Chronicles of Sarnia, which is unsurprisingly based on Sarnia, is the latest play to hit the Blyth Festival stage this season — and it’s only the second to be staged indoors at the Blyth Memorial Community Hall since 2019.
“I feel so ready for live audiences to come back and enjoy this, and I’m so excited to be bringing Chronicles of Sarnia home for its world premiere at the Blyth Festival,” said the Sarnia native who wrote the play, Matt Murray.
This is the first year the Blyth Festival is staging plays both indoors at the Blyth Memorial Hall, and outdoors at their newly constructed Harvest Stage. Three plays at each, all summer long, and for many more summers to come is the hope of organizers.
“Absolutely that’s the plan. We want to have plays that are happening here in Memorial Hall and plays that are happening on the Harvest Stage. We want to be able to have audiences to be able to really come to town, and fill these spaces,” said Blyth Festival Artistic Director, Gil Garratt.
Audience numbers are almost back to pre-pandemic levels, said Blyth’s Director of Audience Development, Jennifer Lamb.
They’re hoping this weekend’s Donnelly’s Bonanza Weekend — where you can see all three Donnelly plays over three nights — will push patron numbers over the top.
“Blyth’s commitment has been to Canadian plays and telling Canadian stories. In 1975, when we started, there were very few. Today, we have a wealth of playwrights, a wealth of artists, a wealth of Canadian theatre practitioners that are ready to bring beauty and hilarity, and joy to audiences — and, we have two beautiful stages to fill with it,” said Garratt.
Chronicles of Sarnia opens Saturday night.
For more on the Blyth Festival’s first indoor-outdoor season, you can visit the Blyth Festival website.
