Newfoundland Troupe wins with pair of Jacks
Review by Stephen Cooke
The Mail Star/The Chronicle-Herald

There is nothing like the tale of a young man heading out into the long, wide world to seek his fortune, to set the pulse a-racing -- especially when there are giants and magic involved.

As part of Eastern Front Theatre's "Kids on the Waterfront" fest, Jack Five-Oh tells the tales of two such plucky lads in the form of Newfoundland folk tales, written and directed by CODCO's Andy Jones with co-writer/performer Philip Dinn. Jack and the Three Giants (known to Brothers Grimm fans as Jack the Giant Killer) and Jack the Little Fisherman are ripe vessels for Island wit and characterizations, with the universal theme of earning your fortune (and the hand of a princess in the bargain) through luck and determination.

Passing the benchmark for good children's theatre, parents will find Jack-Five-Oh as hilarious as their kids do, maybe moreso. Namby-pambies may object to some cartoonish violence, but they can hit the road, Jack.

Jack of all theatres
Newfoundland children's play onstage at Lincoln Center
By Jeff Hucharme
The Sunday Independent

Jack is going to take a bite out of the Big Apple. Jack Five-Oh, a play written by Andy Jones and Philip Dinn, will be taking to the stage at the Lincoln Center in New York.

"It's a real big deal," says Daniel Payne, who plays Jack. "I know it's supposed to be a real good space. I'm totally excited,"

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts hosts 5,000 cultural and educational events each year.

Jack-Five-Oh is a collection of children's folk tales - a play within a play. Set at the "100 Tongues Hotel" on the west coast of Newfoundland, a group of travellers arrive and begin to tell a number of stories that include "Jack the Little Fisherman" and "Jack and the Three Giants".

"He leaves home to seek his fortune and has a bunch of adventures along the way that culminate in him meeting these three giants, and he wins his riches from the giants by basically tricking them into beheading each other, " says Payne. "The story ends with him getting the girl, getting the king's daughter. "

The tales told also include "Peg Bearskin", a Newfoundland version of Cinderella. "She's more plain than Cinderella. The way she is described is downright monstrous, actually" laughs Payne.

But, in the end, Peg gets her man.

Produced by Sheila's Brush Theatre Company of St. John's, the play will tour through much of Canada this summer, including the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Based on two collections of Newfoundland folk tales gathered and published by a pair of MUN folklore professors, the stories came as a surprise to Dinn.

"My God b'y, we thought we were in heaven," says the artistic director of Sheila's Brush. "There were so many [tales] and they were so varied and an untouched lore of folk tales that I knew nothing about. "

Using what is in their suitcases as props, the production can be fast and furious at times. "When it really gets running, it is really challenging to do and when it gets going there are costumes flying all over the place," says Payne.

While the show is about Newfoundland folk tales, Payne says the play works anywhere, regardless of the audience. "There are definitely some things that would be more appreciated by audiences at home. But I think the stories are vibrant and the telling of them is vibrant enough to stand anywhere. "

The show toured more than 130 communities after it first opened in St. John's. "It was a massive tour," says Dinn, rambling off the communities. "We combed every nook and cranny we could do."

After a two-year hiatus, Dinn brought the show back to life and mounted a tour of folk festivals in Alberta, British Columbia and Ottawa.

After organizers of a children's festival from the Lincoln Center saw a performance of Jack Five-Oh at Contact East, they booked it on the spot. The show will also play at a children's festival in Philadelphia.

For 2005, says Dinn, Jack may be packing his bags to travel to the other side of the planet. Talks to bring the show to Singapore and Tasmania are already in the works. "There are all kinds of irons in the fire."

Another key to the play's success, says Dinn, is the way the stories are told and that they don't speak down to children, they speak to them. "We allow the children to enjoy the humour which would traditionally be geared towards a more adult audience... we sort of break those bounds."

Jack-Five-Oh-Yeah
Feature Article by Lori Clarke
The Current

A philosophy professor I once studied with used to repeat one particular phrase again and again. "All we have is our stories" he would say. I don't always agree, depending on what “a story” might be. There are many things we might also share, like a sensual experience. say, a taste, or the sun rising. But to some, these too are stories... Of course, growing up with Protestant, Conception Bay North grandparents whose storytelling was that way, I recognized the importance of stories early in life, asking my Grandmother to tell her tales of life in Carbonear over and over and over. (Now, at 88, she needs no coaxing to repeat herself.) These early stories of my family grew alongside stripped-down, unadorned, freed from the symbolic, Protestant Church influences. I am thankful for these stories which fed my soul and imagination.

Children need stories. Fortunately, a new family show at the LSPU Hall March 31 - April 11 certainly will be dishing them out! Jack Five-Oh was written by Andy Jones and Philip Dinn. It features the stories of "Jack and the Three Giants" and "Little Jack (The Little Fisherman)", both told by Freeman Bennett from St. Paul's on the Great Northern Peninsula, as well as "Peg Bearskin" as told by Elizabeth Brewer from Freshwater, Placentia Bay, and Little Dickey Melburne, as told by Martha Hutchings from Cow Head.

Sheila's Brush began bringing the work of Newfoundland storytellers to the stage in 1979 with the first productions of Jack Meets the Cat. Although Jack Five-Oh is not a Sheila's Brush production, the treatment of stories, sense of humour and tradition celebrated by Sheila's Brush is certainly alive in Jack Five-Oh. This fall, Sheila's Brush will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

When I dropped in on a rehearsal for Jack Five-Oh at the 100 Tongues Hotel, more than 100 characters were gathered, telling stories in different rooms of the hotel, dancing in the shadow show and taking in the fairy tales under the proscenium arch. Some of these folks include Freeman, Becky, Martha, Deaf Chef Jeff Deearbye (distant cousin of Chef Boyardee), Edward, Clarence, Tom “Tuff as a Turr” Campbell, Radio Announcer Joey Smallwood, King John, Princess Vivaceca, Three Giants’ Jack, Three Giants' Jack's Mother, Three Giants' Jack's Father, Little Jack, King Lovelycod, Princess Prettyfish, Little Jack's Grandmother, Seven Ugly Fish, 2 Big Shots King of Spain, Dicky Melburne, Long Tom the Waggler, Old Feller, Old Feller’s Daughter, Beautiful Legged Newfoundland Sailors, a Yodeling Whale, Eccentric British Scientists, Muffy the Evil Witch, Evil Witch's 2 daughters and many more.

Director Mercedes Barry agreed that the cast seemed to be having a wonderful time, "They glories in what they do." The whole piece from start (and soon) to stage has really flowed with a lot of synchronicity according to Barry. "It's not only about the acting, but about the group consciousness, for both the actors and the audience. " The fairy-tale level of the play, played out under a proscenium arch in the Hundred Tongues Hotel, represents mythological realms where everyday Newfoundland tales give way to adventures of Kings and Princesses, Underwater Worlds, Dragons, Witches and Fairies.

St. John's actors revive province's folklore
Article by Jeff Green
St. John's, Newfoundland

Both Andy Jones and Philip Dinn are considered jacks-of-all-trades when it comes to theatre in this province.

The two actors were home in St. John's in early April to enjoy a much-needed break from touring.

Jones and Dinn are the masterminds behind the acclaimed stage shows known as Jack-Five-Oh.

The duo not only perform the shows, but write and direct. Each performance is based upon the historic Jack tales, which offer insight into this province's folklore and heritage.

They toured the province earlier this spring. making stops in North West River, Goose Bay, Labrador City, St. Anthony, Port aux Basques, Hermitage, English Harbour West, Bonavista, Trinity, Buchans and the Avalon Peninsula.

Jack-Five-Oh Productions was formed by Jones and Dinn back in August of 1998.

Their mission was to spread and dramatize Newfoundland folktales across the province.

Their sources included common folks familiar with the rich oral narratives which have been in circulation for hundreds of years.

''We started doing folktales back in 1979 when we did a show called Jaxxmas (Jack's Christmas)," Jones said from his home. "That was basically inspired by Anita Best telling us about the existence of Jack tales [in Newfoundland]. Using that [material], we decided we would try to do a dramatization of a Jack tale."

In 1998, Dinn suggested to Jones they ought to produce another production of Jack tales in honour of the 50th anniversary of Confederation.

"We basically started to work in July of 1998 to raise money and to organize," Jones said. "We worked pretty well right through and then on April 1, 1999, on midnight, we opened the show at the LSPU Hall and it was called Jack-Five-Oh."

Since then, Jones and Dinn have been collectively touring the province with a group of actors bringing culturally unique versions of the tales to schools.

"The first tour was from September 22 to October 23,1999," Jones said. "The second, which we just completed, was from March 13-31.

For junior and high-school students they offered Peg Bearskin and for primary and elementary schools they performed Little Jack the Little Fisherman. Both shows tell the story of Jack and the Three Giants.

Jones acknowledged each production draws upon the rich oral narratives which help define this province.

"I guess ultimately they are the stories of our species. Whenever we do them they just seem so magical. They stand on their own and they work."

Later this month they will be entertaining audiences throughout the Maritimes.

"In May we're going to Nova Scotia," Jones said excitedly, as he believes the tour will help disseminate this province's vibrant folklore to other parts of the country.

All The World's A Stage
Newfoundland storytellers at their best
by Kris Mullaly
DownHomer Magazine

"Once upon a time, in my time and in your time, there was a boy named Jack. A NewfoundIander was he and what a NewfoundIander he was. He could doubt nine candles with one shot of a gun, they say. He was strong and brave and would never run away. He could dance, he could sing, he could do most anything. He was just a poor boy but he was fit for the king."

Maybe you didn't know Jack was a Newfoundlander. He appeared first on the tongues of the livyers, those who stayed on in the "New Founde Lande" during the summer fishing season. Later, Jack found new adventures in the imaginations of settlers who left England, Ireland, France and other countries.

The world over, Jack stories illustrate the strength of storytelling. In this province, it’s a social tradition that suits the people: tales of brave rescues and daring adventures take people's minds off the dangers and hardships of everyday life and give them courage to face their own fears. The beauty of such stories is that normal people are the heroes. In that sense, Jack is the people. He's always falling into love and/or trouble that seems too heavy to handle, but in the end, there’s always a way to save the day.

“Anita best was the first one who ever told me about the ‘Jack’ tales,” said Andy Jones from St. John's, an authority on storytelling and the oral tradition. Anita. by the way. is a well-known folk singer who is to folk tradition in Newfoundland what Andy is to Canadian comedy. "Other than 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor,' I didn't know Jack existed in Newfoundland," he said.

Most people know Andy through his acting and writing for CODCO. These days he's up to new projects with associate and friend Philip Dinn (one of the founding members of the traditional-rock group Figgy Duff) also from St. John's. Together, Andy and Phil dreamed up the hilarious play Jack Five Oh! to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Confederation.

"We wanted to mark our entry into Canada with something that we brought into Canada, with something that was a great strength of our own,” Andy said as he reflected on storytelling in Newfoundland. “We wanted to accentuate the fact that we have a rich cultural tradition and we gave it to Canadians when we came in... we were culturally self-sufficient in Newfoundland for hundreds of years... and that is something to be proud of."

He says "Jack and the Three Giants,” based on the tale told by Freeman Bennett (of St. Paul's, Northern Peninsula) is a tale Newfoundlanders can relate to. In it. a poor Jack and his poor family are forced to leave home. Without giving away too much of the plot, Jack comes home the hero and his family is reunited in the end. Aside from the laughs and gags, there is a lesson to be learned: perseverance pays.

One of the other stories highlighted in Jack Five-Oh is “Peg Bearskin," adapted from a story told by Elizabeth Brewer (of Southwest Clattice Harbour, Placentia Bay). Phil says its message is a valuable one. especially for young people.

“In Peg Bearskin, you analyze beauty and loveliness and what love is - things like that," he said. “When a person is considered as ugly, we cast them off as being absolutely empty. Peg, this ugly, unperceptive person of no value, happens to save the day."

Recently, Jack Five-Oh Productions took these and other condensed Jack stories to elementary, junior high and high schools in areas of Western Labrador. The Great Northern Peninsula, the southern West Coast and the Avalon.

I even saw the Premier taking in the show at Beaconsfield Elementary in St. John’s.

As an outsider looking in, one of the highlights of the event was the interaction between audience and cast. The children, thrilled with the excitement of a real live play, were eager to add to the script. The actors, experienced Newfoundland performers, did an excellent job keeping up with the pace.

I was concerned young people would get thrown off by old Newfoundland accents and expressions and therefore miss the point. Since several stories were seemingly told at the same time, I thought a young mind would misinterpret the play's time line as well. The strength of the play came to the rescue because the meanings of words and expressions were explained with the aid of symbols, props and body language. Also, the actors used repetition to highlight common themes between stories and that helped reinforce key ideas. The play, in that way. is the perfect medium to capture the oral tradition, and that is a blessing because the need and opportunity to tell a tale in Newfoundland seemed to lose ground after Confederation.

“If we can imagine what it was like before the literal tradition, storytelling was the way (to educate people) because it was oral tradition," Phil said as he explained the importance of storytelling. "All that was full of instruction as to how you were to proceed in life, as an adult and a kid."

In March-April 2000, the Jack Five Oh! tour plans to perform for elementary, junior high and high school students in Coastal Labrador, Comer Brook and the Bay of Islands, the South West Coast, Burin Peninsula and St. John's. Afterwards, they plan to perform at Eastern Front in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in an attempt to expose the play to Canadian promoters and presenters. If all goes well, children in mainland Canada wiiI benefit from a Newfoundland tradition.

And what a tradition it is. In days of old, elders told their tales in their kitchens, fishing stages, smoke rooms and pubs. At a festive event in the community, the storyteIler was the main attraction. Newfoundland storytellers are still important community figures, in the outports especially, despite the fact that TV and fiim has changed the nature of entertainment.

In St. John's, the venue for storytelling is on the stage. Andy and Phil recognize this and say that was a part of the reason they adapted tales that were once told only by word-of-mouth. Little did they know they would create a theatrical timepiece that captures the spirit of the Newfoundland people. then and now.

Jack Five-Oh
Article by J. M. Sullivan
The Newfoundland Herald

At two minutes to Midnight, March 31, a new play opens at the Resource Centre for the Arts. Jack Five-Oh is the latest theatrical installment of the traditional Jack Tales (whose previous adventures were staged in popular shows like Jack Meets the Cat and Jaxxmas). Directed by Mercedes Barry, written and adapted by Andy Jones and Phil Dinn, and starring Jones and Dinn and seven other actors, the unusual opening time is meant to be the most significant date for Newfoundland this year: the 50th anniversary of Confederation.

In a Queens Road office on a wet Friday morning, Jones, Barry and Dinn meet to discuss the play and the process of pulling it together. Sheila's Brush, a theatre troupe which included all three actors, began performing Jack tales 20 years ago - the same time the Resource Centre for the Arts came into being. They learned about Jack from storyteller Pius Power of Southeast Bight, Placentia Bay. Since then they have found that stories of Jack have travelled all over the world.

Big cast

"Lessons," Jones says, "of teaching young men ways to survive in the working world."

Jack stories tend to involve many characters and creatures and need a big cast; Jack Five-Oh is no exception. Auditions were held in February. "We started about noon and went to 10:30 that night," Barry says. "I've been out of the scene for a couple of years and I was amazed at the young people around." (She's been directing in Newtown, helping to create a summer theatre that included an adaptation of Bernice Morgan's Random Passage.) "We wanted to find storytellers," Jones says.

Oral tradition

"And get across that whole oral tradition," says Dinn, adding they want to conduct some workshops on that in the future.

The resulting cast is Frank Holden as Tom Campbell, a master of jack-of-all-trades ("and 50 others," says Jones. "Everyone plays several characters," explains Barry); Jones as Freeman Bennett, another handyman; Dinn as King John, hotel proprietor; Mary-Lynn Bernard as Princess Viv, his daughter; Liz Pickard as Placentia Bay storyteller Elizabeth Brewer; Petrina Bromley as Jack the Giant Killer; Larry Barry as Deaf Chef Jeff Dee-Ahrbye; Grey King as Little Jack; and Emily Pittman as Princess Prettyfish.

Jack Five-Oh takes place in the 100 Tongues Hotel, on the West Coast of Newfoundland, on July 22 and 23, 1948. This was the time of the second referenda, and for artistic purposes the cast is supposing the results were released the next day. (In actuality it was a few weeks before the official count was given.) This hotel doesn't take money; instead guests tell stories as payment for their room and board.

The play will include seven stories. "Four main ones and three smaller," says Jones. Jack and the Three Giants, Peg Bearskin, Little Jack the Little Fisherman and The Golden Arm are the major ones. Contefable, The Two of Them Skipper and Stick Be Pig, containing elements of songs and jokes, are the other components.

Dinn and Jones began talking about the idea of presenting a new Jack Tale to coincide with the Confederation half-century more than a year ago.

Originating idea

"Phil came to me with the idea," Jones says. "'Why don't we do a new Jack?' He actually went out and booked the dates then."

The more they explored the Jack Tales, the farther their research took them. One of the actors who auditioned even told them a Jack tale from China.

"I knew the stories were out there," says Barry, "because when you didn't have TV and you didn't have radio then you had to do something, so you told stories. But I didn't realize how many there were. And they're not just about Jack - Peg Bearskin, that's a very rich story, she's sort of a female Jack."

"They're oral instructions, chock-a-block with information," says Dinn.

"A fairy tale can be the fastest way to learn something," offers Frank Holden, who had joined the interview.

And while they have spread all over the world, there is something tenaciously Newfoundlandish about them.

"It's working class people surviving, with a lot of laws against them," says Jones.

"Newfoundlanders were in a unique position, in that they weren't farmers, the land was no good to them, but they were independent, and owned their own means of production. "And they were worldly, travelling to Spain and Portugal to sell their fish."

And, of course, knew how to tell a story.

"When your kids are full of chocolate, bring them to us," says Dinn.