By Mark Williams, Playwright
To The Halidmand Press
PORT DOVER—On November 9, 2022 Lighthouse Festival launched a rare fall production, Tip of the Iceberg – a humorous, light-hearted tale about two old Newfoundlanders who realize that their better days are far from over. This production is the culmination of the collaborative effort of myself and my friends, Chris Rait and Jeannine Bouw. We are proud to reside in the area and that the first audience to see the production was right here in southern Ontario.
Chris and I have been good friends since 2004. We met as teachers with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic School Board (BHNCDSB). Chris (being a music man), and myself (always looking for a creative outlet), often discussed things we were working on and dreams regarding our creative side. For background, I self-published a children’s book in 2000, have written for Roots Music Canada, and have been working on a novel for some time. Chris is an Arts Consultant for BHNCDSB and a professional musician. In 2018, Chris approached me about an idea for a play. I laughed about this “crazy” idea, but we decided to seriously discuss the possibilities. That marked the beginning of our writing process, not knowing where it may lead. A short time later, during one of the early writing sessions, Jeannine was at Chris’ place for band practice (as members of the local folk group, The Treeline). As Chris and I discussed our ideas, Jeannine volunteered to type and two playwright wannabes became three.
Stories of my family’s experiences and history as rural Newfoundlanders provide the foundation for Tip of the Iceberg. Chris and Jeannine were at the forefront of character development and Chris has written several original songs for the production.
The play itself took three and a half years to complete. Many challenges arose, and we often wrote, edited, deleted, and wrote again. At times, it was frustratingly difficult. There were some disagreements along the way, but that is to be expected. When you have three creative people inputting their thoughts, there is a guarantee to not agree on everything. But, after Derek Ritschel (Director of the Lighthouse Festival), read our script and immediately expressed his excitement, we discussed plans to work with him. Well, we all know what is said about the best-laid plans. COVID-19 hit and threw a major obstacle into our weekly, Thursday night writing schedule. We went virtual, determined to push on with the script.
Fast forward and here we are with the curtain having risen on November 9 in Port Colborne at the Roselawn Theatre. Chris, Jeannine, and I attended rehearsals to see the actor’s interpretation of the script and we were extremely happy. Their interpretation aligns beautifully with our vision and the authenticity and delivery of the dialogue is accurate and genuine. It is a true labour of love and a tale of self-reflection, rejuvenation of the spirit, and hope for the future.
We are so proud of how the production has evolved. Shows run at the Roselawn Theatre in Port Colborne until November 13. The production will then move to the Lighthouse Theatre in Port Dover and run from November 16 to November 23.
To see our work on stage will be a surreal moment for Chris, Jeannine, and myself. The process has been a rewarding one and is a dream fulfilled. We hope that audiences will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Cheers!
