When you hear the word "historical," what images come to mind?
A stifling library? The monotone voice of a lecturer droning on? A face-print and drool mark on a desk where someone has fallen asleep?
Unfortunately, these are common images connected to the subject of history, but a local band is bringing the story of a Canadian icon to life through music.
Chronicling the life and mysterious death of one of Canada’s most influential artists of the 20th century, and featuring original music by Georgian Bay-based folk band Shipyard Kitchen Party, Tom Thomson’s Wake comes to Barrie in September.
Sharing their experiences and interactions with Tom Thomson, three characters paint their own image of the mysterious artist, with foot-stomping music and humour weaved throughout the show.
I had the opportunity to ask show writer and Shipyard Kitchen Party vocalist/bodhrán player Jason Murphy a few questions about the upcoming performance of Tom Thomson’s Wake.
Richard: What is it about Tom Thomson’s life story and tragic passing that inspired you to create this musical?
Jason: Like so many, I’m drawn to a combination of things about Tom Thomson. He left little behind to tell us about himself besides his art, which was bold, original and enigmatic. He died young, age 40, and had only just started to tap his potential, so there is always a sense of wonder about what might have been if he had lived. And finally, even the manner of his death is a mystery. All of these things leave the door wide open for artistic interpretation of his work, his personality and his life – perfect for musicians, writers and theatre folk!
Richard: Tom Thomson is famously known for his work with oil on wood and canvas. How did you approach writing songs that are reflective of his life, work, and how does it translate to live performance?
Jason: There’s no doubt that some of our songs were inspired directly by Tom’s paintings themselves. In the first song we wrote for this show, there is a line that says, “These boards are poems.” Tom was clearly trying to say something about the way the wilderness affected him, what it meant to him and what emotions it caused him to feel. A number of our songs try to capture that.
Other songs are inspired by the subject matter of Tom’s life. For example, his time as a fire ranger; allegations that he was a ladies man. The events that he witnessed — the outbreak of World War One and the disbanding of his circle of artistic friends who would later form the Group of Seven. Or people he cared about and painted, such as his friends Winnie Trainor and Larry Dixon.
The combination of the songs, the actors and the display of the HD imagery of the paintings themselves is what makes the show really come to life and, we hope, paint a bigger picture of Tom’s life and work.
Richard: Why is this a story that needs to be told and what do you hope to accomplish while it is on tour?
Jason: Canada has often struggled with telling and preserving its history. The stories of Tom Thomson, the era he lived in and the work he created are worth re-telling and re-examining by each generation. We hope to bring some fresh takes on who he was and what he achieved to the various stages we’ll visit this year. We hope to encourage interest in Tom’s story and to hear what audience members young and old think of this fascinating Canadian.
Richard: How did you ultimately decide which three characters would share their individual experiences with Thomson and what do they bring to the story as a whole?
Jason: I wanted characters who could talk to different sides of Tom’s personality and what motivated him. So, we bring in Group of Seven co-founder A.Y. Jackson to speak to Tom’s artistic influences. We use woodsman, bootlegger and all-around colourful character Larry Dixon to speak to Tom’s love of Algonquin Park. And through Winnie Trainor, we gain the perspective of someone who knew Tom on a very personal level and shared an emotional connection with him that few others did.
The characters don’t always agree on who Tom was or what his work meant, but their diverging views help the audience construct its own portrait of who he was, which is a big part of the show’s appeal.
Richard: Since its premiere in 2019 to rave reviews, has the structure or focus of the show changed at all?
Jason: An earlier version of the show workshopped before its official debut in 2019 tried to also address the other massive event effecting Canada in the final years of Tom’s life – the First World War. However, by the time we debuted the show in 2019, we had decided to focus on the artistic aspects of Tom’s story. The war is addressed more fully in our other musical, 100 Years from Now.
Richard: Is there another Canadian or event from Canadian history that would like to either create or see created?
Jason: Absolutely! We are currently working on a new musical about the 1897 Klondike Goldrush, which changed the world economy, opened up Canada’s northwest and altered thousands of lives forever. We’re hoping to debut that piece in 2024.
Richard: If you had to choose one piece of Tom Thomson’s work for every Canadian to experience, what piece would it be and why?
Jason: That’s a tough one. Many Canadians are familiar with the West Wind at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which we feature in the show. My favourite song in the show is about the Northern River painting, Tom’s first big sale. My personal favourite painting is the Jack Pine in the National Art Gallery.
But if I had a magic wand, what I’d most like is for everyone to have the chance to stand in front of a real Thomson sketch at an actual Ontario gallery. Folks in Barrie are less than an hour away from the McMichael Collection in Kleinburg, for example. There’s a great new Tom exhibition on there right now.
Nothing beats standing in front of a real Thomson piece and seeing the texture of the paint, the energy visible in how it was applied to the board, and the sense that you’re looking at art by someone who obviously felt an intense connection with the Canadian landscape we all know and love.
With our images of the paintings, we try to give audiences a taste of that, but nothing compares to the real thing.
Tom Thomson’s Wake will be performed Sept. 8, 2023 at the Georgian Theatre, located in Barrie at 1 Georgian Dr., Building C.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
To listen to the soundtrack to Tom Thomson’s Wake by Shipyard Kitchen Party, click here.
