The premise is simple and thoroughly compelling: during the summer of 1847, 38,000 poverty-stricken Irish immigrants passed through Toronto, then a city of 20,000. Responding to the tragedy, innkeeper Thomas Montgomery hosted a benefit to aid the refugees. Tomorrow night at 8 pm, storyteller Nan Brien, left, and historical music ensemble Gin Lane recreate that night 163 years later in the very same room at Montgomery’s Inn.
Titled No Irish Need Apply, Brien relates the stories of seven women ranging from an Irish tenant farmer’s wife, to a sea captain’s wife to a midwife and soothsayer. Some storytellers are very clear about a distinction between what they do and theatrical performance; not so for Brien who spent her career teaching high school drama, acting and directing amateur theatre.
“Because of my background, it’s easy for me to step into a different voice or mood,” says Brien. “I like being close to the audience and as a storyteller I feed somewhat off their reactions.” Brien has been telling stories in the historic Montgomery’s Inn for about 15 years and says the rustic rooms “are like a live stage setting.”
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more and more interested in historical interpretation and that’s one of the reasons this appeals to me so much. I like the space; it inspires me and brings the best out of me because it’s a beautiful, interesting place.”
Each year, as part of the annual Toronto Festival of Storytelling, Toronto’s historic sites run the Fabled City series in which some of the city’s best storytellers use the spaces as settings for engaging tales that illuminate the city’s history. Also on Friday, at North York’s Gibson House, Pauline Grondin brings to life the untold tale of matriarch Eliza Gibson, a farmer and mother of seven. The evening includes a hearty meal in the Gibson farmhouse, with music by fiddler Stephen Fuller (7 – 9:30 p.m., $40, plus applicable taxes).
On Saturday, March 27 at 11 am, the Market Gallery hosts St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Stories with Jazz – little known tales about a well known area accompanied by a jazz trio. Veteran storyteller Jim Blake shares stories of this historically-rich neighbourhood and the session is free. At nearby Mackenzie House (Saturday, March 27 at 1:30 pm; adults $12, seniors $10, children $8, plus applicable taxes) Harriet Xanthakos tells the unbelievable, yet true story of Vic Steinberg: Girl Reporter!
Uptown, at Spadina Museum, Jeffrey Canton tells stories of Toronto tradesmen in the late 1920s. A hardhat tour of the current renovations (work permitting) and refreshments follow the storytelling event (Saturday, March 27, 3:30 pm, $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 children plus applicable taxes).
Pre-registration is required for all events. Tickets for individual events can be purchased at each location. Real people, real stories, historic settings – what more could a history buff ask for?
Photo of Nan Brien by Mike Lipowski
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