Today I’m in Vancouver, on the cusp of opening night at Deep Cove Stage Society’s production of Diamond Girls.

For those of you who are not familiar with this play, I wrote it nearly eight years ago. Diamond Girls tells the story of the AAGPBL, as experienced by three Saskatchewan women: Mary “Bonnie” Baker, Arleene Noga Johnson, and Daisy Junor. In total, sixty-four Canadian women traveled south of the 49th parallel to play in this league, which existed from 1943-1954. Diamond Girls had two iterations as a one-woman, one-act production, first with the brilliant Malia Becker and secondly with the talented Amanda Trapp. Both productions were under the direction of the fabulous Kenn McLeod. Thanks to the support of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, Diamond Girls toured four provinces (and two countries!) and was a joy from beginning to end.

Last fall I was approached by Laura Wallace at Deep Cove Stage Society about performing this show with an expanded cast (only six women and six men!) as a two-act. I reworked the script, adding a scene at the end which had been cut from the original production. Part of the charm of the original show was watching Malia or Amanda so ably and swiftly switch roles. It was magical. I have no idea how Diamond Girls will fly as a full cast production, but I am eager to see the hard work these performers and their director Val Mason have done.

The original show was designed to travel, so set pieces and props were basic. The Deep Cove set, designed by Laura Wallace, is breathtaking. What an amazing space for storytelling! In the photo below, Laura and I are seated next to a backstop constructed from PVC and garden trellis. It is a work of art!

If you saw the original show or will be attending the production at Deep Cove, or have anything to say about the magnificent phenomenon that is live theatre, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!