June 4 & 5 • 7:30 PM      June 6 • 2:00 PM
                              



Sponsored by:

     

Trent Valley Archives Theatre presents "The Kid from Simcoe Street"
A theatrical fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives. Written for the stage by Ed Schroeter & Gerry McBride. Based on the memoir of the same title by James Clarke (Exile Editions, 2012). Script editing by David Francis Clarke. Directed by Drew Mills. Stage Managed by Barb Mills.

"The Kid from Simcoe Street" is a poignant, coming-of-age story about retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and prolific poet James Clarke, who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Peterborough, ON, during the Depression and Second World War. He lived at 249 Simcoe Street, one block north and a block west of the historic Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

Initially oblivious to the imperfections of adults, young Jimmy Clarke idolizes his father, Sam. Sam enlists to fight in the Second World War and is wounded. When dad returns home four years later, he is a changed man - an alcoholic and a gambler - forcing Jim to reconcile his childhood adulation with his growing awareness of his father’s shortcomings and war trauma.

"The Kid from Simcoe Street" is also a heartwarming tale of boyhood adventures and a close-knit community that came together to support James. His mother, local firefighters, teachers, nuns, coaches, hoteliers, and lawyers all rallied behind him, steering a young man with potential toward a life of service and fulfillment. The play, replete with references to local people and places in Peterborough’s past, is sure to appeal to history buffs, military Veterans, and long-time Peterborough residents.