Audio drama of Halifax Explosion and Boston Tree – second show added

The premiere screening of Suzanne Pasternak’s audio drama “The Story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion and the Boston Tree” is set for Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Festival Players Theatre in Wellington. UPDATE: This show is full. A 7 p.m. show has been added.

December is the 100th anniversary of the first 55-foot Christmas tree that made its 600 mile journey from the city of Halifax to stand in front of the State House in Boston.

This tradition continues today. It represents a thank you from the citizens of Halifax for the city of Boston and the State of Massachusetts for their help immediately following the 1917 explosion that killed 2,000 people and critically wounded 9,000.

This audio drama features County radio personality 99.3 County FM’s Sam St Omer as narrator and County composers Tom Leighton, the late Kaitlin Shannon, and Suzanne Pasternak.

Pasternak spent four years writing and researching the compelling story which is not only about a catastrophic disaster, but is a story of an epic humanitarian rescue mission and the deep friendship between people in Canada and the United States.

Admission is free of charge and tickets can be reserved by phoning the Festival Players Box Office at 613 476 476 1991. There will be a question and answer period following the screening, and a reception.

“I am so grateful to the PEC Historical Society for supporting this amazing County collaboration,” said Pasternak. “The music that is woven into the fabric of this powerful Canadian story was composed by County musicians Tom Leighton, Pasternak and Jeanette Arsenault’s daughter the late Kaitlin Shannon. County radio personality Sam St. Omer did a spectacular job narrating the story.

“It is important in these times to remember that humans have a deep reservoir of goodness and the spirit to do the right thing. The story of this epic humanitarian rescue mission in 1917 speaks to that fact. I could not have created this work without the generous funding by the PEC Historical Society.”