Brian d’Eon of Nelson will present a staged radio play at Hart Hall (Ward and Carbonate) on Sept. 14 and 15.
The Triumphs and Tribulations of Robert E. Sproule (the whole truth and nothing but the truth) depicts the life of American prospector Robert Sproule, who arrived on Kootenay Lake in 1882, when European settlement was getting underway in earnest. Within just a few short years a dozen mines were in production and new towns such as Nelson and Kaslo rose seemingly overnight.
The cast includes Laurie Jarvis, Stephen Fowler, Richard Rowberry. Jordana Champagne, Michael Calladine, Don Thompson, Geoff Burns, Nick Ruskin, David Edgington, Carly Brandel, Karen Agnew, Eli Geddis, and d’Eon himself.
Friday and Saturday performances make up successive parts to the story — they are not repeats — although audiences may enjoy either night as stand-alone stories.
On Friday, in Part One, Sproule rows his way up to Big Ledge, near present-day Riondel. He recognizes at once that the promontory he has reached is laced with mineral ore. He thinks he has at last found his El Dorado.
Competing interests are close behind. John C. Ainsworth of Oakland, Calif., intends to buy up the very property where Sproule has staked his claim. Also on the scene is the adventurer/entrepreneur, Baillie-Grohman, who has own grandiose schemes for the region.
Very quickly Big Ledge sees a great influx of miners, all looking to make their fortune. Tension and a taste for litigation fill the air. The tale takes an abrupt turn on June 1, 1885 when Thomas Hammill is found murdered near the Bluebell claim and Sproule is arrested for the crime.
Big Ledge is told through the words and thoughts of its most prominent actors but also through the lens of two celestial narrators: the archangel Michael and the Hindu goddess, Parvati. For good measure, Lily Langtry, also gets in on the act!
On Saturday, in Part Two, while awaiting execution, Sproule relates his tale to a young priest. We review the precise circumstances leading to Hammill’s murder and review the court proceedings, including the exact testimony of several key witnesses.
A.E.B. Davie presents the case for the prosecution. His younger brother, Theodore Davie, argues for the defence. Our two heavenly narrators watch with great interest, as does Sproule himself, trying to make sense of all the conflicting testimony.
Doubts gradually emerge about Sproule’s guilt. Key witnesses may have perjured themselves, and essential testimony seems to have been omitted. Calls for a commutation abound in cities from coast-to-coast. How will it all end? Will Sproule be exonerated? Is he guilty or not? Find out for yourselves!