"As a child, Remembrance Day meant colouring poppies. As I grew older, it meant going to the cenotaph for the placing of the wreaths, the moment of silence, the sound of the bugle ,the stern faces and probably what would be a rainy, dark day.
After seeing your play, I realized the bigger depth of all that was… I missed the emotion. The huge sacrifices those men and women made for our freedom and our country became more real as I sat through your play. If you remember, I went up to you after the performance to congratulate you on such an incredible performance but broke down and had to walk away. The impact of your work and skills overwhelmed me.
So many of the cast were people I had known for a long time and to see them taking on the role of telling stories,reading letters and how they portrayed all that so realistically with heartfelt emotions, deeply moved me. In a small, unpretentious space with community volunteers acting , singing… it was truly amazing talent. One would have to go as far as Toronto to equal the calibre.
The next day, I was all over town encouraging people to buy-tickets, go-see. For those who missed it, I am hoping for a return of WE REMEMBER next year. Mr Fawthrop, you did us proud... again! Keep producing!"
"It is rare to see a local production that motivates you to go home and immediately contact friends, relatives, and other community members to tell them they just can’t miss this show. And that is how ‘We Remember’ affected us - we wanted to share it with everyone we knew. Music and songs of the era were beautifully interwoven with personal anecdotes, letters, and soliloquies to take the audience back to those war years, to feel the concerns, the hopes, and fears of those directly involved in fighting as well as those waiting at home for their return.
The sources of inspiration may have been regional, but their application was national in scope - Canadians fearful but strong, worried but hopeful, united in the effort to defeat tyranny and preserve freedom. The costs were high, the effort magnanimous, and the results eventually victorious. The music, songs and dramatic presentations of ‘We Remember’ transported the audience, heart and soul, to eras most of us never experienced but should know about and never forget.
The message of ‘We Remember’ should not be restricted to a few evening presentations at the Amherst Legion in November, 2023 - it must be shared with youth as well as adult, with regional as well as national audiences. We strongly support the creation of a ‘We Remember’ documentary to remind us of those who sacrificed so much and to ensure that we remember to never take our freedom for granted."
"This letter is being written in support of the creation of a documentary from the live production of the play "We Remember" that was staged at the Royal Canadian Legion Amherst Branch in the late fall of 2023.
As a relative novice to the live theatre, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the entire experience. The content and the message of the show was brilliantly depicted. The letters and stories came from a variety of experiences that crossed lines of gender, social status and race reinforcing the notion of LEST WE FORGET and WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
The messages that the production highlighted were powerful, heart wrenching, profoundly sad and conversely hopeful, uplifting, joyful. I cried buckets, I laughed tons, and I sang to the music. It was an emotional roller coaster. When, I was not intently experiencing this event, I was imagining the value of making
this more available to people.
The message that we cannot forget the horrible outcome of war
is a significant considering the unpredictability the world is facing in 2024. The idea that this production with home grown Atlantic Canadian talent, recounting Atlantic Canadian stories could be shared more broadly via a documentary series has exceptional merit and I am hoping it will receive the full consideration of any person or group in the position to support this production focusing on Atlantic Canadian historical projects."
What a pleasure for Oxford’s 4-Fun Quartet and our accompanist to take part in “We Remember” for 3 audience-filled performances in November. Each night, as we listened to the stories and letters of those veterans and those who lived through the war times being portrayed by the talented actors, we learned something new.
The enthusiasm and expertise of the performers made for a fascinating look back on the experiences that we today can only marvel at and admire. We hope that our contribution of many songs from WWI and WWII added to the authenticity of the presentation.
As adults even we have only a few memories and stories of those who actually took part in those wars. We feel that if this documentary written by Dale Fawthrop could be supported, it would be created for all Canadians to enjoy, especially our youth, and that those who were the heroes and the everyday citizens who supported them, would not be forgotten.
It was a fabulous show & the Amherst Legion was packed with everyone enjoying every word read & song sung during the entire evening!
The Play was a wonderful look back in time.
We felt the pain, hurt & confusion brought on by war!
Personally, besides tears in my eyes throughout the entire show, I felt pride and many moments of laughter, feeling moments of pain & joy in all the stories and songs!
As a Family who had a Mom & Dad threatened by War, the play brought to life the pain, horror & helplessness felt by all.
Your play did an incredible job of pulling it together so we were able to get a better picture of what the families of our soldiers and others had to endure.
Our Mom was Doris Rhindress, a War Bride, whose story was beautifully represented by Kathy Legere. The stories & music brought the entire show together in a most inspiring way!
My husband John & I and our entire family are 100% behind your efforts to acquire funding for a permanent display of this most important time in our History.
I hope this helps to understand the vital importance of future shows & stories depicted in “We Remember”.
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