Beneath Springhill: the Maurice Ruddick Story

Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story Created and performed by Beau Dixon Music and Lyrics by Susan Newman and Rob Fortin Originally dramaturged and directed by Linda Kash Sound design by Beau Dixon

Maurice Ruddick, an African Canadian, was awarded “Citizen of the Year” for saving the lives of his fellow workers after an historic mining disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia, in 1958.

Actor Beau Dixon will recall the events of the seven miners trapped two miles beneath a small mining town, the effect it had on their rural Canadian community and the racial tension that surfaced as a result.

Dixon plays 10 characters: Maurice; the six miners whose lives he was credited with saving; a news reporter; Valerie, one of Ruddick’s 13 children; and Ruddick’s wife, Norma. Beneath Springhill is a story filled with tragedy, drama and comical, yet conflicting, moments of hope and bravery.

Performances: September 9 to September 19, 2020, on Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8pm

Venue: Backyard of a private residence at 801 Big Bay Point Rd, Barrie