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Day 1 and the excitement is lost on no one with SALON. Our home base, St. Andrew’s Manse is a literal hive of activity. No room empty. Singing emanates from the front bedroom where the Acting Company practices their staging and original songs for Sir John Eh? Roadshow. Next door, a cluster of artists sit behind easels, sketching and painting portraits of the actors, who take turns posing as their respective historical characters. Already, the walls of the Manse are covered with the rough sketches of Sir John A. and his compatriots. The mural, a giant blank canvas just that morning is now already starting to come together—a maple leaf, mountains, a beaver and a metis symbol are visible, alongside an abstract “avalanche” painted by our youngest contributor, 3-year-old Penelope. The food, cooked in the Manse kitchen is flowing freely and the artists joke that they are being spoiled. Julie from the Whig comes by, taking a few pictures and gathering details for her article and the SALON media team hurry from room to room, tweeting, taking pictures, and reposting the onslaught of media coverage. All eyes are on Kingston, and we’re ready.
As it starts to get dark, artists start to wrap up and trickle out. Some stay, waiting for the excitement of the evening Erin W. a Medium is set to arrive at 7:00 pm for a séance in the Manse. Everyone is curious, is Sir John A. here? Is he watching us? Who else hangs out here? Macdonald is known to havehung out in this building at the corner of Clergy and Princess, as a young lawyer and blossoming politician. Here is where he and his contemporaries planned the creation of Queens College (Now Queens University). While living in Kingston, he attended St. Andrews Presbyterian Church next door.
Across Princess Street, the Royal Tavern, another stop that Erin W. is prepared to make during the séance, was another haunt of Sir John’s. These are the details we know. But, of course, we’re all curious what else these walls might tell us. The séance begins. The dimly lit parlor is packed and quiet. Erin describes seeing 4 Reverends who lived at the Manse and a woman, another former occupant who prefers to hang out in what is now our General Manager’s office. But what about Sir John A.? She sees him too, conducting business, signing papers, and telling grand stories in the parlor. We move on to the Royal Tavern where Erin describes Eliza, the Tavern’s former owner, and dear friend to John A. It is suggested that perhaps Eliza and John were more than just friends.
Finally, we head back the Manse. Erin tells us that Sir John A. is in the room, flattered and moved by
the way Canada is marking his 200th. He, Erin says, commends Paul for his portrayals, and thanks Patrick, another SALON actor, for so respectfully playing his foes—Oliver Mowat and George Brown. In a fashion perhaps telling of Sir John A.’s era, he says, through Erin, that actor Anna plays a fine boy, but would perhaps be more suited to a woman’s role. The event ends and the actors are vibrate with excitement and inspiration as they sip wine and mingle with our guests. Was Sir John A. really here? It seems too good to be true, but perhaps after 5 years of research and reenactment it’s possible. I suppose we can never know.
Find out about all of our Media coverage on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sirjohna2015
As it starts to get dark, artists start to wrap up and trickle out. Some stay, waiting for the excitement of the evening Erin W. a Medium is set to arrive at 7:00 pm for a séance in the Manse. Everyone is curious, is Sir John A. here? Is he watching us? Who else hangs out here? Macdonald is known to havehung out in this building at the corner of Clergy and Princess, as a young lawyer and blossoming politician. Here is where he and his contemporaries planned the creation of Queens College (Now Queens University). While living in Kingston, he attended St. Andrews Presbyterian Church next door.
Across Princess Street, the Royal Tavern, another stop that Erin W. is prepared to make during the séance, was another haunt of Sir John’s. These are the details we know. But, of course, we’re all curious what else these walls might tell us. The séance begins. The dimly lit parlor is packed and quiet. Erin describes seeing 4 Reverends who lived at the Manse and a woman, another former occupant who prefers to hang out in what is now our General Manager’s office. But what about Sir John A.? She sees him too, conducting business, signing papers, and telling grand stories in the parlor. We move on to the Royal Tavern where Erin describes Eliza, the Tavern’s former owner, and dear friend to John A. It is suggested that perhaps Eliza and John were more than just friends.
Finally, we head back the Manse. Erin tells us that Sir John A. is in the room, flattered and moved by
the way Canada is marking his 200th. He, Erin says, commends Paul for his portrayals, and thanks Patrick, another SALON actor, for so respectfully playing his foes—Oliver Mowat and George Brown. In a fashion perhaps telling of Sir John A.’s era, he says, through Erin, that actor Anna plays a fine boy, but would perhaps be more suited to a woman’s role. The event ends and the actors are vibrate with excitement and inspiration as they sip wine and mingle with our guests. Was Sir John A. really here? It seems too good to be true, but perhaps after 5 years of research and reenactment it’s possible. I suppose we can never know.
Find out about all of our Media coverage on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sirjohna2015
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