Play explores life after Halifax explosion

Although director Vanessa Sabourin moved to Calgary a year ago, the founder of The Maggie Tree still has her feet firmly planted locally as evidenced by the theatre company’s newest production.

The Maggie Tree is a grassroots organization that encourages projects initiated and driven by women. Although a low-budget company, Sabourin and co-founder Kristi Hansen produce and direct one work annually. This year its star vehicle is Trina Davis’ Shatter, opening Friday at Catalyst Theatre.

“Trina wrote it after 9/11 based on the Halifax explosion of 1917. Both were enormous catastrophes that left people reeling and wondering how to respond to the devastation,” says Sabourin, a former St. Albert Children’s Theatre actress who has amassed a solid string of professional acting and directing credits including the much-lauded Nevermore and Folie a Deux.

The collision in Halifax harbour was the single largest man-made explosion prior to Hiroshima. The blast levelled the city and sent shards of glass and burning debris flying for miles. Thousands died, were blinded and left homeless.

It occurred when the French munitions ship the Mont-Blanc, collided with the Norwegian ship Imo on its way to New York to pick up relief supplies. The Mont-Blanc was carrying 2,600 tons of military explosives. But to avoid German U-boat detection, the Mont-Blanc was not flying warning flags.

When the two ships crashed, fire ignited the cargo. Within 20 minutes, the floating bomb exploded with a massive force that killed everyone on the dock watching the accident and completely levelled a city subdivision.

“Entire families were lost and there was pure chaos and devastation. Rumours started that the Germans came and attacked. Anti-German feelings came out. German Canadians, even those that had been here a long time were rounded up and put in lockup.”

Davis’ script focuses on the post-traumatic stress, grief, prejudice and suspicion amplified by the explosion. War-widowed Jennie MacLean (Linda Grass) is traumatized after losing her son to the blast. German born Elsie Schultz (Sandra Nicholls), Jenny’s long-time family friend is attacked and jailed. And Anna (Shannon Blanchet), Jenny’s romantic daughter falls blissfully in love with a soldier (Cole Humeny) who detests Germans.

“The play explores how that kind of devastation turns into fear, anger and hate, and how long-time family friends can be lumped together and people cease to see them as individuals. Instead they are seen as a threatening group. We saw that in 9/11. Anyone of Middle Eastern descent was looked upon with suspicion or interrogated.”

“It is a great opportunity to look at life. It is complex. There is no right answer or wrong answer. It just is.”

The Thursday, March 10 preview and Sunday, March 13 matinee are pay-what-you-can.