Jake’s Gift is About Legacy and Remembrance

Award-winning play makes the story behind one soldier’s grave personal at Horizon Stage on November 7

Horizon Stage is pleased to bring back Jake’s Gift to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Juno Beach campaign. This multi-award winning one-actor play is about a Canadian World War II veteran’s reluctant return to Juno Beach for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. While revisiting the shores of Juno Beach, Jake encounters Isabelle, a precocious 10-year-old from the local village. Isabelle’s inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long-ignored ghosts – most notably the war-time death of his eldest brother, Chester, a once promising young musician. At its heart, Jake’s Gift is about the legacy of remembrance and makes personal the story behind one soldier’s grave. Open yourself up to Jake’s Gift at Horizon Stage on Thursday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.

In June 2004, playwright Julia Mackey traveled to Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. It was one of the most moving and powerful experiences of her life. During that week long journey, Julia interviewed dozens of Canadian, British and American WWII veterans who had returned for the ceremonies. For many, it was their first time back to France since the war. The stories they shared with Julia and her own life-long interest in Remembrance Day inspired the development of Jake’s Gift. In August 2006, the play’s first draft received a workshop performance at the Sunset Theatre’s Exploration Series in Wells, BC.

Since 2007, Jake’s Gift has played at festivals and theatres in over 250 communities across Canada, as well as international stops to Washington State, the UK, and Normandy, France, for the 70th, 73rd, and 75th Anniversaries of D-Day, and sold out shows at the Edmonton Fringe Festival (2008, 2010, 2013, 2018) and Horizon Stage (2011 & 2016).  2019 marks their 13th year of touring, and Juno Productions and Jake’s Gift continue to garner awards and rave reviews whether playing in small rural towns or big city centers. Jake’s Gift is a one act play that runs 65 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 10 and up. Audience members are also invited to join Julia after the performance for a question, answer, and conversation session.

Fans love this play so much that they return to see it over and over again. Fall in love with Jake’s Gift for your first, second, or tenth time at Horizon Stage on Thursday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for Adults and $30 for Students and Seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through Ticketpro.ca. There aren’t many seats left for this show so don’t wait too long!

 “Jake’s Gift is the most theatrically pure show I have ever seen. Julia Mackey delivers a stunning performance. So well fleshed out are her characters, so instantaneous are her transitions that it feels like an ensemble show.”

- Katie Nicholson, CBC Winnipeg

 “Julia Mackey is an eminently watchable actor and her transformations between characters are stunning and nuanced.”

– Bryan Birtles, Vue Weekly

“Jake’s Gift is as near a perfect play as I’ve ever seen.”

– Jackie Flanagan, Alberta Views magazine