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Clinton News-Record, 1973-11-15, Page 11Members of the Donnelly., played by the Passe Muraille theatre, pose for a Biddulph Township will play the Clinton Community Sales Barns In Clinton family portrait. Left to right are Booth Harding-Savage, Mlles Potter, David for two days, Saturday November 24 and Sunday November 25. Advanced Fox, Ian Amos, and Clare Coulter (seated). The play about the Donnellys of tickets are available. jt: '2'71 K • ' News-Record Photo Feature Clinton, Ontario 108 Year No. 46 Seond Section Thursday, November 15, 1973 "Them Donnellys" new play about the Biddulph massacre Was it murder or was it revenge? Which ever it was, the story of the sudden death of five members of the Donnelly family on February 3, 1880 has made the quiet Township of Biddulph in Middlesex County one of the most talked about and controversial areas in all of Southwestern Ontario. Numerous books, stories and essays as well as historical documents have been written about the now famous family near Lucan. Some say that for 25 years the Black Donnellys burned barns, mutilated cattle, cut the tongues out of horses, savagely beat and maimed anyone who opposed them - un- til finally, the cowed and terror stricken population of Bid- dulph rose up and ended once and for all the Donnelly reign of terror. Or were the Donnelly victims of one of the most premeditated and cold-blooded murders in history. Twenty-five masked men clubbed to death a frail old couple, an innocent young girl, and two unarmed Don- nelly brothers. All were in- nocent scapegoats of a com- munity's violence and hatred. People in Southwestern On- tario and in the Clinton area will get a chance in the next two weeks to decide which ver- sion fits their perspective as the Passe Muraille Theatre Group bring their new production "Them Donnellys" to a few selected spots in this part of Ontario. The group, working partially under a $4,500 Canada Council grant have attempted their largest production to date which includes a cast of 13 ac- tors and travelling with them, Jimmy Adams of Listowel, who will provide fiddle music for the play. Paul Thompson, Passe Muraille's Director, said that the play will not just look at the massacre, but will focus on shivarees, barn raisings, stage coaches, hell raising, weddings, dances, horses,fiddling and step dancing, just like your grand- father will remember. The new play adds further fuel to the fire that there are many distinctive Canadian sub- jects about which both in- teresting plays and books can be written. The Passe Muraille have done several successful plays based on Canadian themes, including, "1873", about the Rebellion in Upper Canada, "Pauline", a play about Canadian Indian poet Pauline Johnson, "The Farm Show," about life in present day rural Ontario, and "Under the Greywacke," their most recent work based on im- pressions of a Northern Ontario mining town. People in Clinton will best remember the group for the play, "The Farm Show" which was based on characters and the life of the people in Goderich Township. The play opened a year ago to rave reviews and sellout crowds in Toronto and last spring, suc- cessfully toured a handful of small towns in Southwestern Ontario. The play also marked the first occasion in over ten years that a Canadian written play has been spotlighted on the Stratford Shakespearean stage. Last August, the, play was shown to a highly select in- ternational audience at Canada's premier theatre, the National Arts Centre in Ot- tawa. Unlike its predecessors, however, "Them Donnellys" will not be premiered in Toronto, but will open to a relatively rural audience in smaller centres in South- western Ontario. Director Thompson says that from experience gained from "The Farm Show," the group has found the audiences in rural centres very receptiVe to live theatre. The play, written by Frank• ' McEnaney, is an accumulation of a summer's work by the playwright. He says he is a writer on the project rather than a writer of the project. The cast is a big one and in- clUdes "Farm Show" regulars Janet Amos, David Fox, Miles Potter and Ted Johns. Other actors and actresses include Clare Coulter, Booth Harding- Savage, Barry Flatman, Larry Mollin, Phil Savoth, Maureen McRae, Eric Peterson, Lyn Cartwright, and Ian Amos. The set was designed by Paul Williams and the costumes were designed by Mird Kinch. The play will open in Petrolia next Monday, Novem- ber 19 and 20 and will move to Listowel for two dates, Novem- ber 22 and November 23. It will . open in the Clinton Community Sales Barn on Saturday November 24 at 8 p.m. and Sunday November 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets for the Clinton engagement, which is being sponsored by the Huron Cen- tral Agricultural Society will cost $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for children under 12 years of age. Advanced , tickets are available from the Clinton Commercial Printers on Albert Street or by phoning Bob Gib- bings at 482-7502. A sellout crowd is expected in Clinton, so advanced ticket purchase is ad- vised. Following their Clinton dates, the group moves to Orangeville for two days, Hanover for two days and ends with a three day stay at the Stratford Festival Theatre. Ted Johns, left, whose father Edwin now lives in Clinton, arm wrestles with et the rural Ilia of the MO's, Inctuoing loam raisings, dances , shiver**s one of the Donnelly Brothers (Ian Amos): while Barry Mittman watches. The and old style waddings. Director Paul Thompson says that the Donnelly play will not only look at the Donnelly massacre, but will take a closer look story Is the Would thing In Southwestern Ontario to a legend.