in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
April 04, 2022
BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — "Agnes Macphail had a respect for, and a belief in young people." So vocalized one very appropriate line from MacPhail, a performance of excerpts from the noted one-woman play first enacted by Diane Gordon in 1993. Enjoyed by a larger-than-expected crowd on Saturday, April 2, the event was mounted by an enthusiastic young cast under the direction of Michael Copeman, and presented by The Hanley Institute in Flesherton.
"They nailed it," said Jenny Hanley, Chief Executive Officer of The Hanley Institute who modestly claimed to have very little to do with the production. That assessment of the performers was echoed by the many local residents who attended the event on a sunny Spring day, signaling a return to more normal social occasions following a difficult winter of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Jenny Hanley has a quiet moment following the performance.
If Agnes MacPhail were still alive today, she might have similarly extended high praise for the novice thespians whose words were the original creation of Theresa Sears and David Switzer for that noted 1993 performance. Michael Copeman, a local actor with many years of movie and television credits behind him, lent time and skills to the project, staging the play for 12 performers who took turns at the microphone, paying tribute to Agnes MacPhail and her many accomplishments.
The cast included: Molly Harrington, Aiden Shropshire, Kayla Tymico, Brooke Maxwell, Kaitlyn Stafford, Sierra Boer, Ivy Ironmonger, Clara Trudeau, Anjali Arora, Meghan Keyzer, Elena Bateman and Charlotte Mackenzie. Stage hands Carter Robinson, Marshall Scully and Louis Fulton and technical crew Tim Reilly and Jacob Broderick rounded out the team.
Jean Hutchinson remembers Agnes Macphail while Michael Copeman looks on.
Jean Hutchinson, who had actually known Agnes Macphail, took some time after the play, to address attendees and remember the lady of honour. "In 1924, she thought that women were suppressed," she said, speaking of her early involvement with the Holdfast Club. But it was in 1952 when Jean had her first encounter with Macphail, after her 20-year stint in federal politics, while the former MP was shopping at one of Dundalk's most popular stores. "She was stately, no-nonsense, with a sharp tongue and a sense of humour," said Hutchinson. "She had a great influence on the province of Ontario and the Dominion of Canada."
The technical crew of Tim Reilly and Jacob Broderick at The Hanley Institute production of Macphail.
The organizers were very pleased with attendance. "We weren't expecting half as many people," said Hanley, whose surprise was confirmed by Copeman as he wrapped up the afternoon before sending everyone downstairs for refreshments. "I'm gobsmacked at how many people came," he said. Buoyed by the day's success, Jenny Hanley expressed their plan to hold at least three such events in the year.
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