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Fundraising Reading and ConcertApril 22 at the Christ Church, BoltonCome out to hear the words of Margaret Atwood, written in the spirit of Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol", read by some of Canada's finest voices and interspersed with music from an impressive line-up of well-known performers. "So what would Scrooge do if he were here with us today, and if he faced the problems we ourselves are now facing, not to mention the payback date that’s moving so rapidly in our direction? And if he’d been given extra time to make amends, what form might those amends take? Let’s find out." - Margaret Atwood |
About the Evening
In the spirit of Dickens “Christmas Carol” readings to benefit the needy, one Caledon-area resident is organizing an Earth Day dramatic reading and concert to raise money for the environment. The centrepiece of the event is a reading from Payback, Margaret Atwood’s latest book which comprises her 2008 Massey Lectures. In the final chapter, Atwood wrote a new version of the “Christmas Carol” story that features a modern-day Scrooge encountering the spirits of Earth Day Past, Present, and Future. The focus of the piece is on the environmental issues that are facing our planet today, presented in a humourous but pointed manner.
The Readers
The readers will include David Nairn
(Artistic Director of Theatre Orangeville), acclaimed author, actress, and equestrian
Shelley Peterson, Dave Seglins (host
of CBC Radio's The World this Weekend), and Caledon actor
and writer Andrew Welch,
who prepared the reading from Atwood's text.
The Musicians
Interspersed throughout the evening will be performances by well-known local musicians:
Acclaimed songtress Laura Bird,
Fergus singer/songwriter Nonie Crete, and Jory Nash (Ontario
Council of Folk Festivals songwriting award).
The Cause
All proceeds raised will go to the following environmental groups:
(75%)
(25%)
The Sponsors
We are extremely grateful to the various sponsors who have made it possible for us to publicize this event and get the word out. Please show your support by supporting these businesses and organizations. Thank you, thank you.
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The Organizer
The event is the brainchild of Andrew Welch, a Caledon author and performer. In 2009, Welch teamed-up with Jay Mowat, station manager of Erin Community Radio, to create the first Earth Day - Payback performance, which was a huge success. Once again, they have joined forces to assemble a stellar line-up of performers and engage the participation of various local businesses and environmental action groups. Everyone involved has volunteered their time and talent, with publicity costs donated by the sponsors listed above.
The Details
Earth Day 2010 – Payback will take place on April 22 (7:30pm) at the Christ Church, Bolton (22 Nancy Street, Bolton). Admission is $15 in advance and $18 at the door.CLICK HERE to Reserve or Purchase tickets now.
Christ Church is located in Bolton, NW of Toronto. The church is centrally located, one block West of Queen St. (Hwy 50) on the South side of King Street. See Google Map directions.
Bolton too far away or busy that night? Check out our other performances!Testimonials and Press
"Stories and songs by all-star performers brought forward an extremely important message and challenged me to re-think and re-qualify how I look at the world around me. What I loved most about the evening was that the message was subtle, advanced, and personal. I love to be entertained, and it was certainly that too. ... I can't wait for next year!"
- Aaron Sheedy, Caledon, Ontario
To read the rest of this comment and others, we have now put together a separate page of audience feedback, media coverage, press releases, and other downloadable publicity material.
Dedication
It is with much sadness that we dedicate this performace to the memory of renowned actor James
B. Douglas who passed away on Dec. 29, 2009. James was a resident of Belfountain, and played
a major role as a reader in our inaugural Earth Day - Payback reading last year.
Read more about his prodigious career on stage and screen.
Contact Andrew Welch, organizer
- Electronic mail:
- payback@
- Web address:
- www.andrewwelch.ca
- Postal address:
- 57 Mary Street, Alton, Ontario, L7K 0E3, Canada
- Telephone:
- 416-907-2076
