I attended the premiere of the play Torn Through Time by Carrie Costello, Frances Koncan and Cherissa Richards. The story is about a girl named Jess, played by Hera Nalam, who can’t figure out what Canadian hero she wants to write about for a school project. She gets mad and rips the pages out of a Canadian Heroes book. When the heroes come to life out of the book, they need to work together to get them back home.

Jess is a loveable character who is struggling to be ‘cool’ with her friends. When the three characters come out of the book, they are all about the same age as Jess and they have their own fears and troubles. Helen Harrison, played by Alissa Watson, was one of the first woman pilots, but was afraid of heights and fascinated by Sandpipers. Rose Fortune, played by Reena Jolly, was born a slave who thought she had to be timid and obedient, but she grew up to be the first woman police officer. The final character, Thanadelthur, played by Kathleen MacLean, was caring and brave and she became a peacemaker who stopped a war from happening in the 1700’s.

The play took place in Jess’ classroom, library and in the woods near her school. I really liked the set because it was simple and creative and did not distract you from the characters. The actors spun the backdrops around to change scenes and take you to different places. The costumes looked like they were drawn on and taken from the pages of the book, and they fit the type of clothing from their time.

Without giving away too many spoilers, my favourite part of the play was when the characters got ‘stuck’ and had to use teamwork to get out. It was a funny, heart-warming scene where they worked together, showing courage and kindness. Interacting with the cast during the question and answers at the end of the play was fun too.

The play had elements of bullying and misunderstanding, but showed how we can be brave and still do the right thing. I definitely give the play a 5 out of 5 because it made me want to follow my dreams, and some day they can come true like they did for Helen, Rose and Thana. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I learned life lessons from them. It made me think about what being a hero means to me, and I learned that if you are kind, courageous and helpful, you can do outstanding things too. — Sadie