For the past 13 years, St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage in Morrisburg has showcased emerging and professional Canadian singer-songwriters. This dynamic not-for-profit’s eight-show season—waylaid but not canceled by COVID-19— was carefully curated by Artistic Director Sandra Whitworth, an accomplished musician herself. Until last December, she also commuted weekly from her home north of Ingleside to Toronto where she worked at York University as a professor in Political Science and the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research. She is currently on sabbatical, working on a new research project, and planning another season at the Stage.
How did you come to the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage?
I got involved originally as a performer then joined the Board. Working with the group has allowed me to be more present and contribute to the community. It’s a very intimate venue. Phenomenal and magical, actually.
What do you love about building lineups each season?
There’s a craft in terms of figuring out what acts will fit well with others, and what would be a good order of performances. I kind of caught the bug of figuring out those details. We must be doing something right. In the early years, we had 20 or 30 people but now, we get at least 120 people. We have sellout crowds too, which amounts to 270 people in the room.
Is there a link between your academic background and music?
There is a crossover. I work in the gender and women’s studies field and so in my role as Artistic Director, I am attentive and aware of underrepresented groups. Music does some phenomenal things in terms of breaking down boundaries. There’s something transformational about being part of that.
What’s happening with the last two shows of the 2020 season?
The Good Lovelies will now perform on February 13, 2021 and Hawksley Workman will perform on March 6. One question we face now is what kind of capacity we will be permitted to have. But since we can’t predict anything right now, we’re really in wait-and-see-mode.
When does the 2021-22 season launch?
We’re expecting to start on February 6, 2021 with six performances up into April. I can’t announce anything yet but I’m very pleased with the lineup. We may also present two shows at another venue but that is still TBD. Stay tuned.
Illustration by James Lapierre.
