A Seaway Story and a tribute to Wendy Gibb coming April 25

SOUTH DUNDAS – A Seaway Mystery, a community theatre production featuring many of the local actors who starred in various shows directed by the late Wendy Gibb, is taking shape to be presented at Upper Canada Playhouse for one show only.

Many members of the Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club are joining the Anglican Thespians of South Dundas, for this show to pay tribute to Gibb, who was working drafting this story for the stage, at the time of her death in October 2025.

“She wrote the ending before she died,” said Rev. Pat Martin.

While the story has undergone many drafts since then, the ending is the ending that Wendy wrote, and the ending that the audience will see on April 25 at 2 p.m.

“This has special meaning to us,” said Brian Speer, who has acted in both Lions and Anglican shows under Wendy’s direction. “When Pat asked if any Lions wanted to be involved, I only had to say it was for Wendy and they were eager to participate,” said Speer.

Martin spoke about what the audience can expect to see: “The show begins with Dani Shea Barkley briefly telling the story of Seaway Lost Villages in word and song.

Then a very young Jim Donnelly catches a large fish near Dock 23 and asks his dad to throw it back and let it grow. Fast forward to 2026, when recent tales of sightings of river monsters in the St. Lawrence, near South Dundas, attracts the attention of cryptozoologist Lotan Pike (Brian Speer).

So, when the local vicar (Mark Lewis) goes fishing for a potential giant muskellunge only to haul in a dead body – is it death by a giant monster fish… or river snakes? Or is it death by accidental drowning … or is it murder? … or some strange confluence of events?

Morta-della Slabb (Margaret Swerdfeger), the local coroner, and officer Grimm SDPD (Doug Jarvis) will solve the case … unless one of them has a hand in it.”

“Now add in the usual antics of the Thespians of the Anglican Parish of South Dundas, scenes by members of the Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club and a few ad libs, with a little song and dance, and we have a tribute to the late Wendy Gibb, the dearly missed intrepid director of all our plays and cabarets,” said Martin.

Martin said that the final script was truly a collaborative team effort, but added that with everything they did they constantly asked themselves: What would Wendy do? And, let that guide the process.

Five dollars from every ticket sold will support bursaries at Seaway District High School and the Summer Youth Theatre School both of which were near and dear to Wendy.

Tickets are $25 and are available at the Upper Canada Playhouse Box Office or St. James Anglican Church in Morrisburg.