Posted by Heather on Feb 21, 2018 in Blog | 3 comments

https://blythfestival.com/judith-memories-of-a-lady-pig-farmer-june-27-august-11-2018/

Aritha Van Herk’s novel, Judith, first came to my attention when my friend Jane Miller tossed the book to me, saying,” Read this, I think you’ll like it.” I hunkered down in a comfy chair, coffee to the right of me, sunshine streaming in through the rustic cottage window and began reading. Several hours later, like a praying mantis resting on a branch, I unfolded from the chair and emerged from Van Herk’s poetic, blunt and evocative book. The spidey-sense that it could be adapted into a theatre piece was already spinning in my imagination.

At that point I was living in the UK. Jill Fraser, the Artistic Director of the Watermill Theatre in Newbury offered me the opportunity of a workshop but due to unfortunate circumstances, we never worked together on this project. It was while I was working at The Grand Theatre in London, ON that AD Susan Ferley offered me a workshop as part of my second Apprentice Artistic Director contract. Jane Miller, Adrian Griffin, Sandy Gribbin and Emily Andrews joined me and the cardboard pigs for four days in the McManus Theatre at The Grand. At the end of that time we shared about twenty minutes of material, followed by a Q and A/feedback with the invited audience. I wasn’t sure if an audience would be as enraptured as I was by the story, but the feedback was compelling and humbling: they found the story and pigs incredibly moving, so I decided to continue with the adaptation- a play with music.

Skipping ahead a wee while, this piece had two outings in the “Works in Development Series” at SpringWorks (in 2013 and 2014), the curated, multi-discipline arts festival in Stratford, ON run by Eileen Smith . By this time Judith was a full-length piece, filled out with more songs  (fantastic chum Murray Foster and I worked together on music), played by the actor/musician ensemble. Each time we shared the story through the semi-staged readings (complete with cardboard pigs and piglets), the audience responded positively and I was inspired to continue developing the adaptation. A fantastic moment for the piece was the day that we shared the entire script as a semi-staged reading at Warren Ham’s Garlic Farm north of Stratford. Eli Ham and I prepared food, our audience brought their lawn chairs and the garlic barn became our theatre for that special day.

Time zooms forward again to when the Blyth Festival stepped forward to support the piece. As Blyth AD, Marion de Vries kindly offered me time to write one summer, then, after a wide-ranging wintery conversation in 2015 AD Gil Garratt expressed interest in the piece. Gil lead a workshop of Judith in 2016 and our follow-up conversations inspired me to apply for a Theatre Ontario grant for writing time and to enrich my artistic directing skills. In Feb 2017 I began a Professional Theatre Training Program residency at Blyth. The grant afforded me the opportunity to focus on arts leadership, while writing and talking with hog farmers and young female farmers. Many elements of farming have modernized since the novel was written, but hard work, long hours, financial risk and unfortunately, some prevailing attitudes to young, female farmers, have endured.

And here we are in 2018. I’m absolutely delighted that Judith: memories of a Lady Pig Farmer, (original novel, Judith,  by Aritha Van Herk) is part of the 2018 Blyth Festival season and that Gil Garratt has programmed this adaptation. I’m elated that this piece will be premiered at Blyth. Aritha Van Herk was also delighted when I told her this news. Jennifer Brewin (Artistic Director of Common Boots Theatre in Toronto) is directing and the rest of the cast and creative team is nearly in place, which is all fantastic! Delicious creative conversations continue and I’m excited to be moving towards the world premiere production.

There may be a couple of updates as we progress- and even a couple of photos. But today, here’s one from the first workshop. Adrian Griffin and Sandy Gribbin with momma sow and marionette piglets.

Thank you to everyone, including friends, family, farmers and arts organizations who have supported this process. I’m deeply grateful and profoundly appreciative of all your encouragement, expertise, sounding board conversations, open hearts, creativity, opportunities and extraordinary generosity. And now, onwards!

Adrian Griffin and Sandy Gribbin (with puppet pigs).