A Powerful Tale of Heroism: The Invisible Showcases Untold Stories of Female Spies in WWII
Saskatoon, SK – Persephone Theatre is thrilled to present Catalyst Theatre’s The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, written, composed, and directed by Jonathan Christenson, on stage October 23 to November 3, 2024.
Saskatoon-based artist Amanda Trapp has been involved in The Invisible since its first staged production in 2019, and she is excited to bring it to Persephone Theatre and her hometown.
“This is now the fifth iteration of The Invisible I have done since then, and each time the show has changed and grown,” Trapp explained. “It’s like the theatrical version of creating a sculpture from stone. Each time we chisel and sand and get closer to the heart of it.
“To see (or) be in a musical that has been honed and refined and grown over the last five years is a rare treat for us as both artist and audience in Saskatchewan and Canada.”
Trapp explained the production was inspired by true stories of close to 40 unseen women, who made large contributions to the efforts of the allied forces in the Second World War.
“It’s inspired by the true stories of women who became spies for Churchill’s Special Operations Executive in World War II, and went undercover in Nazi-occupied France carrying out covert missions against the Germans,” Trapp said. “In The Invisible, we focus on seven fictionalized women and see their journey from seeing the atrocities from afar, wanting to do something about it, being recruited, trained, and then deployed to France. All told through the utterly beautiful and unique Catalyst theatrical lens.”
These unseen women had a diverse set of backgrounds and skills, and ranged in age from 20 to 53. Their stories remained classified until the 1990s, so their stories have remained untold for too long.
“To be a small part of bringing attention to their bravery — it’s very humbling, and an absolute honour,” Trapp said.
Not only has she spent a lot of time on this production – collectively 12 months during the last five years – it has also toured across the country, visiting locations such as Vancouver, Vernon, Fort MacMurray, Edmonton, Calgary, and London. Trapp said although it is a little terrifying and humbling for her friends and peers to see it, it also feels “so right.”
“It is a homecoming for many of us,” Trapp said. “We have a lot of Saskatchewan folks on and offstage – many either grew up in Saskatchewan, or their parents and family are from here!”
In addition to Trapp, some other Saskatchewan artists who are a part of the show include: Michael Caron, the Front of House Audio Engineer, who is from Prince Albert when not touring or designing; Matthew Skopyk, Sound Designer, Additional Music and Music Production, was born and raised in Meadow Lake; Kristi Hansen, who plays Dorothy Ward, was born and raised in Saskatoon; and Tahirih Vejdani, who plays Anna Sidiqui, grew up in Regina.
Not only will audiences see some local talent returning home, they will enjoy the spectacle of a Catalyst Theatre production.
“Catalyst shows are like none other,” Trapp explained. “There is a synergy between story, performance, and design that has been crafted and developed, and I think audiences will be wow-ed by. I can’t even begin to describe it. Catalyst reminds us of what live theatre is capable of that other mediums cannot do.”
She also said having the time to develop this piece is an honour and audiences will see all the work that has gone into making this production what it is today.
“So often we get a new work to its first iteration and then have to move on to the next thing. Musicals of this scope take time to develop, but what is made is something timeless and universal,” Trapp said. “Persephone gets to be a part of championing work that will last beyond us.”
She encourages everyone to get their tickets now to see this incredible piece of theatre.
“Don’t for a moment think this is merely a historical piece about World War II,” Trapp said. “History has a habit to repeat itself. The questions and moral dilemmas posed in The Invisible feel more relevant than they ever have. As Evelyn asks in the beginning of our show, “What would you do?”
Tickets are available at tickets.persephonetheatre.org or by calling the box office at 306-384-7727.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Jodi Schellenberg, Director of Marketing & Communications
[email protected] | 306-384-2126 ext 237
Full cast and crew list available at https://persephonetheatre.org/shows/play/the-invisible-agents-of-ungentlemanly-warfare/
Photo credit: Dahlia Katz. The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, written, composed, and directed by Jonathan Christenson. Set, Lighting, Costumes, and Projection Design by Bretta Gerecke.