Brothers take history into their own hands

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This article was published 08/05/2023 (1048 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While Kenneth and Steven Jackson have been involved in theatre for much of their adult lives, the Westman-born brothers have never officially collaborated on a major project until now.

This Friday and Saturday, the pair will use Brandon University’s Evans Theatre to debut their two-person play, “A Stage of Her Own,” which is an imagined conversation between Canadian suffragette Nellie McClung and Mohawk artist E. Pauline Johnson.

The brothers said they believe there is plenty to learn about these historical figures through their production.

“We’re both interested in history … and how people from our past are portrayed on stage or in books or in movies,” Kenneth told the Sun on Saturday.

“It’s led to some interesting discussions. We don’t always agree, but I think we’ve always been able to come to sort of a consensus on something or respect for each other’s opinion.”

Although the artistic trajectory of the brothers — who were born in Minto and grew up in communities across Westman — has diverged in their adult years, they’re confident the final product will serve as a testament to their complementary skill sets and interests.

After getting a taste for theatre at BU, Steven moved to Ontario and became entrenched in writing his own original scripts for events such as Toronto Fringe Festival, eventually winning Best New Play at the event in 2017.

Meanwhile, Kenneth cut his teeth in Brandon’s theatre scene, scoring parts in dozens of local musical productions over the past two decades, such as “Spamalot,” “Mary Poppins” and “Oliver!”

Even with the distance between them, the brothers maintained a mutual respect for each other’s work from afar and waited for the right project to emerge for an official collaboration.

The opportunity finally presented itself during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Steven decided to write a story about two historical figures who are intertwined with his own family’s history.

“My great-grandfather was a fan of [Johnson’s] work. My mom would tell us about how he had gone to see her perform and he had all of her books, and I thought that she was really fascinating,” he said.

“Nellie McClung is important to my family as well, because my grandparents grew up in the Wawanesa area and that’s where [her] family was.”

In terms of the historical precedent for “A Stage of Her Own,” Steven said it is based on an actual meeting between McClung and Johnson that took place in the community of Manitou in the late 19th century.

While no official transcript of their interaction exists, Steven imagines a scenario where a young McClung sneaks into Johnson’s dressing room following a stage performance, allowing the two to talk about the issues of the day from their unique points of view.

“I write about connection. I write about the things that connect us as people, no matter where we come from,” Steven said.

“We know that these women were sometimes flawed, sometimes brilliant, but they are people who lead us to where we are now.”

After finalizing the script, Steven handed things over to Kenneth, who worked on bringing the words to life through rehearsing with actors Cheryl Racine and Rebecca Porteous, who play Johnson and McClung, respectively.

Even though the scale of the play is rather small compared to the musicals he’s been a part of in the past, Kenneth said the process has involved a “steep learning curve,” since it’s his first official time sitting in the director’s chair.

“Sometimes, there is a little bit of pressure when you’re trying to help make sure these women are portrayed realistically,” he said. “I even went back and read some of the same materials that Steven did when he was writing the play, so that process adds a little bit of time you’re putting towards this project.”

Kenneth said rehearsals have gone smoothly so far, with Steven even being able to provide his feedback remotely.

Later this week, the playwright will arrive in Brandon to help oversee the production in person, although he’s confident Kenneth’s experience as a stage actor has laid a solid foundation for a successful pair of performances this week.

“Because he knows how to analyze scripts and he knows how to go through things. He knows the questions I would ask as a writer,” Steven said.

While Kenneth and Steven haven’t ruled out the possibility of collaborating again in the future, they are mostly focused on getting their first project off the ground and garnering feedback from the audience.

At the very least, the Jackson brothers are proud of the work they’ve put into “A Stage of Her Own,” especially since it shines a light on two pioneer advocates for women’s rights, whose work continues to reverberate in Canadian society to this day.

“I think that’s the goal of any art, to create a conversation and see that conversation continue, whether it’s amongst the actors and the production team or whether it’s in the audience,” Kenneth said.

Both performances of “A Stage of Her Own” are scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Evans Theatre. Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door.

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