Join us on Saturday October 19 at the London Public Library Central Branch in the Lawson Room for an afternoon of stories, songs, and memories as actor and director Jeff Culbert recalls his friendship with James (Jamie) Reaney and their collaborations.

Josh Lambier of Wordsfest will be our host and help Jeff recall his roles in the Reaney artistic process. Jeff has also curated selected readings and songs as snapshots on the tour.

Jeff Culbert’s family ties to Lucan and fascination with local lore led to his admiration for James Crerar (Jamie) Reaney’s The Donnellys trilogy, about the murders of an Irish immigrant family by their Lucan-area neighbours in 1880. In turn, Jamie Reaney enjoyed experiencing Lucan alongside Culbert as the two visited such attractions as Lucan heritage days.

“He was interested in my home town. That was so cool,” Culbert says. 

The Donnellys and Lucan were only the start of the Jamie and Jeff friendship. At one point, Jeff was at the night of words and music when Reaney bounced a rubber ball in time to a poem by his wife, the late Colleen Thibaudeau. Reaney was often in the audience for plays with Culbert in the cast or director’s chair or both during London’s alt-theatre excitement in the 1990s and early 2000s. He laughed loudly watching Jeff as a drunken Irish-American police chief in alt-theatre spoof The Boneyard Man.

During  that period, Culbert worked closely with Reaney to prepare for Jeff’s starring role in a revival of 1960’s One Man Masque. Jamie Reaney had starred in its debut decades before.

“It isn’t scholarly — but it is scholarly,” Jeff says of the friendship tour.

When: Saturday October 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
Where: London Public Library Central Branch, Lawson Room, 251 Dundas Street, London, Ontario
Admission is free — please register to join us at the library: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/james-reaney-memorial-lecture-snapshots-of-jamie-with-jeff-culbert-tickets-1013860974467

Register to join us online via Zoom Webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KPhZU11ySwC7tUX0rkYrhQ#/registration

This year’s James Reaney Memorial Lecture celebrates the legacy of London poet and playwright James Crerar (Jamie) Reaney (1926-2008) and his late wife, the poet Colleen Thibaudeau. Our grateful thanks to the London Public Library and Wordsfest for giving the lecture a new home and partnership.