Salt Water Moon review by Rob Davidson
A young woman holding a telescope aimed at a brilliant star-and-moon filled sky is the opening moment of Salt Water Moon , currently playing at the Firehall Theatre in Cobourg.
We don’t know it yet , but the young lass is Mary Snow and she’s just about to be married to a man she doesn’t love.
She’s looking at the stars like she’s hoping they’ll tell her she’s doing the right thing.
At that moment her old boyfriend , the one who disappeared off to Toronto a year earlier , suddenly saunters into the front yard of the Coley’s Point summer house.
Jacob Mercer has returned to Newfoundland to woo back the love of his life and he knows he’s got a hard job ahead of him.
Salt Water Moon is the third play written by David French telling the story of Jacob and Mary.
It’s the prequel to Leaving Home and Of the Fields Lately.
Set in 1926 the emotional jousting between the two leads reveals a world still trying to recover from the horrors of World War 1 yet still able to revel in the delights of a corny Tom Mix western movie and the magic of star gazing on a clear Newfoundland night.
As played by Amber Dawn Vibert , Mary Snow is by turns angry, hurt, aloof and enchanted.
She knows she still loves Jacob even though he left without saying goodbye but she’s made a commitment to a wealthy local man who she knows will look after both her and her younger sister.
Ms.Vibert is intensely focused and reminded this reviewer of a young Bette Davis (Anyone remember Hollywood actress Bette Davis in Now Voyager?
“We have the stars!” That Bette Davis)
Luke Walker plays Jacob with the loose limbed ease of man accustomed to the rolling deck of a fishing boat. Whether singing , dancing , joking or breathing gently on the neck of Mary, Jacob will say almost anything to win her back. Mr. Walker is fun to watch as he mocks his elders mercilessly and regales us with the right way to watch a “picture show” (back row , smoking a cigarette and arm draped carefully on his date’s shoulder).
With a simple but effective set , evocative costumes and lovely lighting the 90 minute play (no intermission!) flies past and as directed by Bill Walker these two actors charm us into rooting for them. Even if a few of us know the sadness that awaits both characters a few years down the road.
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Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
