Marion Bridge, Kay Meek Studio Theatre (kaymeek.com), Sept. 6 to 20, 7:30 p.m. (No performances Mondays) Preview: Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m., Matinees: Saturday, Sept. 8 and 15 and Sunday, Sept. 9 and 16 at 2:30 p.m.
They say art imitates life, and that is certainly the case for actress Lynda Boyd, whose life holds many similarities to that of her character in the play Marion Bridge which will run at West Vancouver’s Kay Meek Arts Centre Sept. 5 to 20.
Boyd, who is currently in rehearsals to play Agnes in playwright Daniel MacIvor’s award-winning drama, is returning to the stage after a 14-year career working in film and TV.
Boyd has many personal ties to the production, starting with the fact that she and actress Nicola Cavendish approached director Roy Surette and playwright Daniel MacIvor with the idea to produce the 20th anniversary show. “Nicola Cavendish and I have been planning this for about two years now because we wanted to do a play together and she found the play and we approached Roy about directing. I haven’t worked with Roy since 1978 so that’s kind of fun,” Boyd says over the phone from her home in Vancouver.
A classic Canadian drama written by MacIvor, Marion Bridge is the story of three estranged sisters who come together in their hometown of Cape Breton to say farewell to their dying mother. Here, eldest sister Agnes, a failed actress battling alcohol and drug addiction; Middle sister Theresa (Nicola Cavendish), the mother’s caregiver; and the youngest, Louise (Beatrice Zeilinger), who yearns for independence, each battle their own demons as they reconnect with one another.
Like Boyd, Agnes is also an actress (though Boyd has found more success career-wise having worked on projects with such stars as Diane Keaton, Jennifer Lopez and Leslie Nielsen). “My character is a failed actress with a serious drinking problem and she doesn’t want to come home and say ‘Bye’ to her mother because she resents her,” Boyd explains. That resentment stems from the fact that Agnes had a baby as a teen which her mother forced her to give away.
A Vancouver resident who attended Handsworth Secondary, Boyd spent six years living in St. John’s, NL, where she worked on a TV production called Republic of Doyle. There, she worked with MacIvor (though in a different capacity; MacIvor was an actor playing an inspector on the show, not a writer).
There, Boyd also became well-acquainted with the culture in Atlantic Canada, the setting in which Marion Bridge takes place. “(Living there) gave me a bit of insight about what it would be like to grow up in a rural East Coast community,” Boyd says. In the play, Agnes has a monologue where she recalls how her mother used to talk about this magical place called Marion Bridge, but when the family finally visits, Agnes and her sisters are greatly disappointed by the tiny, unremarkable town. “Having lived in Newfoundland and Labrador gives me mental images when my character is talking about certain things,” Boyd says.
While Marion Bridge was released as a movie in 2002 and has been produced as a play over the years, Boyd says she chose not to watch the film in preparation for her role. “I don’t want to be influenced in any way,” she explains. “Nicola saw the play a few years back and that’s what made her think it would be a good fit for us,” Boyd continues.
Of all the themes that Marion Bridge touches on, the most resonant for Boyd is that of motherhood. “Daniel MacIvor wrote this play for his mom. A lot of his plays were edgier but his mom said, ‘Why don’t you write something I could come and see?’”
While she herself is not a mother, Boyd, who is one of eight children, adopted her sister’s son after her sister passed away. Boyd’s mother, who was always very supportive of her daughter’s career, is also deceased, but the actress still dreams of her often.
In Marion Bridge, Boyd’s character, Agnes, has some complicated feelings about her mother’s imminent passing. “In the play our mother is about to leave us, and each of us has a different feeling about that,” Boyd says.
Boyd says she thinks most audience members will be able to connect with the universal theme. “Everyone comes from somewhere; everyone has a family. The play examines that crucial relationship of how we all got here, and you know, do you honour your mother for bringing you into the world?”
Marion Bridge will run September 5 to 20 at The Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver. For tickets visit kaymeek.com.
