Help solve a history mystery this weekend

You’ve never seen our pioneer village like this. Experience Muskoka Heritage Place in a whole new way this weekend (June 25-26) – no matter how many times you’ve been before – with two live, interactive shows playing this weekend.

Created by travelling theatre company Live History, the shows take audiences on an hour-long adventure to solve a mystery set in the past. The shows are customized to the location with familiar names from the village appearing in the script – Catherine’s Creed is set in the village church after the funeral of James Darling while Mary’s Odyssey tours the village at the request of Mrs. Caroline Hill to solve a mystery following the death of her husband, Reverend Robert Norton Hill.

“We customize (the shows) to the master of the house, or to the year, or a war that’s going on,” says actor Jasmine Bowen. “All of our productions are interactive – they involve mysteries so the audience really does step back in time and you’re expected to be a person from that time period. You have a connection to all of the people you meet. It’s quite fun.” Their Huntsville stop is one of 21 this year spanning Canada, the U.S. and Ireland.

In Catherine’s Creed, you’ll travel back to 1920 in the church to help Catherine decipher the odd clues Mr. Darling left behind and discover the location of a treasure. “Catherine is a very bitter woman,” says Bowen. “All the townspeople don’t really remember her; she retreated from town quite a while ago. Now she’s back for Mr. Darling’s funeral and unfortunately you have to deal with her to help solve this puzzle that he left behind.”

Mary’s Odyssey goes farther back – to 1896 – and has the audience working with a young maid at the Hill House. The performance tours through the village looking for clues to help solve a puzzle left in Reverend Hill’s favourite books. “We visit several buildings looking for clues and hearing various tales. We talk about the gold rush that was happening at the time and there’s a bit of a rivalry going on.” It’s a tale of love, loss and honour.

We hope that the audience will experience the museum and history in a new way. It’s a new way to interact.

And a delightful one, too.

Catherine’s Creed runs Saturday, June 25 at 11:00am and 3:00 pm. Mary’s Odyssey runs Saturday, June 25 at 1:00pm and Sunday, June 26 at 11:00am and 1:00pm. The shows are included with a full site pass to Muskoka Heritage Place. For more information, ask staff at the admissions desk or visit muskokaheritageplace.org. Learn more about Live History here.

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