Salt Water Moon

It’s a splendid moon-filled night in Coley’s Point in 1926. Jacob Mercer has returned from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland outport, hoping to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. The Players mounted Leaving Home a short while ago and this magical love story looks back at the beginnings of Jacob and Mary’s relationship.

Winner of the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for Drama, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, the Hollywood Drama-Logue Critics’ Award, and was a finalist for the 1985 Governor-General’s Award for Drama. This is a perfect play for the intimate Firehall Theatre.

David French

DIRECTOR

Bill
Walker

Producer

Kaye
Torrie

Mar 17 - Apr 2, 2023

7:30 PM – Mar 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, 31; Apr 1
2:00 PM – Mar 19, 26; Apr 2

General Admission: $25

It is recommended that you wear a mask in indoor settings. Remember to be kind, understanding, and respectful of others' personal choices. The theatre is equipped with 2 air scrubbers with charcoal filter systems; these clean and change the air in the entire theatre 4 times per hour.

Firehall Theatre
213 Second St.
Cobourg

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This production is made possible through the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Cast & Production Team

All

Amber Dawn Vibert
- as Mary Snow -

Luke Walker
- as Jacob Mercer -

Kaye Torrie
- Producer -

Bill Walker
- Director -

Kara Besson
- Stage Manager -

Leslee Argue<br/>- Set Design, Lead Painter -

Leslee Argue
- Set Design, Lead Painter -

Victor Svenningson
- Sound Design -

Ward McCance
- Lighting Design -

Lisa Schnalzer-Missen

Reviews

A young woman holding a telescope aimed at a brilliant star-and-moon filled sky is the opening moment of Salt Water Moon, currently playing at the Firehall Theatre in Cobourg. We don’t know it yet, but the young lass is Mary Snow and she’s just about to be married to a man she doesn’t love.

She’s looking at the stars like she’s hoping they’ll tell her she’s doing the right thing. At that moment her old boyfriend, the one who disappeared off to Toronto a year earlier, suddenly saunters into the front yard of the Coley’s Point summer house. Jacob Mercer has returned to Newfoundland to woo back the love of his life and he knows he’s got a hard job ahead of him.

Salt Water Moon is the third play written by David French telling the story of Jacob and Mary. It’s the prequel to Leaving Home and Of the Fields Lately. Set in 1926 the emotional jousting between the two leads reveals a world still trying to recover from the horrors of World War 1 yet still able to revel in the delights of a corny Tom Mix western movie and the magic of star gazing on a clear Newfoundland night.

As played by Amber Dawn Vibert, Mary Snow is by turns angry, hurt, aloof and enchanted. She knows she still loves Jacob even though he left without saying goodbye but she’s made a commitment to a wealthy local man who she knows will look after both her and her younger sister. Ms. Vibert is intensely focused and reminded this reviewer of a young Bette Davis (Anyone remember Hollywood actress Bette Davis in Now Voyager? “We have the stars!” That Bette Davis).

Luke Walker plays Jacob with the loose limbed ease of man accustomed to the rolling deck of a fishing boat. Whether singing, dancing, joking or breathing gently on the neck of Mary, Jacob will say almost anything to win her back. Mr. Walker is fun to watch as he mocks his elders mercilessly and regales us with the right way to watch a “picture show” (back row, smoking a cigarette and arm draped carefully on his date’s shoulder).

With a simple but effective set, evocative costumes and lovely lighting the 90 minute play (no intermission!) flies past and as directed by Bill Walker these two actors charm us into rooting for them. Even if a few of us know the sadness that awaits both characters a few years down the road.
Rob Davidson