Magic Lies: An Evening with W.O. Mitchell

W.O. Mitchell, known as Canada’s Mark Twain, stampedes onto the Opera House stage with his telltale ramble of stories, characters and impressions in this World Premiere written by his son and daughter-in-law. Of W.O., son Orm writes, “He did not simply give a literary reading, he gave a performance that was more in the tradition of a stand-up comedian. His shock of white hair, brown snuff-dusted moustache, gravelly voice and dramatic gestures became trademarks of his storytelling. He brought the houses down with a well-timed pause, a grin or a raised eyebrow.”

Magic Lies: An Evening with WO. Mitchell, is an irreverent comedic performance filled with rowdy tales from W.O. Mitchell’s life and works. This Canadian literary icon will regale us with sidesplitting stories about digging holes with dynamite, a rank revenge on a hard-nosed principal, a 10-year-old lingerie salesman and the unforgettable prairie characters that informed them. This witty tribute, written by W.O.’s son and daughter-in-law, Orm & Barbara Mitchell, captures the performer, the writer, the man and the eccentric that was W.O. This one-man show is led by Nathan Schmidt, a Rosebud Theatre mainstay and audience favourite.