“We hope people take away a more robust view of the phenomenon of miracles and transcendent experiences.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The 9th-Hour Theatre Company is launching their 10th anniversary season with Halo, a comedic drama about a strange miracle at a small-town Tim Hortons.

“I think everyone can relate to the idea of, ‘What if something happened that couldn’t be explained?’” says Rebecca Russell, 9th-Hour’s Artistic Associate and a performer in the show. “It is a very touching play, a funny play, and it explores themes that are really relevant to the company’s mandate.”

9th-Hour uses the performing arts to explore ideas of faith and spirituality. Through their performances, they aim to help audience members explore some of life’s bigger questions.

Russell says Halo “centres around what would happen in a small town if an image of what looked like Jesus appeared on the Tim Hortons’ wall. This is based on true events that happened in Cape Breton, [Nova Scotia, back in 1998]. It caused a lot of people to want to come and see. So the playwright has taken that true event and imagined the characters, the situation, and how people would react.”

“There is a really good balance to the show. I think people are going to laugh, cry, and think more deeply about these issues.”

The play explores the idea of miracles, what it means to be family, forgiveness, and community. Performances run from March 10 to 15 at the Meridian Theatre at Centrepointe.

“We chose this play because of how fun it is, how Canadian it is with the Tim Horton’s setting, and because many of us involved in the production are from down east and were eager to capture some of that culture on stage,” explains Jonathan Harris, the company’s producing artistic director.

While Halo is a comedy, Russell stresses that it has a lot of dramatic and heart-felt elements. She says her goal for the show is to inspire audiences to think about what something that couldn’t be explained could mean to them.

“How does that impact their faith? How could an event—whether that is a tragic event or something that can’t be explained—impact your relationships? I also think everyone can relate to the small town, where Tim Hortons is the centre of activity. It is fun to celebrate that part of our Canadian culture. There is a really good balance to the show. I think people are going to laugh, cry, and think more deeply about these issues.”

“We chose this play because of how fun it is, how Canadian it is with the Tim Horton’s setting, and because many of us involved in the production are from down east and were eager to capture some of that culture on stage.” Photo by Treepot Media.

Following some performances, the company has planned facilitated discussions around the topics raised in the play. 9th-Hour often hosts discussions following performances to allow audience members to continue exploring the themes that spoke to them.

“It is really good for those who want to dig a little deeper and have meaningful discussions,” Russell says. “I think it is a great addition to the show.”

For Halo, the discussion will focus on miracles, what qualifies, whether it has to be ascribed to a divine origin, and whether a miracle can have an unexpected outcome. Harris says they will have some prompts to help break the ice and engage audiences in the discussion.

“We picked that format largely to hear stories from the audience in how they relate to the show and any stories they might have of miracles (whether fake or real),” Harris states. “We hope people consider alternative perspectives and worldviews from the discussion and take away a more robust view of the phenomenon of miracles and transcendent experiences.”

9th-Hour also has two other plays scheduled for later in 2020. They will perform The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the summer and A Christmas Carol in December.

“We think this season has a really great mixture of shows that will appeal to people of different ages and backgrounds,” Russell says. “It is going to be very entertaining. We have classics and we have something new and fresh with Halo. I think audiences are going to really enjoy the show and especially this taste of Canadiana.”