About the Book
An original collection of four plays about unsung women from the history of the Canadian west. With theatrical twists and turns, Her Voice, Her Century takes us from an English doctor stationed in the middle of Alberta’s unsettled north country, to the lives and work of two influential early Canadian photographers, to a Canadian journalist covering the First World War, to the scandalous relationship between an Alberta politician and a young secretary.
Written for contemporary audiences and drawing heavily on newspaper articles, private letters, and court transcripts, this collection captures an authenticity of voice, using techniques of historical drama to connect the dots. Includes photos from the Provincial Archives of Alberta along with details of original production choices and stills from the productions.
The plays included in the book are Letters from Battle River, The Unmarried Wife, and Respecting the Action for Seduction, co-written by David Cheoros and Karen Simonson, and Firing Lines, written by Debbie Marshall.
About the Author(s)
David Cheoros is the producer of LitFest: Edmonton's Non-Fiction Festival, Canada's only festival celebrating non-fiction literature. He was born and raised within a few miles of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, and has been producing festivals and events for more than twenty years. He has toured his own productions across North America and to Australia. As well, he has produced or directed half a dozen short films. In 2006, David and his wife, Karen Simonson, co-founded the MAA & PAA Theatre, which is dedicated to the use of primary sources to tell original stories in a contemporary and engaging manner. Please visit maapaa.ca.
Karen Simonson is a reference archivist at the Provincial Archives of Alberta. She was born and raised in Edmonton, and has a BA (Hons) in history from the University of Alberta and an MA in archival studies from the University of Manitoba. In 2006, Karen and her husband, David Cheoros, co-founded the MAA & PAA Theatre, which is dedicated to the use of primary sources to tell original stories in a contemporary and engaging manner. Please visit maapaa.ca.
Debbie Marshall is a writer, editor, and playwright. She is the author of Give Your Other Vote to the Sister: A Woman's Journey into the Great War, the story of Roberta MacAdams, a First World War nurse and politician. Her play Firing Lines is based on the Great War writings of foreign correspondent Beatrice Nasmyth, and was produced in conjunction with the Provincial Archives of Alberta in August 2012 at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. She writes a monthly blog that features Canadian nurses who died during the First World War. To learn more, please visit rememberingfirstworldwarnurses.blogspot.ca.
Reviews
“The enterprising creative artists who contributed to Her Voice, Her Century are all about changing that (lack of) perception by having putting real-life characters onstage in their own dramas. Who knew Alberta history was so vividly populated by gutsy, adventurous, colourful women?” —Edmonton Journal
