Brave New Works at PSFT!!! by PSFT Artistic Director, Liz Gilroy
from September 18th to 20th. Our first play, Deadly Memories {working title}, is written by Steven Gallagher, and it is a thriller/ mystery with a cast of three. It is reminiscent of Deathtrap, Wait Until Dark , and a little bit of Rear Window . Our next offering is the comedy Hart’s Crossing by Tracey Hoyt, and it screams PSFT. Set in a small-town general store with a cast of five – and some surprises and a lot of laughs – choosing Tracey’s play was a no- brainer. Closing out the weekend is a brand-new piece by Norm Foster: Ship to Shore . We feel unbelievably lucky to have this amazing opportunity to be the first to speak and for our audience to be the first to hear Norm’s new dialogue. It’s a hilarious two- hander comedy that I think our audience will absolutely love. The festival is free of charge, BUT donations are appreciated so PSFT can continue to bring new Canadian stories to our stage and give writers a chance to hear their work in a public setting with professional actors and directors.
As we head towards our last show of our 2025 Summer Season and our Simon Joynes Playwrights’ Festival, I am reminded of the breadth of talented writers Canada has from coast to coast. At Port Staley Festival Theatre (PSFT), showcasing, presenting and producing new Canadian works are a large part of our mandate. This year, our World Premiere is goldfish by Stratford Festival star, Steve Ross, running from August 27th till September 13th.
When I first read a draft of Steve’s play, I could not put it down, and I knew immediately that we had to be the first theatre to produce such a beautiful piece. It was presented as a one- act play at The Here For Now Festival , located in Stratford, Ontario, but a two-act version wasn’t even written yet. Steve and I worked well together as a team to get the second act finished so that we could present it at our Playwrights’ Festival in September of 2024. The second act came together quite quickly. Steve and I both had ideas for possible extra scenes and scenarios. Steve would write, then I would work as a dramaturg, making suggestions and/or edits. At the reading, the play was very well received, and I chose it as our World Premiere for the 2025 Season. It is a play that deals with some serious issues: dementia, divorce, gender, marriage, adultery, regret, and body image. Don’t get me wrong, it is a comedy, but it packs a punch and has loads of heart. This September, our Simon Joynes Playwrights’ Festival will have three new Canadian plays read on three separate nights
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