Unity (1918): of past, future and the connection in between

This article was originally published in McMaster University’s Alumni Blog in 2012.

1918 was a year of significance to many. It marked the end of World War I. Celebrations were the first in mind for those at the home front looking forward to a future of peace, contrasting with grim images of soldiers returning from the battlefield, scarred emotionally and physically from the war. But 1918 was not solely about the war for the town of Unity in Kevin Kerr's Unity (1918). This Governor General's Award winning play shifts the focus away from the Great War, to highlight the enormity of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, as felt by inhabitants of this small prairie town, west of Saskatoon. In fact, the impact of the flu should not be underestimated; CBC News reported at least 21 million deaths worldwide as a result from this pandemic.

As McMaster celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2012, the School of the Arts' (SOTA) Theatre and Film Studies program revisits history by putting on Kerr's play as this year's Fall Major Production. Arguably one of the most anticipated performances produced by SOTA, the play is a collaborative effort between three core courses in the program: the Major Production Workshop, Performance Research and Planning, and Performance and Community Outreach. In essence, what you see on stage and your experience leading up to the performance is a combined work of more than 40 people (students, staff, and faculty included).

The story that unfolds comes from the perspective of a young farm girl, Beatrice Wilde. As she watches her sisters and the town deal with this fear of being infected by the flu, she shares her observations in her diary and to the audience. In developing the play, students themselves traced the past, revisiting this dark moment of Canadian history by conducting research on the social conditions of the city in height of the 1918 pandemic. To imagine and contextualize this fictional world, students went to the library archives, collecting information and looking at flyers cautioning people of the flu during that fateful year. Their engagement with primary sources to come up with the design of the show, is described by director, Dr. Peter Cockett, as a "living historiography" – a (re)presentation of history based upon examination of authentic materials. SOTA's Unity (1918) is historical, but it also allows students to make creative choices that could best be represented contemporarily.

Undeniably, the play demands a certain level of emotional investment from the audience – it's hard to ignore that heart-wrenching feeling when you see inhabitants of Unity having to dance to celebrate the end of World War I without touching. It was also difficult to watch the three sisters (Beatrice, Mary and Sissy) mourning over deaths and tragedies. Yet, there were lighthearted moments, evoking giggles and laughter from the audience. This included the marriage ceremony between Stan, a widower and the 15-year old Sunna, who inherits the town's mortuary after the death of her uncle. It was quite funny to see a full-grown man kneeling down to a petite girl as they both tried to walk down the aisle. That laughter during the scene signaled a connection between the past and present, an underlying theme of the play.

Although the residents of Unity struggle with their fear of this unseen pandemic, refraining from having any personal contact with others, this feeling of uncertainty was not constrained within the fictional world on stage. As I responded to the talkback session on opening night, Friday Nov. 9th, I confessed sharing this similar sense of fear for what's in store for the future. This led to a wider discussion about the fear (and resistance) of change, be it in social norms, expectations, or economic climates.

When you look through the window to the past, you subconsciously envision yourself in the future tense. The outreach component of the play facilitates that connection between the past and future. Audiences were asked to respond to the question, "What do you hope your generation will be remembered for?" They were invited to share their thoughts in the Big Book of History or post it on the wall outside of Robinson Memorial Theatre. It seemed like a personal pledge, as one marches forward to the future and a look back at what he or she leaves behind in a historical timeline.

I certainly can't speak on behalf of my cohort, the Millennial Generation that is often characterized by others to having an increased (and perhaps misplaced) sense of entitlement.

So, when a student from the outreach team approached me to ask what my greatest accomplishments were, my written response was brief: starting each day with a smile.

And that's how I would like to be remembered.

Unity (1918) continues on Wednesday (Nov. 14) till Saturday (Nov. 17) at Robinson Memorial Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Stay back after the show for the talkback sessions, featuring McMaster professors as speakers responding to specific themes in relation to the show. Visit the show's website and social media channels on Facebook and Twitter for more information.