When you hear 鈥淨uality Street,鈥� what instantly jumps to mind for most people is a purple tin of chocolates, one that's a particularly common sight during the holiday season.
The popular candy brand didn鈥檛 take its name from just anywhere, though: it鈥檚 actually inspired by a 1901 play by J.M. Barrie, the Scottish author and playwright best known for creating the character of Peter Pan. And this year Quality Street is the production that鈥檚 closing out the first half of the Fountain School of Performing Arts鈥� theatre season.
Set in early 19th-century England during the Napoleonic wars, the play focuses on two sisters, Phoebe and Susan Throssel. When Phoebe鈥檚 love interest, Dr. Valentine Brown, leaves town to fight in the wars, the sisters are forced to become school teachers to make ends meet. The play then jumps ahead 10 years to Valentine鈥檚 dramatic return and a series of comedic hijinks.
Peter Sarty as Valentine, admiring his reflection.
The production is directed by Marti Maraden, returning to the Fountain School after having last directed Lady Windermere鈥檚 Fan in 2012. The actor and director has spent 18 seasons at the Stratford Festival and seven seasons at the Shaw Festival, and has acted, directed or taught in every province of Canada and throughout the U.S.
Maraden says she has a real fondness for Barrie鈥檚 writing.
鈥淲hat I like is he鈥檚 got just a touch of magic 鈥� not so directly in Quality Street, but in things that are playful and dare to go a step forward than you would in a play,鈥� she explains. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a warm heart but he鈥檚 not cloying; just the right amount of sense of fun.鈥�
She says she鈥檚 been 鈥渦tterly charmed鈥� working with the students on this particular production, saying that she鈥檚 loved watching the students discover the fun in playing characters that are age-appropriate but of an entirely different era and sensibility.
鈥淏ecoming those women and men, and dressing in their clothes and gloves and gowns: that is the adventure itself. My goal was to help these young people believe it, understand it, inhabit it. And then when the audience follows you there, they buy into the whole world.鈥�
Ivy Charles as Phoebe Throssel, chatting with the troops.
For her, the joy of working with students comes from sharing with them the long lineage of theatre that's come before them.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 exist in isolation. Everything we do has a precursor. Everything we do has been done before, in a sense. It was born out of something. And it鈥檚 so great to teach young people, and remind myself, how connected we are through the centuries of theatre that have come before us.鈥�
And she鈥檚 excited, in particular, to have audiences discover what鈥檚 inside Quality Street.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot like the chocolates,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sheer delight.鈥�
Quality Street runs through Saturday, December 5 in the Dunn Theatre of the Dalhousie Arts Centre, with shows at 7:30 p.m. nightly along with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. .