"Sam's Spiel" new take on Winnipeg General Strike

Danny Schur's new play will transport you...literally. It's called Sam's Spiel. And it takes place on a moving heritage trolley bus!

Danny Schur has made a name for himself bringing Winnipeg's 1919 general strike to life. Between his walking tours and musical, he has been educating and entertaining Winnipeggers for years.

Sam's Spiel was inspired by photographs Schur found in the Manitoba Archives. He came across photographs by Sam Lockhart, who was a photographer during the 1919 General Strike. These were not filed with other strike photos. And they offer a new perspective on the event.

Schur was fascinated to study the whole collection of photographs."That intrigued the heck out of me," he says. "I wondered what their life was like and how it came to pass that these pictures came to be."

"This guy had to be not only intrepid but incredibly athletic," he continues. Lockhart's photography equipment would have been incredibly heavy and it's clear from some of the photographs that he took them from rooftops, having hauled the equipment up six floors.

Back in the era you could actually rent a trolley, much like a taxi. There were no streetcars running on the day of the strike, so Schur made the leap that Lockhart was probably in one of those rented trolleys, probably with a bunch of freelance journalists.  Schur figures there was a good chance Lockhart was offering them his pictures for their stories.

In Schur's one-man play, a mix of fact and fiction, Justin Schafer plays the role of Sam Lockhart. Schur came up with this fictional series of events where Lockhart was trying to raise money to patent his new invention...the instant camera.

The audience will be taken to the actual location where the events took place. As they roll through the streets, Lockhart produces historical photographs from his newly invented "instant camera."

The July 15 performance is sold out, but a repeat performance has been scheduled for July 29 at 1:00 p.m. The trolley leaves from the Free Press Café (237 McDermot at Arthur), which just happens to be the actual meeting place where journalists congregated during the time of the strike. Call 226-TOUR (8687) for tickets.