Newfoundland Adventures part 7: Theater in Trinity

Reading the description for our Trinity home away from home I noted a local highlight is the Rising Tide Theatre. As we were planning to be there on a Tuesday through Thursday I did not hold out high expectations there would be a show, but it was free to peruse their website.

My eyes lit up when I read about their theater festival (runs June 2-August 31). Each night there is a different show. We booked tickets to two: Abandon Hope Mabel Dorothy about a 1955 Newfoundland shipwreck written by a local playwright and Shenanigans, a variety show dinner theater. Part of me wished we also saw what they used to call the pageant, and now called This Marvelous Terrible Place where costumed actors take you around Trinity.

Abandon Hope Mabel Dorothy takes place in the 1980's and only has two characters: a man returning from "away" and a local woman who never left. Told in one act it is a gut wrenching journey as their lives unfold before us. Both growing up to believe the other had the better life and learning what they were told is not necessarily the truth. It was based on a true story, which makes it even more gripping. The show was performed in the Parrish Hall.

The next night we saw Shenanigans. Reading the description it sounded like a giant variety show. The actors from the night before were two of the performers. One of the reasons I opted for the dinner portion of the evening was that I suspected there would be very few places for dinner. I was not wrong. On Tuesday night after stopping in the one grocery store in the area (there used to be two, but the other owner, who also ran the local liquor store and gas station, died recently. A huge loss to the community) we saw the sign that they close at 6pm. It was 5:55 pm. They had a second sign that said the store extended their hours until 8 pm.

Life in New Jersey includes 24-hour diners, and other businesses open at all hours. Newfoundland moves at a more relaxed pace.

Dinner the first night was at The Gallery, which is owned by the same people who own the Dockside in downtown Trinity. Both are sponsors of the theater festival. Both know to get their diners out in time for the shows. Both are closed long before the shows end.

Shenanigans was fun. I was hoping we would interact with locals. On my right were a group of three couples about twenty years older than us. The husbands seemed to be very hard of hearing. On my left were a group of six co-workers. The boss is from New York State. Only one person was from Canada, and she lives in Ottawa. We had a lively conversation telling her about our recent trip to Ottawa.

Dinner was bland. My aunt's Home Ec teacher would have given it a low score for lack of color (funny the memories we carry decades later). I had the cod. Don had roast beef. Dessert was the highlight -- cheesecake in a mason jar. 

Forty-five minutes into the evening the skits began. The first skit that stood out was about making a cup of tea -- the importance of using Tetley instead of Red Rose, which the rest of Canada uses. I agree with the Newfoundlanders on their choice of tea. "The kettle is always on."

The second skit I remember was about a grandmother trying to sneak away to go to the Def Leppard concert. The day before we learned there is a Def Leppard concert that weekend in St. John's. Had we not known that, we would have thought it was a completely random thought.

A different skit talked about a "Jigg's Dinner." We had no idea what that meant, but the next night we had one in Gander. 

Many other thoughts went over our heads, but what we did catch was funny. Helped us to feel like a local for the night.

I wonder how much the show changes from week to week. I'm likely to never find out.

Trinity at night: