The final show at the Souris Valley Theatre this year will be a tribute to the talents of famed musician June Carter Cash, and her mother, Maybelle Carter.
Wildwood Fire will be performed at the theatre’s Frehlick Hall from Sept. 7 to 9. Performances will start at 7 p.m. nightly, and there will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on the final day.
Lauren de Graaf is the co-writer of the show, and also portrays Carter Cash, the singer and songwriter who was also the second wife of music icon Johnny Cash. She said people can look forward to a lot of comedy, as well as music recorded by Carter Cash and her husband.
“John is in the hospital, and June shows up to a concert she’s not supposed to be at,” said de Graaf. “The audience is a little shocked but excited to see her.”
The play takes a look at her experiences as well as her relationship with her mother, who is played by de Graaf’s best friend, Alixandra Cowman.
“Mother Maybelle actually wants to talk about the big issue, which is why she’s here (at the concert) and why should be with John,” said de Graaf.
Maybelle Carter also has some key lines in the show that are very relevant to today, de Graaf said.
De Graaf started working on Wildwood Fire as her thesis for school at Rosebud School of the Arts in Rosebud, Alta. She had previously seen the 2004 biopic Walk the Line, and had been inspired by Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Carter Cash.
She needed to pick a story to write for her thesis, and came up with that of Carter Cash.
“It seems like a dream role for me, but little did I know that is one going to be one of the most challenging roles I would ever play,” said de Graaf.
She wrote the first draft, and then a close friend, Kesley Krogman, came on board and took over the writing, with de Graaf staying on as producer.
Rosebud Theatre picked up Wildwood Fire for a summer run of 27 shows in 2014, which sold out, and eight more sold out shows were added. A one-night show in a larger venue also attracted a full house.
De Graaf took the show on the road last summer, including the Saskatoon Fringe Festival, where she met Maureen Ulrich, the former chair of the Souris Valley Theatre board. Ulrich suggested the show would be perfect for Estevan.
It’s a rewarding feeling to be able to share a story of someone who inspired her, she said, and to do it with her best friend.
“I completely trust her, and that’s really important to tell this kind of a vulnerable story for me, to trust my scene partner,” said de Graaf.
Wildwood Fire has a lot of songs by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, so if anyone is a fan of their music, or wants to know the Carter Cash story in a better way, she encourages them to take in the production.
“I think they’re so great, and they’re really funny, and the way they interact with each other, I think they’re priceless,” she said.
