The play incorporates MacNeil’s lyrics to tell the tale of a little girl from Big Pond, Cape Breton, who dreams of having a singing career. From a childhood wrought with difficulty through to her struggles as a single mother on welfare, we see an artist who refuses to give up on her dream, a terribly shy woman who finds her voice as one of Canada’s first and most vocal feminists. This is the story of an artist who has no choice but to pursue her destiny, even when it brings pain and heartbreak to those around her. It is ultimately about the power of art to sustain and inspire us.

Charlie Rhindress is a co-founder and former artistic director of Live Bait Theatre in Sackville, New Brunswick. All eight of his full-length plays have premiered at Live Bait. The Maritime Way of Life has been produced in all four Atlantic Canadian provinces and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award as best new play in 2000. It was also published in Marigraph: Gauging the Tides of Drama from New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island (Playwrights Canada Press), an anthology of Maritime plays. After premiering at Live Bait, Flying on Her Own was produced by Neptune Theatre, and Home and Away, a musical about hockey co-written with Dean Burry, played at Theatre Orangeville. In addition to his full-length plays, Charlie has written over thirty dinner theatres with Karen Valanne and two plays for teens, which have been produced throughout North America. Charlie has also worked as an actor in film and at theatres across the country. He has directed at a number of East Coast theatres and served as director and dramaturge on Cathy Jonesâ??s one-woman show, Me, Dad, and the Hundred Boyfriends. Charlie is the father of four incredible children.

Charlie Rhindress' profile page

Rita MacNeil has achieved international success as a songwriter, vocalist, recording artist, performer and television personality. She released her first album in 1975, and more than a dozen others have followed, many of which have gone double or triple platinum. She is a multiple winner of the Canadian Country Music Awards, the East Coast Music Awards and the Juno Awards. In 1996 she received a Gemini Award for her television show, “Rita and Friends.” In 1992 Rita was inducted into the Order of Canada. Her bestselling autobiography, On A Personal Note, was published in 1998. She has a home in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and a beach house in Big Pond, Nova Scotia, where Rita’s Tea Room is a major tourist attraction.

Rita MacNeil's profile page

"…a magical, funny, moving tale that touches the heart… it works perfectly, producing a fast-paced play that grabs the audience at the beginning and never lets go." —Tom McCoag, The Chronicle-Herald

"Rita, we hardly knew you. Didn't know how far you had to fall before you climbed right back to the top…. It is an inspiring story… endearing and engaging." —Marilyn Smulder, Halifax Daily News

"Rhindress weaves an intricate tapestry of songs and scenes from the turmoil of Rita MacNeil's life. Rhindress and his remarkable cast move us to laughter and tears as we watch Rita's life unfold… this is a story that needs to be told in theatres across Canada." —Dale Fawthrop, Amherst Daily News