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‘Mourning Dove’: heavy drama, plenty of humour

And so begins the season of movie awards. Red carpets are yanked out of moth balls for The Golden Globes and the Oscars in the what-she-wore season of film celebrations.
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Actors Jeff Dingle (crying), who plays Keith Martel, and Doug MacLeod, who plays Doug, rehearse a scene for Sudbury Theatre Centre's Mourning Dove. Photo by Arron Pickard.
And so begins the season of movie awards. Red carpets are yanked out of moth balls for The Golden Globes and the Oscars in the what-she-wore season of film celebrations.

My list of nominations, not for movies, but for Best Drama for 2015 for our corner of the world begins with Mourning Dove by Emil Sher, at the Sudbury Theatre Centre.

Movie dramas can be broad like Selma or laser sharp like Boyhood. Mourning Dove lands with the latter as it tells the story of two parents and a daughter.

The crisis in this family, as we join them, is 12-year-old Tina’s impending operation, the most recent in a long list. Tina has severe and excruciatingly painful cerebral palsy.

Yet this heavy drama is told with love and humour. Indeed, Keith, (Jeff Dingle) who works for the father Doug (Doug McLeod) is truly hilarious.

The play was inspired by the iconic Canadian legal case of Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer, who felt his daughter Tracy needed to be rescued from her never-ending pain. He committed the unspeakable, yet won the hearts of his jury. Our journey with Doug as he comes to terms with what he feels he must do is gut-wrenching.

Guest director Matthew Walker, who couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to (finally) direct this script, refers to it as “a beautiful investigation ... a stunning insider’s view of passion, humour and out-of-the-box thinking of two parents.”

Audiences will always gravitate towards plays that tell stories of what it is to be human.

And the award for Best Drama for 2015. Don’t miss it. Playing at the Sudbury Theatre Centre for 10 performances only, from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 7:30 nightly except Monday with a Pay What You Can matinee Jan. 25 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available online at sudburytheatre.ca or by phone at 705-674-8381.

Judi Straughan is Sudbury Theatre Centre’s education co-ordinator.

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