Our appreciation to Western Canada Theatre for the following.
An upcoming Western Canada Theatre production tells the story of Viola Desmond, a trailblazer for civil and women's rights in Canada who is now featured on the $10 bill.
Hey Viola! Viola Desmond-The Soundtrack of a Life is a musical exploration of Desmond's life and how she challenged racial segregation.
Desmond sat in the whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, N.S., in 1946 and refused to leave. She was forcefully removed from the theatre, arrested and convicted for tax evasion — over one single cent of tax.
Hey Viola! tells the story of her life, from the 1917 Halifax Explosion, when she was just three years old, to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s.
"We feel so honoured to be able to help share Viola’s story, which is still far too relevant in today’s world," said creators Krystle Dos Santos and Tracey Power, who called Desmond an "inspiration on so many levels."
Dos Santos, an acclaimed jazz, blues and soul musician, plays Desmond.
The cabaret-style show features hits from the era from artists such as Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, the Mills Brothers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Richard M. Jones and others.
"We share Viola's story not just because she was so remarkable in her life and her achievements, but also because she was so normal—a bright, ambitious, happy woman whose simple desire to be treated equally in a commonplace, ordinary moment changed her life irrevocably," said WCT artistic director James MacDonald.
Hey Viola! will be staged at Pavilion Theatre from April 21 to May 7. For ticket information, go online to wctlive.ca/viola.
Our appreciation to Kamloops This Week for the article and CBC for the video.