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ENRICHMENT GUIDE
DIRECTED BY JONATHAN CHRISTENSON
FEATURING
Kris Joseph Daniel Donnelly
David Leyshon James Donnelly
Lucas Meeuse Johnny Donnelly
Eric Morin Robert Donnelly
Carson Nattrass Will Donnelly
Jan Alexandra Smith Johannah Donnelly
Scott Walters Tommy Donnelly
Benjamin Wardle Michael Donnelly
Play Guides sponsored by
VIGILANTE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
3
CAST, ARTISTIC TEAM AND CHARACTERS
4
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
5
ABOUT CATALYST THEATRE
6-7
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
8
SCRIPT
9
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
10-14
CULTURAL REFERENCES
15
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
16
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
17-18
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VIGILANTE
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant
when you see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the
experience as much as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both
the performers and your fellow audience members.
To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.
The following items are not allowed in the theatre:
•Food and drink (except that sold during intermission and/or permitted by the Citadel Theatre, such as bottled water and ice cream)
•Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre is strictly prohibited by law)
Basic courtesy:
•Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to
entering the theatre
•Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.
•The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience
members not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors,
as well as fellow audience members.
•There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats in the theatre.
•For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to the theatre.
Inappropriate behavior:
Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behavior, especially
behavior that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to:
•Talking in the audience
•The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices
•Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.)
Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behavior will be removed from the theatre during
the performance or at intermission.
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VIGILANTE
CAST, ARTISTIC TEAM AND CHARACTERS
CAST
Kris Joseph
David Leyshon
Lucas Meeuse
Eric Morin
Carson Nattrass
Jan Alexandra Smith
Scott Walters
Benjamin Wardle
Daniel Donnelly
James Donnelly
Johnny Donnelly
Robert Donnelly
Will Donnelly
Johannah Donnelly
Tommy Donnelly
Michael Donnelly
ARTISTIC TEAM
Season Sponsor:
Writer/Director/Composer/Lyricist
Jonathan Christenson
Choreographer
Laura Krewski
Sound Designer
Wade Staples
Music Producer
Matthew Skopyk
Voice, Speech & Text Director
Betty Moulton
Production Dramaturg
Sarah Garton Stanley
Music Direction
Jonathan Christenson (Vocals) & Matthew Skopyk (Band)
Costume Designer
Narda McCarroll
Lighting Designer
Beth Kates
Set Concept & Development
Jonathan Christenson & James Bob Boudreau
Costume Associate
Megan Koshka
Set Consultant – Paint & Finishes
Marissa Kochanski
Fight Choreographer
Jonathan Purvis
Assistant Director
Patrick Lundeen
Producer
Eva Cairns
Production Manager
James Robert Boudreau
Stage Manager
John Raymond
Assistant Stage Managers
Jenn Best
Presenting Sponsor:
Production Sponsors:
Media Sponsors:
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VIGILANTE
THE PLAYWRIGHT
Jonathan Christenson
Writer/Director/Composer/Lyricist
Jonathan is a director, playwright, composer and the
Artistic Director of Catalyst Theatre. His plays include
Vigilante, The Soul Collector, Nevermore: The
Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan
Poe, The Blue Orphan and The House of Pootsie
Plunket. These plays, as well as his adaptations of
Frankenstein and Hunchback, have been presented at
theatres throughout England, Scotland, Wales,
Australia, and North America. They have been
presented at juried festivals such as the London
International Festival of Theatre, Luminato, Le
Carrefour, The High Performance Rodeo, the PuSh
Festival, and Magnetic North. His work has been
honoured with fifteen Sterling Awards, a Betty Mitchell
Award, an SAT Award, two Scotsman Fringe First
Awards, a Herald Angel Award, and two City of
Edmonton Salute to Excellence Awards. Jonathan’s
work has also garnered several additional nominations
for Sterling Awards, The Stage Awards, Betty Mitchell
Awards, Dora Awards, and Alberta Book Awards. In
2011, Venture Magazine named him one of “Alberta’s
Fifty Most Influential People” and Alberta Playwrights
Network chose him as one of Alberta’s one hundred
most significant theatre artists of the past one hundred years. His plays have been published by
Playwrights Canada Press and Newest Press and his work has been featured in American Theatre,
Canadian Theatre Review, PRISM International, Canada World View and All Stages Magazine. He has also
written a peculiar children’s book called Maximilian’s Mistake, that is part of the series Odd Little Books
published by Bayeaux Arts. His production of Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of
Edgar Allan Poe opened Off-Broadway in January (nevermoreshow.com). Jonathan holds an M.F.A. in
Directing from the University of Alberta where he occasionally returns to teach and direct. He lives in the
heart of Edmonton with his wife Siân and their son Augustus.
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VIGILANTE
ABOUT CATALYST THEATRE
ABOUT CATALYST THEATRE
Founded in 1977, Catalyst's original mandate was as a social action theatre company. In 1996 the
company's mandate was radically changed to its current focus on creating new work. Since 2006 Catalyst
has prioritized developing and touring one large-scale production every second year with the continued
collaboration of a core group of artists. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jonathan
Christenson and with the ongoing collaboration of Resident Designer Bretta Gerecke, Catalyst is now
known for its highly identifiable aesthetic. The company's work is characterized by a bold and distinctive
theatricality that integrates a strong musical component with striking visual imagery, a heightened
physical performance style, poetic text, and an often darkly comic sensibility.
Catalyst has toured its productions to the UK, across Canada, Australia and the USA since 1997. These
have included The House of Pootsie Plunket, The Blue Orphan and, more recently, Frankenstein and
Nevermore, The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe.
Other past productions include:
Carmen Angel, Sticky Shoes, Love + Love, Dream Life, Paper Flight Cocoon Storm, Songs for Sinners, The
Abundance Trilogy, Elephant Wake, Electra, My Perfect Heaven, Twelve, and Fusion: Let There Be Light.
CATALYST THEATRE'S MANDATE
Catalyst Theatre is committed to creating original Canadian work that explores new possibilities for the
theatrical art form and the process through which it is created, to exposing the work locally, nationally
and internationally, and to challenging the artists and audiences who participate in the creation of this
work.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE CITADEL
Hunchback, 2012
Jonathan Christenson - Writer, Director, Composer
Bretta Gerecke - Scenographer
A Catalyst Theatre Production, commissioned by the Citadel Theatre. The
commission of Hunchback was made possible, in part, by the BMO Financial Group
who supports Play Development at the Citadel Theatre.
A darkly romantic musical set amid the buttresses and shadows of
Notre Dame Cathedral, Hunchback tells the tale of a tormented
priest, a beautiful dancer and the deformed bell ringer Quasimodo,
swept up in a vortex of lust, fear and the desire to control a destiny
that will ultimately destroy them all. A surprising new take on Victor
Hugo's famous story from the multi-award-winning creative team at
Catalyst Theatre.
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VIGILANTE
CATALYST THEATRE cont…
Images from Hunchback:
Molly Flood
Ensemble, photo by Ian Jackson, EPIC Photography
Ava Jane Markus
by Ian Jackson,
EPIC Photography
Ensemble, photo by Ian Jackson, EPIC Photography
Ava Jane Markus, Robert Markus,
Molly Flood by David Cooper
Photography
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VIGILANTE
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Vigilante
is inspired by the story of James
and Johannah Donnelly, Irish immigrants who
settled in Canada in the mid-nineteenth
century. Their story has attracted many
writers and historians over the years, but the
facts remain elusive. What actually happened
is sketchy and contradictory. There have been
as many different tellings of their tale as
there have been writers who’ve told it. While
it’s tempting to want to establish exactly
what happened to the Donnellys, in the end
there is no authoritative version of their
story. But is there ever an authoritative
version of anyone’s story? An event
experienced by twenty different people will
have as many different variations. Who’s to
say which one is the truth? It’s been said that
history’s told by the victors, a reminder that
what we call “history” is vulnerable to the
biases of those who present it as fact. One
thing that’s certain is that we’ll never really
know what happened to the Donnelly’s, or
why it happened, or what they were actually
like as people. As such, the Donnellys of this
play are unapologetically imaginary. Their
story is closer to a dream of what might have
happened than a representation of “the factual” Donnellys – a “what if”, inspired by the fragments
of historical fact that we have at our disposal: what if there were such a thing as ghosts? And what if
those ghosts could speak? The story they might tell would be as much a love story as it would be a
story of hate, a story told by those who’ve never had the chance to speak – the ghosts of the
Donnelly boys themselves – or at least an imaginary version of them. I hope that the play you’re
about to watch taps into something essential about the Donnellys, something that transcends time,
and brings fresh meaning to their story nearly two hundred years after it first happened.
Jonathan Christenson
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VIGILANTE
SCRIPT
CHARACTERS:
FEATURING
KRIS JOSEPH—DANIEL DONNELLY
DAVID LEYSHON—JAMES DONNELLY
LUCAS MEEUSE—JOHNNY DONNELLY
ERIC MORIN—ROBERT DONNELLY
CARSON NATTRASS—WILL DONNELLY
JAN ALEXANDRA SMITH—JOHANNAH DONNELLY
SCOTT WALTERS—TOMMY DONNELLY
BENJAMIN WARDLE — MICHAEL DONNELLY
The Donnelly Family
James Donnelly - patriarch (March 7, 1816–February 4, 1880)
Johannah Donnelly - (née Magee, or MacGee) his wife, and mother of all the children (September
22, 1823–February 4, 1880)
James Donnelly Jr. - son, (1842–1877) died of an illness or possibly shot
William Donnelly - son, born with a clubfoot (1845–1897)
John Donnelly - son, the first child born in Canada (September 16, 1847–February 4, 1880)
Patrick Donnelly - son (1849–1914)
Michael Donnelly - son (1850–1879) killed in a barroom brawl
Robert Donnelly - son (1853–1911)
Thomas Donnelly - youngest son (August 30, 1854–February 4, 1880)
Jenny (Jane) Donnelly - the last child, and the only daughter (1857–1917)
Bridget Donnelly - Patriarch James' niece from Ireland (May 1, 1858–February 4, 1880)
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VIGILANTE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
THE DONNELLYS -- A BRIEF HISTORY
Who Were The Donnellys Anyway?
James and Johannah Donnelly with their young
son, James Jr., migrated to Canada from
Tipperary, Ireland in the early 1840s. Some
newspapers of the day report the family arriving
in 1844, while various books on the subject have
the year listed as being 1842 and 1845-46.
Whatever the year, the Donnellys were just an
ordinary family like everyone else emigrating to
the New World with dreams of a better life
tucked away in their simple luggage. They had
been born into poverty, had known famine, and
yes, even murder, so life in the Canadas had to
be an improvement on what they had left behind.
Irish emigrants leaving home with the priest's blessing, in 1851,
from The Illustrated London News, May 10, 1851.
Credit: National Archives of Canada.
Upon their arrival, James Sr., found work to feed
his wife and child, and it was during their stay in
the Forest City (London), their second child, William, was born; a child with a deformed foot who would eventually
be nicknamed, "Clubfoot Will". But life in the city was not meant for a family who longed to till their own land and
put down roots. The call of the Canadian wilderness beckoned, and it wasn't long before they were headed for
Biddulph. Again, there are discrepancies in the dates as to when the family arrived in the township. Taking all facts
into consideration, it is probably safe to conclude that the Donnellys came to the area around 1845-46.
This Land Is My Land
The one thing that drew many of Upper Canada's early settlers was land, and James Donnelly was no exception. He
wanted it just as bad as his Irish brethren who had flocked to the land of milk and honey to stake a claim on some
farmland that was owned by the Canada Land Company, and leased out with the option to buy. But James, being
poor, could not afford even a stone, let alone an entire plot of land. So he did what many destitute pioneer families
had to do... he became a squatter; someone who took over vacant land illegally and moved onto it. It was a
practice quite common among many poor people who settled in Ontario.
The land that James chose was situated on Lot #18 on the sixth concession of the Roman Line that was named after
all the Roman Catholics that settled the area. The 100 acres belonged to an absentee landlord, a Mr. John Grace,
but James cared not, and after raising a crude, log shanty, moved in his family for what he hoped would be a long,
happy tenure. But the skies over Biddulph would prove to be just as black as they were over Tipperary.
With his wife at his side, James set about the arduous task of clearing his land, and in the fall of that same year,
the couple was blessed with another son whom they called John. Over the next few years, four more children,
Patrick, Michael, Robert, and Thomas, were born. The family, now numbering nine in all, live quite contentedly in
their little shack on the Roman Line until 1855 when the absentee landlord, the rightful owner of the property, sold
fifty acres of the Donnelly homestead to Michael Maher.
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VIGILANTE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Understandably, this did not go over well with James Donnelly. He had worked
his fingers to the bone clearing his property, and there was no way he was
going to give it up now. It was his land; land that had broken his back, but not
his spirit. Defiantly, James stood his ground, and dared anyone to take the
southern fifty acres from him, and no one on the Roman Line challenged him.
No one except Patrick Farrell.
He rented the land from Michael Maher, but when he ventured to lay claim to
the property, he was undoubtedly met with a matching pair of fists. Stubborn
as ever, James refused to dislodge himself from the land, so they went to court
over it. This resulted in a trade-off where James could keep the northern fifty
acres of his land, but he would have to give up the southern half. It was a
transaction that would have deadly ramifications. On June 25th, 1857, Patrick
Farrell would pay dearly for this land loss.
Although this is not the Donnelly log
cabin, their log shanty may have
looked very similar to this one.
Credit: National Archives of Canada.
The Death Of Patrick Farrell
Back in Ontario's pioneer days, there was a custom known as "bees", a neighbourhood get-together where settlers
would gather to help each other in whatever task required attention. Some of these bees were logging bees,
quilting bees, and barn-raising bees, and it was one of these functions that brought James Donnelly and Patrick
Farrell together in a fateful encounter.
The scene was William Maloney's logging bee, and as usual, the farmers in attendance were drinking as was the
custom at most gatherings. This included the two men who, by now, detested the sight of each other. There are
different accounts as to how the whole thing started and what ensued, so it may never be known who actually
initiated the fight, but it resulted in one man laying dead with a hole in his left temple; a fatal blow that had been
delivered with a handspike. Fate had reared her ugly head, ushering in an era of horror that would change Biddulph
forever.
James Donnelly's Disappearance
In the eyes of the law and Biddulphers, James was now a murderer. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but when
the constables set out to the homestead to bring him to justice, the Irishman was no where to be found. He had
vanished into thin air.
For the next eleven months, nobody knew where James had disappeared. But Johannah knew, as did their older
children, James Jr., now 15, William, aged 12, and ten-year-old John. They all knew, but they weren't talking,
especially to the officers of the law who showed up regularly on their doorstep to make an arrest. And all that time,
the head of the Donnelly household had been hiding right under their noses -- in his own back fields.
Every so often the neighbours caught glimpses of James disguised in his wife's clothing, and working at her side in
one of their fields. If they knew secretly who the mysterious 'woman' was, nothing was ever said, and James
continued this way until the icy breath of winter blew across the land. By then, it was much too cold to sleep
outdoors, so he sheltered himself in stables, and in the homes of his friends who risked their own freedom to help a
fugitive.
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VIGILANTE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Close to the anniversary of Patrick Farrell's murder, May 1858, James turned himself in. It was mostly due to
advice from his closest friends which included a certain Justice of the Peace, Jim Hodgins, and the misery of
living life on the lam. Canadian winters were brutal, and the thought of enduring another in the backwoods of
Biddulph must have played a big part in James' decision to hand himself over to the law.
A Date With The Hangman
The trial that followed was held in Goderich, and although James had obtained one of the best criminal
lawyers in the province to defend him, the verdict was guilty, and the sentence... death by hanging. An
execution date was set for September 17, 1858.
Johannah was devastated at the announcement of her husband's impending date with the hangman, but she
wasn't about to stand by and watch her beloved James swing into eternity. In the weeks that followed, she put
a petition for clemency in motion; a petition that called for a less severe sentence. Everywhere she went, she
had people sign it, and in July of that year, Johannah's devotion to saving her spouse's life paid off.
James' death sentence was softened to a lighter penalty of seven years in prison. He walked out of the
Goderich Gaol a free man... free from the hangman's noose, at least, and on August 6th, the doors of Kingston
Penitentiary closed behind him. They would not open again until 1865.
The Feud
The Biddulph Feud preceded the emigration of the Donnelly family from Ireland and continued for some 17
years after their deaths. However, from about 1857, the Donnelly family was inextricably bound up with the
feud. The Biddulph feud had its origins in Ireland, and had begun almost two centuries before the elder James
Donnelly's birth. It so happened through an accident of history, that Biddulph Township collected just the right
concentration and distribution of Whiteboys, Blackfeet and Orangemen, to cause the Old Country feud to be
rekindled.
The Donnelly Stagecoach Line
The Donnelly Stagecoach Line is believed to have been started May 24, 1873 by William Donnelly and was a
huge success. The line of stages, which ran between London, Lucan and Exeter, was operated by William and
his brothers Michael, John, and Thomas, even rivaling the official mail stage that had been in business since
1838. The Hawkshaw stage line soon felt the pressure of competition from the Donnellys. In October 1873,
Hawkshaw sold his stage to Patrick Flanagan, a husky Irishman, who was determined to drive Donnellys out of
business. This set the stage for the feud between the Donnelly Stagecoach and the Flanagan & Crawly Stage —
the Stagecoach Feud, as it came to be known. Stages were either smashed or burned, horses were savagely
beaten or killed, and stables burned to the ground.
The violence that erupted as a result of the Stagecoach Feud was mostly blamed on the Donnellys and gave the
family a bad reputation. From that time on, almost every crime committed was blamed on the family, but
although they were charged with numerous crimes, "few convictions were secured against them".
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VIGILANTE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Familiarity with the Law
In the buildup towards the murder of the family, the Donnellys became well acquainted with local law
enforcement. There are various accounts of assault, arson, trespassing, verbal assault, attempted murder,
murder of Patrick Farrell, theft, robbery, assaulting a police officer, as well as various altercations with
many residents of the Biddulph Township. The Donnellys were not found guilty of everything of which they
were accused but through their actions they made many enemies within the township. This all sounds like
the Donnellys were a constant source of strife and destruction in their community, but these types of
crimes were common for the county in which they lived. It was not just the men of the family who would
get into altercations with the law as Johannah was noted to swear at officers quite often,
specifically Constable Carroll.
The Biddulph Peace Society Vigilantes
Evidence indicates that The Biddulph Peace Society or some of its individual members may have been
responsible for some of the arson, property damage and physical violence cases in Biddulph. The Peace
Society's role was to uphold its Code, something the Donnellys were never shy about ignoring. James
Donnelly was liberal enough that at one point he even donated money to the building of
an Anglican church, outraging the Biddulph Peace Society in the
process.
Massacre
Members of the Vigilance Committee allegedly gathered at the
Cedar Swamp Schoolhouse late in the evening of February 3,
1880, before proceeding to the Donnelly homestead. According
to the witness testimony of Johnny O’Connor, a young farmhand
who was present on the day of the murder, he was awakened
between midnight and 2 a.m. by “the old man” referring to
James Donnelly, the patriarch of the family, who he was sharing
a bed with. James Carroll, constable for the town, was there to
arrest James and Tom Donnelly, who was in handcuffs at the
time. Tom began goading Carroll, questioning the warrant as well as his intelligence when a mob entered
and bludgeoned Tom and and James Donnelly with sticks and farm tools. Johnny, who was hiding beneath
the bed he was sleeping in, was spared because the mob was oblivious to his presence. He witnessed
Bridget, James’ niece, flee for a bedroom upstairs and attempted to follow but was shut out so he quickly
returned to his original hiding place. Tom attempted to escape out of the front door but was caught and
beaten with sticks and a spade. Johnny crept out of his hiding spot to look at the carnage and was able to
identify two of the people in the crowd as people he knew, at least from sight, from the community,
Thomas Ryder and John Purtell, as well as the constable Carroll. Much of the crowd had blackened their
faces to hide their identity from witnesses. They then turned their attention to Bridget, but Johnny did
not hear or see any of this murder. The mob then came downstairs and lit the house ablaze; including the
bed Johnny was hiding under. Once the mob had fled, he attempted to extinguish the blaze but was
unable. He passed the bodies of Johannah, the wife of James and matriarch of the family as well as Tom,
who was still breathing, as he fled the house to a neighbour of the Donnellys
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VIGILANTE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND cont...
The mob next proceeded to the house of William Donnelly in nearby
Whalen's Corners. Shouting "fire" as a ruse, they fatally shot John
Donnelly when he opened the door to investigate. The mob mistakenly
believed they had killed William. The shooters are alleged to be Martin
McLaughlin and James Ryder Jr. Among the mob was William's brother-inlaw.
At the homestead, since the bodies were burned along with the house, it
was impossible for the coroner to determine the cause of death beyond
that of the fire, but the constable who gathered up the remains of the
Donnellys reported copious amounts of blood on the ground in front of
the house, which corroborated with John O’Connor’s testimony of Tom
being beaten mercilessly with a spade and other farm tools after
escaping the house. Had the skulls still been at the scene of the crime
they could have been used by the undertaker to determine any blunt force trauma to the head, but the
bodies were not recovered until the middle of the following day, February 5, leaving the corpses open to
looters who wanted mementoes of the night’s events and so stole the skulls from the bodies.
William Donnelly survived and was listed as the informant on the death certificates for all five, dated
April 1 and 2, 1880, with the cause of death listed as "supposed to be murdered."
The Trials
There were two trials in London, Ontario, at the courthouse on Ridout Street. The first one in October
1880 ended in a hung jury.
The second trial occurred in January 1881. During preparations, the prosecution, led by Aemilius
Irving and Charles Hutchinson, displayed evidence of involvement in the massacre by the Biddulph Peace
Society, up to and including the parish priest, Father John Connolly.
The most damning evidence was to come from two brothers, Jim and Bill Feeheley, Whiteboys known to
have been involved in the crime. Since the massacre, they had been showing signs of remorse, and had
confessed to the authorities. They had apparently been paid off by a nervous Biddulph Peace Society to
leave the area forever. This they did, emigrating to Michigan. The prosecution successfully had
them extradited back to Biddulph to stand trial, but then the prosecution had second thoughts.
The prosecutor, according to Orlo Miller, eventually decided that the potential damage and death toll
from a successful conviction was too great. The introduction of Father John Connolly as a suspect was a
dangerous proposition as much of the audience was strongly polarized along religious lines, and the matter
was dropped.
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VIGILANTE
CULTURAL REFERENCES
The Donnelly Myth Today
The publication of Thomas Kelley's The Black Donnellys in 1954 generated much interest in the case. The family tombstone,
with the inscription "murdered" was the focus of curiosity and vandalism. Public access to the St. Patrick's Cemetery was denied.
Remaining descendants of Donnelly family eventually chose to have the original tombstone replaced.
Today the Donnellys are widely known in Canadian folklore, and the story of their murder is told throughout Canadian and
American farming communities. However, despite the popularity of the Donnelly story throughout North America, the
inhabitants of Lucan and Biddulph Township have tried to suppress the subject. Up until recently, even among those who were
born and raised in the Lucan area, many had never heard the story of the Donnelly massacre until they were adults. Oral
accounts of the murders were purportedly suppressed locally due to the number of residents who had ancestors who were
directly involved in the circumstances.
In recent years, several newcomers to the area have started businesses centered on the Donnelly story, creating tourism venues
for visitors fascinated by the events surrounding their deaths, much to the dismay of older inhabitants. One of the more well
known of these myths is that of the Midnight Lady who supposedly rides up and down the Roman Line every February 4.
Another is that the ghosts of the murdered family members can be seen floating in the fields near the murder site and that
horses will not ride past the former Donnelly homestead after midnight.
Cultural references
Stompin' Tom Connors wrote two songs in reference to the Donnelly family: "The Black Donnellys' Massacre" and "Jenny
Donnelly", the latter of which was covered by Chantal Vitalis.
The Donnellys are one of the subjects of Steve Earle's song "Justice in Ontario", (the other subject being a 1979 motorcycle gang
murder in Port Hope, Ontario).
Gene MacLellan sings a song called "Death of the Black Donnellys" on his album "Lonesome River", which refers to the Donnellys
as Satan's spawn and their killers "...send them back to Hell".
In the 1980s, the London, Ontario punk band The Black Donnellys formed, taking their name from this infamous feud.
In 2005, Chris Doty wrote The Donnelly Trials, a play he based on the court script where twelve members of the audience
become the jury deciding the fate of the defendants with the script providing two separate endings for either a "Guilty" or "Not
Guilty" verdict. The play was performed in the same courtroom in which the actual trial took place.
In 2007, an NBC television series entitled The Black Donnellys followed the lives of four Irish brothers and their entrance into
organized crime in Hell's Kitchen, New York City. The title is a homage to the infamous family, though the show is otherwise not
related to the historical Donnellys.
In 2012, on October 26 and 27, the Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum hosted Moonlight & Mayhem -The Murder of
Michael Donnelly (www.waterfordmuseum.ca). This was a unique, outdoor, after dark, theatrical production recreating the
gruesome murder of Michael Donnelly which happened at the Commercial Hotel in Waterford. It was a guided walking tour
presented twice nightly.
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VIGILANTE
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
THRUST STAGE
The Thrust stage configuration is one of the oldest in theatre history. It refers to a stage (or
performance space) that extends forward into the audience. A thrust stage configuration is
especially effective for drawing in the audience and actively connecting them with the action
onstage.
Wall/ Backstage Area
Audience
Audience
Audience
The Maclab at the Citadel is an example of a thrust stage. This type of stage is used to extend the
playing space out into the audience. In Vigilante, director Jonathan Christensen utilizes the entire
theatre and has actors entering and exiting through vomitoriums (voms) and onto the stage. While
the thrust stage is a great asset in creating an amazing production it does require conscientious
collaboration between the actors and the audience. Both of these groups need to be aware of each
other to allow the performance to run smoothly. As an audience member be sure to keep all of your
belongings stowed beneath your seat and to remain in your seat throughout the performance.
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VIGILANTE
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Curriculum Connections:
Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We’ve outline below some (but not limited to) objectives which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:
Drama (Elementary)
Third Goal
To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form
Objectives
The child should:
1. develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others
2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences
3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression.
Specific Learner Expectations:
Intellectual—develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration
Emotional—explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion
Social—understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional responses
Integrative—learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of dramatic decisions
Drama (Junior High)
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The student will:
• strengthen powers of concentration
• extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively
• extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions
• extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:

develop awareness of various conventions of theatre

develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible

develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art

develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
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VIGILANTE
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Drama 10-20-30
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The Student will:

extend the ability to concentrate

extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others

demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences (S)

demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism.
GOAL II
To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.
Objectives
The Student will:

demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation.
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:
• explore various conventions and traditions of theatre
• broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible (
• demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art
• demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
• develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts.
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