Once Upon An Island

Manitoulin Island - 'Once Upon An Island' video

Written by Marion Seabrook of Mindemoya Ontario Canada, 'Once Upon An Island' is an intriguing play that melds family history with spell-binding fiction. As the play opens, Marion's mother, former owner of Treasure Island Resort in Lake Mindemoya, has passed away in her nineties. Many of her possessions, brimming with memories of Jean and her beloved Joe, are being sold at an auction. Into this setting arrives a psychopathic murderer, drawn to the area through an intricate method of random selection which he uses to choose his next victim.
First published as a best-seller book, chapters alternate between fact and fiction. Allie and May, two close friends of Jean, being prompted by the items up for auction, reveal the rich life Jean and Joe had shared. Bent on his next kill, the sinister Gary Westicott worms his way into the lives of these two ladies and other down-home characters of this real and caring community.
The play was first shown to packed houses for seven nights running in a local dinner theater on Manitoulin Island. Crowd response ranged from hearty laughter to gasps of terror as Westicott's murderous plan unfolded. The play is embellished by the addition of several original songs and music written by Joanne Smith. The song, 'Once Upon An Island' is played by Joanne and sung by Jim Smith. It and the other music from the play have been mastered and recorded by Peter Nelson. The accompanying video was produced by Doug Boyle.
Happy viewing!