“History ringing in the ears. Brilliance in the production’

At the pastoral setting of the Winslow farm near Millbrook, Ontario, 4thLine Theatre opens its second production of the 2024 season. “Jim Watts: Girl Reporter,” written by Beverley Cooper, is a big-scale production covering the chaotic and devastating Spanish Civil War – a time of historical complexity worthy of Tolstoy.

Cooper and director Kim Blackwell manage to sift this complexity into two hours of riveting theatre. The plot line also dovetails the story of Canadian volunteers, especially the real-life Jim Watts, who travels to Spain to fight fascism. The brilliance of this production comes from two fronts: Blackwell’s adaptive use of the many facets of the rich outdoor theatre space and the commanding performance of Katie Ryerson as the linchpin of the cast.

Jim Watts (she goes through a series of names) comes from a wealthy Toronto family—a family not pleased with her almost maniacal idealism and her political bent toward socialism. She seizes on the conflict in Spain—as did thousands of other Canadians—and manages, through sheer will of personality, to travel to the war-torn country as an employee of a Toronto newspaper.

The other local connection comes from the story of Jim Higgins, who rides the rails across Canada looking for work. Eventually, he ends up fighting in Spain, where he meets Watts. He will settle in Peterborough.

The fascist forces led by Franco are attacking a legitimately elected Popular Front. The complexity (and thus the overwhelming horrors) comes from the many-layered participants – German and Italian fascists supporting Franco while Russian communists and an international brigade support the Republicans. Every political stripe seemed to be involved, along with infighting among each group – everyone seemed to be fighting everyone else. Even Canada’s prime minister did not support Canadian volunteers. The war ends badly with Franco’s expected victory.

Blackwell’s vision absorbs the unique theatre space offered by the farm. Five or six acting spaces serve the necessary needs of such a wide-ranging story. A period-style truck functions in various ways around the area. The large open fields serve as battlegrounds as the faraway voices echo the horrors.

A clever revolving stage gave poignancy to several scenes—the various speeds of turning reflected the mood of the scene. The fact that it was mechanically turned by minor characters (as opposed to machinery) offered richer involvement from those characters.

Katie Ryerson, as Jim Watts, carried the production. At the centre of almost every scene, her skill diversity is evident. Her enthusiasm as a teenager grew into a young woman of ideological strength. Her strong will is then tested as she sees the horrors for herself. Most moving was the grief in her eyes –compelling grief that shook the audience even more than the bombs and shock of the dead.

Other fine performances emerged from Matt Gilbert as Dr. Norman Bethune and Thomas Fournier as Jim Higgins. Gilbert brought a roughness to Bethune that fit the chaos of the moment. His speech opening the second act was brilliant. Fournier expressed a calmness in contrast to that chaos. His reflection at the end of the play was riveting. 4th Line also integrated (as usual) many young people to act as villagers and soldiers, which gave a full measure of authenticity.

Some of the minor characters had very flat voices, a problem that became more enhanced by the outdoor venue.

Some ‘cameos’ depicting a young Ernest Hemingway and a bombastic Errol Flynn made the case for the number of colourful figures during that time, but it did not move the play forward.

Another highlight is the splendid costume design by Korin Cormier, Samantha Adams and Avelyn Walman. Just the sheer volume of their work with almost thirty actors, many playing multiple roles, would be overwhelming. Despite that challenge, the period costumes of villagers, soldiers, politicians, dancers and children were strikingly authentic.

The scale of this historical tragedy is immense, highlighted by a little girl announcing the horrors of Guernica. But the story is also often internal and personal as Jim Watts encounters both outward and inward grief.

This audience left with history ringing in their ears.

‘Jim Watts: Girl Reporter’ by Beverley Cooper
Director: Kim Blackwell
Performers: Katie Ryerson, Thomas Fournier, Matt Gilbert, Mark Hiscox, Ian McGarret, Mikayla Stoodley, and many other local performers.
Music director: Justin Hiscox
Costume designer: Korin Cormier
Choreography: Anita La Selva
Stage management: Emily Brown

Production runs through: August 24, 2024.
Tickets: 4thlinetheatre.on.ca