we’ve included songs most of us will recognize as Canadian classics like Stompin’ Tom’s The Hockey Song, I’ve the B’y That Builds the Boat, and Gordon Lightfoot’s Alberta Bound.”
The crowd was encouraged to join in the fun and sing along during the show and most enjoyed the ‘groaners’. “As they say, ‘Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.’ ”
