It’s the true story of the Winnipeg General Strike and now the tale is being told in two big productions.
Local composer, producer and writer Danny Schur has spent at least a decade working on the stage and movie musical stories of the strike.
“It’s the most gratifying thing ever, it’s not just a project, it’s my whole life’s work,” he said.
Starting Tuesday Rainbow Stage is performing Strike! The Musical until the beginning of July.
The movie Stand! will be released some time this year after Oct. 21 says Schur after filming the movie right here in Winnipeg in 2018.
“I have to say every time I see it, something different about it makes me really emotional. I’ve been watching rehearsals for the Rainbow Stage performance, that makes me cry. I’ve seen the movie dozens and dozens of times and some little thing will just get me that day and make me an emotional wreck,” he said.
Both the movie and the play follow the story of Mike Sokolowski who was one of the men killed on Bloody Saturday when the protestors tipped over a street car and clashed with police.
Cory Wojcik, plays Sokolowski in the Rainbow Sage performance.
“It was a tumultuous time. It must have been very terrifying yet exciting to live at this time so the chance to portray this on the stage for Winnipeg audiences, is a tremendous honour for me.”
Co-star Kevin McIntyre, plays lawyer A.J. Andrews who is in opposition of the strike.
“It really just tells the story of the strike and what it did to the city and for workers basically all around the world. It’s the struggle of different immigrant groups and the upper class played by myself and just the struggle of how hard it was to live at that time to live in a city like Winnipeg where work was scarce and people weren’t paid very well,” he said.
You can buy tickets for the Rainbow Stage performance online.