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Back when railways were still in use on PEI, the last train stop in Kings County was in Elmira, near the eastern tip of the province.
The station quickly became known as ‘the end of the line’.
“If you look out, you can see the tracks don’t go any further than this,” Lynne Morrow, site director at the Elmira Railway Museum, said, pointing to a railway track that ends abruptly near the edge of the museum property.
To commemorate that distinction, the museum will present a theatre production of a historically based play entitled ‘The End of the Line’ as part of PEI’s 2014 celebrations.
“The play depicts the Elmira station from the time of its construction in 1912 and goes through the different decades, right to present day,” she said.
The play will be put on at the Eastern Kings Community Centre and will be presented by the Don’t Ye Know Theatre group, which is based out of the community centre.
‘End of the Line’ was written by Susan Hammond-Bruce, who’s the artistic director of the Don’t Ye Know Theatre and a resident of Elmira. She has a great appreciation for the community’s history.
“She’d been working on it for a year - maybe even closer to two (years),” Judy Coffin, theatre group member, said.
Renowned pianist Max Keenlyside will also compose a full musical score for the play.
“We’re excited about his involvement,” Mrs Morrow said.
The group will be presenting a children’s puppet theatre, too - also written by Ms Hammond-Bruce - at both the Elmira Railway Museum and the East Point Lighthouse.
“She’s a very talented lady,” Ms Coffin said. “We’re lucky to have her.”
The puppet theatre at the train station will involve the museum’s miniature trains. When it’s presented at the lighthouse, it will tell stories of seafaring in the area.
“It’ll involve historical stories related to both sites,” Mrs Morrow said, adding that the puppeteers will also be members of the Don’t Ye Know theatre group.
When word was received the three productions had been approved for 2014 funding, the group was delighted.
“It was wonderful,” Mrs Morrow said. “We had the idea of putting the play on, so PEI Museum and Heritage partnered with us and they submitted the application. We’re thrilled.”
Six productions of End of the Line will be presented in the last two weeks of July and throughout most of August next year. And there will be multiple productions of the puppet show for children to enjoy all summer long.
Looking ahead, their hope is to present the play in future years, to ensure the legacy continues.
“We’d love it to become like an Anne & Gilbert or Anne of Green Gables,” Mrs Morrow said. “Something we could continue doing in the area for years to come.”
One casting call for actors has already taken place, but Ms Coffin said they’re always looking for additional actors as well as volunteers to help make sure the production runs smoothly.
“We still need backstage people, sound people and lighting people,” she said.
“We’ll take volunteers for everything - props, costumes, lights, sound, acting,” Mrs Morrow said.
Ms Coffin said although the play is written and the budget has been approved, there is still lots of work to do and anyone who can lend a hand or provide advice is appreciated.
“The more people involved, the more ideas that can come of it,” she said.
Anyone interested in getting involved in the End of the Line production is asked to contact Mrs Morrow at the Elmira Railway Museum at 357-7234, or Ms Coffin at 357-2431.
Photo: Lynne Morrow, site manager at the Elmira Railway Museum, and Judy Coffin, player with the Don’t Ye Know Theatre Group stand in front of the Elmira Railway Station alongside an original piece of railway track. The two organizations will partner up to present a play entitled “End of the Line” and a puppet theatre next year as part of the Island’s 2014 celebrations. Elmira was dubbed the ‘end of the line’ because it was the last stop when PEI’s railway was in operation. Melanie Jackson photo
First appeared in The Eastern Graphic July 10, 2013
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