Magnificence

Doctor Keir Co.—PTE – Colin Jackson Studio

I have yet to miss one of Keir’s Shows (unless it is a remount) in the 15 years he has been performing at the Winnipeg Fringe. There is a good reason for that. You will always enjoy a piece of true theatre by a consummate professional. I love the different direction this year’s offering takes, away from the professorial and into the passionate. His love and respect for his late mother and her very remarkable achievements comes through in a way that brings out a side of Mr. Cutler that I haven’t seen before. And it is lovely.

He celebrates May Ebbitt Cutler’s life using the backstory of a book she wrote about another remarkable woman, Madame Day, a strong, unique Indigenous woman who was ahead of her day. The tale is completely engaging, made more moving by its being fact not fiction. I highly recommend reading the program for a more complete background to this historical story; and more about Mrs. Cutler’s numerous accomplishments. I could relate to the setting very much; having spent a lovely month in a ritzy chateau in the Laurentians, near the very Mont Tremblant, and the village of Saint Sauveur; imagining what it was like back in the period she wrote about.

Keir has, to my mind, softened, as we all do, as we become orphans, no matter our age. He has shown us a new side, and I certainly appreciate that. Bravo!

Lisa Campbell