Niagara-on-the-Lake

How great is it to live just under a 2-hour drive from an incredibly gorgeous town in another country? This was my third time to Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL): the first was in 2009, as part of a “Maggie Tours” bike trip (Charlie’s least favorite bike “organization,” since it means he schlepps the bikes…), and the second was in 2014 after an overnight at the Inn on the Twenty, where we met up with my other regular bridge partner and her husband. 

NOTL can be done as a day trip from Rochester, and when Nanette planned her recent visit north around going to the Shaw Festival, we almost did that, but ended up spending two nights there, to give us time to wander around the town and also play in a regional bridge tournament in St. Catherine’s. 

Nine years ago, the “tour” included an extremely forgettable play at the Shaw Festival, but I chose it because it fit with our biking schedule. This year, Nanette chose two shows, again, based on what would be playing the Wednesday of her visit. Neither one of the shows was forgettable, although The Baroness and the Pig was truly awful. As we sat in the park, recovering from the blistering heat and admiring the view of the Niagara River meeting Lake Ontario, we shared our personal reviews before Nanette checked professional ones on her phone. We were spot on! 

The other show, Oh What a Lovely War, was an intriguing and powerful revue loosely telling the story of World War I from a distinctly Canadian point of view. Although it was written several decades ago, it included some personal stories by the actors, as well as references to current events (my favorite – the Russian official telling the British, American, and French officials that they were all puppets!). There were pointed references to the slights to indigenous people, Negroes, and women (suffrage in Canada was achieved piecemeal, starting in 1917, but wasn't fully inclusive of Asians and Inuit until the 1950s), and more than one jab at America (e.g., always arriving late to the war). There were multiple acknowledgements of the "First Nations peoples," thanking them for their "stewardship of these lands" and "their ongoing and important roles in the caretaking of the lands beneath our feet" (lands which were stolen from the indigenous people in Canada and the United States...).

All of the actors displayed great versatility as they quickly changed characters from sketch to sketch. Nanette and I occasionally had trouble with the French and Russian accents, but we got the gist of it. 

The most moving part of attending the Shaw Festival was the playbill message from Artistic Director Tim Carroll. Definitely worth reading in full, rather than me quoting an excerpt. 

one of my favorite dress shops!

We also did our bit to help support the local economy – we both bought some lovely Canadian clothes and assorted other trinkets, and we had some delicious meals. I mustn’t wait another 4-5 years before going back next time!