#MicroblogMondays: "The Blue Castle" -- on stage!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you will know of my longstanding (almost lifelong) love for all things Lucy Maud Montgomery -- and that my favourite novel written by her is not the most famous, "Anne of Green Gables," but a toss up between "Rilla of Ingleside" (set on the World War I homefront in PEI, featuring Anne's teenaged daughter Rilla) -- and "The Blue Castle," a standalone book published in 1926 and notable for being the only Montgomery novel set entirely outside of Prince Edward Island, in the Ontario area of Muskoka (known today as "cottage country").  I first read "The Blue Castle" when I was about 12, and have re-read it many times since then (and reviewed it on my blog, here, here, here and here). .

So when I heard that that a theatrical version of "The Blue Castle" -- and a musical, to boot! -- would be performed over two weekends in July in Leaskdale, Ontario, where Montgomery lived from 1911 to 1926 (about an hour away from where I live),  at the church where her husband was once minister, I knew I HAD to see it. Happily, dh agreed to indulge me :)  and I ordered tickets for a Sunday afternoon (yesterday) matinee (preceded by an afternoon tea in the church basement).  

I first visited Leaskdale in June 1984 with my parents, en route back to Manitoba from attending my convocation at the University of Western Ontario in London, and visiting my future dh and his family in Toronto. We were actually headed to see the small town northeast of the city where my great-grandfather was born in 1871, and where my great x3 grandparents and their youngest daughter are all buried in the cemetery of an old stone church outside of town. En route, I spotted a sign indicating a turnoff ahead that would take us to Leaskdale, where there was a historic plaque marking the one-time home of  L.M. Montgomery.  I begged my dad to make the slight detour -- and happily, he complied. It didn't take us that far out of our way, and I was thrilled.  :)  The house was privately owned then, but there was a plaque by the side of the road. We asked a man cutting the grass outside if he minded if we took a photo of the house (he didn't -- he probably saw visitors like us all the time), and so my album from that trip includes a photo of me, beaming at the camera from in front of the house.  

In the years since then, the house and the nearby church where Montgomery's husband preached were purchased by the L.M.Montgomery Society of Ontario, declared a national historic site, painstakingly restored, and opened to the public. The house is now open for tours during the summer, and by appointment at other times of the year. The church hosts special community and Montgomery-related events throughout the year, and includes a small gift shop in the basement. Dh & I were last there in August 2014, not long after I lost my job, to tour the house and attend a performance of a one-woman show, "Maud of Leaskdale."  I wrote about it here. (And here are a few articles with more information about it: here, here and here.) 

It was lovely to be back in the land of Maud (as she preferred to be called), and to drive through the lush green countryside to get there.  :)  The tea and play were both sellouts, and I was able to say hello to several people I recognized from my L.M. Montgomery Readathon Facebook group, including one who was part of the cast!  I thought the play was an original production, but it was actually written and first produced in 1993 (!). 

Me and Maud :) 
in the lovely garden adjacent to the church in Leaksdale.  

As this article notes, presenting the play in the confines of a church, without wings or a backstage, presented a few challenges, but the director and cast adapted marvellously.  We both enjoyed ourselves hugely, including dh (I explained the main characters and plot points to him in advance).  There were obviously some cuts and tweaks made to adapt the story for a stage environment and compress it into two hours(ish), but the overall story and vibe remained true to the book. And the music and singing was wonderful!  The show is still on this coming weekend, if you happen to be in the Toronto area and can get tickets!  

(Back in 2022, a film adaptation of the novel was announced -- I wrote about it here.  However, I have not heard anything further about it, and I suspect the project is on hold or has been cancelled.)  

Today is our 41st (!) wedding anniversary, so it was like an early anniversary outing/present (especially for me!).  We will go out for dinner later this evening, though. 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.