Actor Georgia Findlay is currently making waves in her Guild Festival Theatre debut as a murdered bride in the true-crime mystery The Drowning Girls. Written by Canadian playwrights Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, and Daniela Vlaskalic and tautly directed by GFT Co-Artistic Director Helen Juvonen, with Assistant Director Sierra Haynes, The Drowning Girls centres on the lives of Bessie, Margaret and Alice (superbly interpreted by Alicia Barban, Blythe Haynes and Findlay, respectively),
The play’s arresting premise? All three women were married to – and murdered by – the same man.
In the play, these ghostly brides rise from murder weapons themselves: three water-filled on-stage bathtubs. They relive the events leading up to their deaths with support from numerous other characters, including the murderer — all of whom are played by the three actors. Through this experience, the brides gain new understanding of their womanizing, murderous and deceitful husband and themselves. The play combines the morbid, the macabre and the poetic to deliver edge-of-your-seat suspense, plus social commentary on the plight of women in the Edwardian era that still reverberates in 2023.
Since its premiere at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2008, The Drowning Girls has won awards and enjoyed acclaimed productions worldwide. And the Guild Festival Theatre production seems destined for similar recognition. Not only is it deftly acted by Findlay and her castmates (who boast an astonishing command of accents and attitudes), but the production designer Kalina Popova, lighting designer Adam Walters, stage manager Lauren Allen and assistant stage manager Charlotte Bryant deserve special praise. They have created a visually arresting production that runs like a finely-tuned clock . . . while keeping the actors (who are repeatedly immersed in water on the Guild’s outdoor stage) comfortable in all kinds of weather.
Given the bathtub setting, calling Findlay an “emerging actor” sounds like clever wordplay. But the fact is that, though her theatrical career for years felt like an inevitability, she is still in the early part of it. “Starting around the age of six and continuing up to today, my interest in theatre began at day camps and after-school drama classes. I was a very theatrical and passionate child,” she recalls, “and acting really taught me how to channel that energy and communicate with others.” Findlay, who hails from Toronto and with The Drowning Girls makes her Guild Festival Theatre debut, completed high school at the Etobicoke School of the Arts. There, she recounts, “I felt like I finally fit in, as I was surrounded by like-minded individuals and teachers who truly wanted to nurture my passion for theatre”.
After graduation, Findlay spent one year in Halifax “soaking up knowledge” at the University of King’s College’s Foundation Year Program. Then she returned to Toronto, where she continued to hone her craft at George Brown Theatre School. This was another “life-changing and intense” experience. It “gave me what I thought would be a strong sense of momentum to take with me into the industry”, she notes wistfully . . . though the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans.
“Spending most of 2020 and 2021 taking a break from acting and focusing on who I was – beyond my craft – was very healing and needed,” she reveals. This introspective period paved the way for her re-entry into the scene in 2022 with her original play, Joan & Olivia: A Hollywood Ghost Story. In an experience that marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career, she wrote, produced and performed the play at the Toronto Fringe Festival. She now aims to write more, alongside her acting endeavors.
Since her post-pandemic return, Findlay has been diligently auditioning, performing, and crafting ideas for future plays. Reflecting on her journey, she is philosophical: “I’ve always wanted to work in theatre, but my trajectory has taken unexpected turns that have led me to finding my footing in this beautiful but volatile industry.” While in rehearsals for The Drowning Girls, she spoke with Sesayarts Magazine about her past and future career, plus the uniqueness and topicality of this production of The Drowning Girls.
Sesayarts Magazine: What has surprised you the most as you have been working on this play and your role?
Georgia Findlay: I was familiar with the play from my high school days, as it was presented as one of several Canadian one-acts that the upper years performed for their end of year showcase. I remember being struck by the imagery of the three women in their Victorian wedding dresses, soaking wet in bathtubs, but beyond that haunting image I remembered very little of the plot.
Working on this play at my current age, I was surprised at how relatable these characters were despite the period setting, and how relevant their story is to modern dating. I was also surprised at just how funny the play is! It’s such a dark story, but told with so much humour and catharsis. The humour keeps the play from feeling overly sombre, while giving a powerful contrast to really emphasize the moments of darkness. I never thought I’d be able to have this much fun with a tale of spousal murder!
Sesayarts Magazine: What sets this GFT production of The Drowning Girls apart, and how do you think modern diverse audiences will relate to it?
Georgia Findlay: This production is unique in that it is the first time (to my knowledge) that this play has been performed professionally in an outdoor theatre. Bringing this story into the natural world grounds the play as something real and of this earth. The outdoor setting also creates many unique obstacles that previous productions may not have had to account for, such as rain, wind, bugs and the way sound carries in an open space. Seeing this play in this setting is a complicated but magical experience.
I also think that modern audiences will find a surprising relatability in these characters being swept off their feet by a dashing devil. In the age of “The Tinder Swindler”, online pickup artists, ghosting, and increasing conversations about psychological abuse, love-bombing and gaslighting, this play shows how timeless these concepts are, and how we still have so far to come in the fight for equality and justice for victims.
I personally relate to my character a lot, and can absolutely see how in an age without the surplus of information that we now have available at our fingertips, one man with the right words and the worst of intentions could easily manipulate someone into sacrificing everything, including their life, for love. I hope that modern audiences recognize these patterns and can learn from the stories of Bessie, Alice and Margaret.
Sesayarts Magazine: Any GFT production is inextricable from the beautiful outdoor venue. How does the Greek Theatre lend itself to this interpretation of The Drowning Girls, in your view, and what are you most excited for audiences to experience?
Georgia Findlay: The Greek Theatre is the perfect setting for The Drowning Girls, as the play utilizes many conventions of classical Greek Theatre, such as narration, direct audience address, choral speaking, and music. Seeing these three ghostly figures of a time gone by telling their story on a stage with such a rich history brings to mind the universality and timelessness of the play, similar to the Greek myths and tragedies that have stood the test of time, capturing something essential about the human experience.
The beautiful white columns and the head of Heracles looking down on the three of us really emphasizes the purgatorial feeling of the play, with the stoney and impenetrable face of a man looming over these very real flesh and blood women. I think that this play presented in this space will be magical and chilling for the audience.
Sesayarts Magazine: What you would like us to know about you that we will not find on your resumé?
Georgia Findlay: While my great love is performing, I have also been a visual artist for my whole life. I’ve always been fascinated by the human face, so for many years I would draw very detailed portraits of people in pencil. I took a break for many years, as I became overly self-critical, but in the last year I’ve changed mediums and begun oil painting, which has truly reignited my love of creating art and brought so much colour into my life.
I have broadened my subject matter to include people and animals, and would love to try painting some landscapes or even something more abstract. I recently completed my first commission, and would love to create more art for people. So if anyone is interested in commissioning a painting or just following my artistic journey (shameless plug) you can follow my instagram page @georgiafindlayart and send me a message!
Sesayarts Magazine: What’s coming up next for you?
Georgia Findlay: Great question! I have no idea! I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I’m at the point in my theatrical journey where I’m just trying to get myself out there and integrate myself more into the amazing community of theatre artists in Toronto. There are so many goals that I’ve had over the years that have shifted or adapted to my circumstances, so I’m kind of trying to let go of expectation and just show up and try things. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks!
I would love to do more work like The Drowning Girls, and it would be a dream for me to do some Shakespeare. I will definitely be doing more writing in the fall, as I’ve been sitting on some exciting ideas for projects that need to be pursued with my full attention. I will also continue to paint and hopefully create a side career in that to compliment my other artistic works.
In addition to these artistic occupations I also have three part-time jobs and live in the expensive city of Toronto, so the one thing I know for certain is that I will be hustling! Such is the life of an artist. More than anything, I want to experience life and take chances. Life is my bathtub, and I just want to soak in it.
The Drowning Girls runs until August 27, 2023 at Guild Festival Theatre. For more information, including content advisory, and to reserve tickets online, click here.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesayarts Magazine, 2023
