Beautiful Joe found a place in the hearts of millions around the world, and it all started in Meaford. The tale of an abused dog who found a new life with kind owners has been re-incarted before. In the 90s, a local group premiered a play about the pooch at Meaford Hall. At one point or another, Disney has been said to be interested in producing a movie about the mutt. And now, for the second time in 20 years, a new play about Beautiful Joe premieres, produced by the Grey-Bruce Arts Collective in association with the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society . (It’s also Meaford’s second dramatic world premiere in three weeks!)

This time, acclaimed Canadian playwright Michael O’Brien penned the drama, based on Margaret Marshall Saunders’s novel. O’Brien has had productions mounted at major venues and with major companies across Canada, including the National Arts Centre, YPT, Theatre Columbus, the Shaw Festival, and CBC radio. His works and adaptions have been nominated for a Governor General’s Award for Drama and won a Dora Award for Best Production of a Musical.

Beautiful Joe, which kicks off on Wednesday, features professional actors from around the province, and was workshopped last year at the SpringWorks Festival in Stratford, Ontario. It’s “a moving and funny tale for the whole family set in a distinctly Canadian landscape… an invaluable lesson in courage and compassion.”

Limited engagement – only 6 performances – at Meaford Hall
Wednesday, May 14 (Preview Performance): 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 15 (Opening Performance): 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 16: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 17: 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for Adults and $10 for students and can be purchased through the Meaford Hall Box Office at 1.877.538.0463.