Festival of the Arts: “Tales From Muskoka” A Celebration of Stina Nyquist

Playwright Stina Nyquist was an important contributor to the Huntsville theatre scene for almost 20 years prior to her passing in 2016. Her plays painted a picture of life in our area during its earliest days, and highlighted the struggles and trials of its hard scrabble inhabitants. For three nights the Festival will pay homage to Stina and invite you to join them on the grounds of one of her favourite venues, Muskoka Heritage Place, to learn, laugh and remember.

Director Greg Perras opens the evening with ‘Once Discovered’ an adaptation of Stina’s ‘Ripples From The Bush’ and ‘Letters From The Bush’. Presented through narration “Once Discovered,” follows 3 contemporary women as they discover and share correspondence from their descendants. This short one-act comedy/drama, highlights historical accounts of success and strife experienced by the first settlers in Muskoka.

Presented in MHP’s intimate church building the audience will then be invited to relocate to another site, stopping for a sample of old fashioned lemonade and biscuits along the way.

Once settled in their new surroundings the audience will be treated to ‘Up The Blasted Trail’ an adaptation of the play of the same name by Stina, directed by Suzanne Riverin. The play takes us back in time, providing a snapshot of the lives of six characters living through the reality of life in Muskoka during the mid 1880’s.

Entertaining, educational and experiential these evenings promise to be one of the  highlights of our summer programming season!