Sam McBride | thebravestcanadian

Memories of Community Theatre 1975-77 in the Yukon — Part Three: Whitehorse Drama Club presents Ira Levin play “Veronica’s Room”

November 29, 2024

by Sam McBride

After a summer break, the Whitehorse Drama Club met in early September 1976 to consider options for a show to do that fall.

One of the names that came up in brain-storming was American playwright Ira Levin. Born in 1929 in New York, Levin was know for works like “Rosemary’s Baby”, “Boys from Brazil” and “Stepford Wives”, each with intriguing plots and story twists.

Someone noticed that Levin’s 1973 play “Veronica’s Room” had received good reviews and was available for productions by amateur theatre companies. The club executive bought a copy of the chilling mystery thriller, took turns reading, and decided to go with it.

It was a big change of pace from the old-fashioned melodrama we did in the drama festival in Dawson City in the spring. A young lady named Veronica finds herself trapped in a terrifying situation, persuaded to impersonate the long-dead daughter of an elderly couple.

Front and back cover of the program. The front design, ably done by Liselotte Hutton, was also used for the show’s publicity posters.

Scenes from the play. From left: Sam McBride as The Man, Pamela Hedley as The Girl, Penny Melin as The Woman.

Review from the Whitehorse Star

Presentation on The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC November 13, 2014 in Vancouver

November 10, 2014

Sam McBride, the author of “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars“, will do a presentation on the book at 10:30 am on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at the Brock House in Vancouver.

Frederic Thornton “Fritz“ Peters, in about 1935.

The Brock House Society provides a variety of events and activities for members at the Senior Centre at Jericho. http://brockhousesociety.com

Halifax Chronicle-Herald newspaper

http://thechronicleherald.ca/books/168866-a-hero-s-story-more-than-a-military-man

New Brunswick Historical Society newsletter

http://www1.gnb.ca/0007/culture/heritage/NBHSNov2012.pdf

Monday magazine, Victoria, B.C., November 2012

http://www.mondaymag.com/entertainment/177781151.html

Nelson Star

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/183103291.html?mobile=true

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site, Local Heroes section

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/heroes/peters.html

CBC Charlottetown – radio

http://www.cbc.ca/player/AudioMobile/Mainstreet+PEI/ID/2336800722/?page=6

http://www.cbc.ca/islandmorning/episodes/2011/11/11/a-pei-war-hero—frederick-thornton-peters

list of authors interviewed by Mark Forsythe on CBC British Columbia

http://www.cbc.ca/bcalmanac/bookshelf

News 1130, Vancouver, B.C.

http://www.news1130.com/2012/11/10/new-book-shines-light-on-bc-veteran

World Naval Ships Forum – discussion

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10072543

Victoria Cross forum – discussion

http://victoriacross.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1801

Military Times – Hall of Valor

http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=17107

ww2*awards

http://en.ww2awards.com/person/130

abcbookworld web site

http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=10982

Photos from the presentation of 2013 Heritage Awards by the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pei_museum

The article below in Legion Magazine was done in 2006 before information from the Peters Family Papers became available. The story of Fritz is included along with the stories of Canada`s other naval VC`s, Robert Hampton Gray and Rowland Bourke. Further details on all three are in the Local Heroes section of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site. Ironically, each of the heroes has a special connection with the small mountain community of Nelson, British Columbia, 400 miles inland from the West Coast. Gray and Bourke lived in Nelson, and Peters` U.S. DSC medal was officially presented to his mother as next-of-kin in a ceremony at her home in Nelson.

http://legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2006/03/valour-in-the-navy/

upboat.net

http://www.uboat.net/allies/commanders/submit.php

Veterans Affairs Canada, virtual memorial for Frederic Thornton Peters. Click on digital collection.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/detail/2495305

Amazon.ca listing and reviews

http://www.amazon.ca/Bravest-Canadian-Story-Fritz-Peters/dp/1926991109

Canadian Expeditionary Force research forum

http://cefresearch.ca/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10595

Details of mountains in the Nelson, B.C. area named after Fritz Peters and Hammy and Jack Gray, along with geographic naming of Rowland Bourke on the B.C. coast.

http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/WARPAGES/geographic.htm

Fritz and Operation Reservist noted in An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson, winner of Pulitzer Prize

http://books.google.ca/books?id=J4FDFgWB3aYC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=frederic+thornton+peters&source=bl&ots=7rAdpFTNVx&sig=RAtEp2BU6hsvXsLtU4XhAdLTsAs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1Na0UbDoN4SiiQLn14HYBw&ved=0CGYQ6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=frederic%20thornton%20peters&f=false

Special Forces roll of honour (SOE)

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/showthread.php?4109-Peters-Frederick-Thornton

Bartley family tree, including Gray and Peters families

http://www.thesilverbowl.com/familytree/BartleyTree-6.htm

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site, Defending the Coast section. Story of Peters` cousin, Col. James Peters

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/james_peters.html

Veterans Affairs Canada virtual memorial for Fritz`s brother John Francklyn Peters. Click on digital collection.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/photos/1595255

Veterans Affairs Canada virtual memorial for Fritz`s brother Gerald Hamilton Peters. Click on digital collection.