In 2026, our 24th season, Stone Fence Theatre returns to its roots with a brand new musical comedy, If You Don’t Know You Wilno! The show is set in the historic village of Wilno. Our company was born there, in the Wilno Tavern, in December, 2002, and we’ve been telling our community’s stories onstage ever since. The Tavern and the kitchen in St. Mary’s Church, uphill from it, provide the setting and backdrop for a hilarious show that draws on local history, as well as current events.
The show was written by company producer Ish Theilheimer with help from Kathy Eisner and Johanna Zomers, as well as musical help from Clint Degarie and Beverly Lewis. Much of its music is based on Kashub/Polish folk songs sung by the late Martha Linton, of nearby Barry’s Bay, who recorded a CD of songs she grew up with in 2006, on which Ish played, along with (from left in photo) Ray Chapeskie, the late Barney McCaffrey and the late Clark Guettel. Barney, Clark and Ish played for years in a well-known local group called The Wilno Express, which, like Ish’s plays, told musical stories of the Ottawa Valley and was, in many ways, a forerunner of Stone Fence Theatre.
We will not spoil your enjoyment of the show by giving away details. It does highlight the famous Chicken Supper that the parishoners of St. Mary’s put on for many years, the famous plywood chicken that advertised the supper every summer, and goings-on at the village’s famous Tavern, which has served as a hub for community life for a hundred years or more.
Shirley Hill and Sarah Wright are co-directing the show, which will open in July and run through October, with most performances at the Rankin Culture and Recreation Centre, near Pembroke. There will also be a special performance in Barry’s Bay, where the company always receives an enthusiastic reception.