Women in Fish: Hours of Water Tour Launch

Featuring Rosemary Georgeson
Friday August 20th
5pm Doors open to StoryBox Exhibition
6pm Showcase
W2 Storyeum, 151 West Cordova (at Abbott)

View Trailer of W.I.F. archival website

Directed by Marie Clements (Governor General Nominee-Burning Vision) and Kathleen Flaherty (CBC Radio), with dramaturgy by Paula Danckert (Playwright Workshop Montreal) and featuring award winning designers in a live design mix including; Tim Matheson, Noah Drew, John Webber, Sandy Scofield, Jonathan Ryder, Richard Wilson, Rosemary Georgeson, Julie Moore and David Kerr. Written by Marie Clements with Rosemary Georegson, Eileen Lorenz and the WIF Participants.

Performed by Rosemary Georgeson

In the beginning there were stories and like all surviving stories this one begins with a storm. On September 7, 1962, the fishing packer The Loretta B keeled under a violent westerly blow submerging five men and one woman to the dark sea.

The sinking of the Loretta B joins a long legacy of fishing tragedies that have ended in the drowning of men and women but in this one Eileen Lorenz, on the eve of her 18th birthday was a survivor. After being tied to fish crates by her husband and fellow crewmate, Eileen was set afloat, as one by one, four men including her husband and brother surrendered to the ocean, their bodies never to be found. After six hours in the eye of the dark storm, Eileen Lorenz was plucked from the water to bring in this new day one year older and eight months pregnant.

Women in Fish weaves this tragedy together with the bigger tragedy of the worlds fishing industry. This story reveals women’s contributions to what was once a top industry. Little is known about the strong role women played in this industry, from waiting on shore to owning and operating their own vessels, as cannery workers and raising their children on the boats.

Women in Fish was produced by CBC as a radio documentary and a 4 part radio series and has been short listed for a prestigious Jack Webster Award for Best Documentary. Women In Fish: hours of water opened Think Vancouver in 2005 with a performance at The Vancouver Aquarium. The live version begins touring in the summer of 2010 and includes an installation as a memorial of the contributions of women to the industry, youth programming activities, public workshops and a live performance of the award winning story.

For More information or to book contact touring@urbanink.ca
Tour Ready Summer 2010