The Opeongo Line

Kashubs of the West II

The Opeongo Readers’ Theatre offers up this special edition show with Cathy Chapeskie, Joshua Blank, Peter Glofcheskie, Angela Lorbetskie, Shirley Mask-Connolly and Theresa Prince – all reading from their latest local history research and telling the story of how our local Kashubians came to Renfrew County. 

Joan Archambault

Born during the Second World War, Joan Archambault grew up on the shores of Victoria Lake before moving to Madawaska. She was a frequent guest on the 10,000 acre estate of one of Canada's richest tycoons; she helped fight a forest fire that nearly destroyed her home,  she worked with her grandmother, a part-time undertaker, and when Joan wasn't down at the river swimming or fishing,  she was often jamming with a rockabilly band. 

O. Henry's Spring Thaw

Five short stories about love and marriage in Springtime by that master of short fiction, O. Henry, read by Lesley Betts, Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Lynn Stewart and Mark Woermke, all members of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre.

Isadore Yantha

Isadore Yantha was born on March 25th, 1933 in Wilno, Ontario, famous as Canada's first Polish-Kashub settlement. Now 88-years old, he talks with 'Back in the Day' host, Martina Coulas, about his life and times growing up on a rugged hard-scrabble farm, making a name for himself in the local timber industry as a skidder man, and living for the pure joy of dancing the night away with his young wife, Monica, at Plebon's Lakeside Pavilion. 

Lady Gregory's Patrick

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a rousing selection from Lady Gregory's curious research concerning the Patron Saint of Ireland. Drawn for ancient Irish manuscripts and the 1,500-year-old story-telling tradition of the Emerald Isle, this episode contains everything from an old Irish monk praising his cat, Pangur Ban, to a wild, insult-filled debate between Patrick and Oisin about the merit's of Christianity versus the the joys and sorrows of being the last living member of Ireland's mythological band of great men, the Fianna.

Ruth Coulas (Part I)

Ruth Coulas was born in 1927 on a farm near Cross Lake, six miles from Madawaska, Ontario. At 94 years of age, Ruth tells a story of her life and times second to none. Funny, fiesty and full of remarkable eye-witness observations of the social history of the Upper Madawaska Valley in the early and mid-20th Century Ruth talks with Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas. 

Ruth Coulas (Part II)

Ruth Coulas was born in 1927 on a farm near Cross Lake, six miles from Madawaska, Ontario. At 94 years of age, Ruth tells a story of her life and times second to none. Funny, fiesty and full of remarkable eye-witness observations of the social history of the Upper Madawaska Valley in the early and mid-20th Century Ruth talks with Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas. 

Wintering Over

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre celebrates winter with twenty traditional poems drawn from famous Canadian, British and American poets, everything from light verse to weighty words worthy of a BBC mini-series.  We also have a bone-chilling reading of Jack London's classic short story, "To Build a Fire." 

Maxie Mintha Back in the Day

Martina Coulas, host of 'Back in the Day,' chats with 95-year-old Maxie Mintha, that much beloved former businessman of Barry's Bay who recalls all manner of things about his home town, and none more pleasing than his main street bakery where locals enjoyed his wife, Susan's, oven-warm homemade bread and cinnamon rolls.

Dr. Codd's Letters (Part II)

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the second part of Dr. Francis Codd's 1847-1852 Letters, about his practice of medicine and his many adventures throughout Renfrew County in it's earliest days.  An entertaining and informative look at life in the Upper Ottawa Valley nearly 175 years ago. Performed by Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Kristian Marchand and Lynn Stewart.