Traders on the Border

By David Serafino

Who would ever think that a war could benefit both aggressor and defender? Who would ever think a conflict could be won by both adversaries? But the War of 1812 was such a conflict. At war’s end, the fledgling American republic was assured of its independence from Britain, and Canada was freed from the threat of American invasion. As a result, both countries set a course for independent nationhood, two centuries of friendship, and the establishment of the longest undefended border in the world.
But the war era itself, having begun over 200 years ago, and those days leading up to it, were turbulent times for the settlers living on the border, where friendships flourished and trade thrived between Americans and Canadians. Cultures, which were so similar as to be seen as one, were now divided. The tribulations of pioneer life, as harsh as they were, were now compounded by the threat of war.
Our play begins and ends at the conclusion of the war—in the winter of 1815. The story that is told, however, takes place for the most part in the fall of 1812, in Upper Canada during the days leading up to the invasion. It is a story of love and friendship that demonstrates that war itself was the enemy, not the people whose fate it was to be traders on the border.

PLAY SYNOPSIS
Fate has burdened Jock MacKenzie with the responsibility of raising his deceased brother’s daughter and taking over operation of the Queen’s Tavern. Together with his help-mate, Mary, they have raised Polly to womanhood and now wish to marry her off. Jock hopes that a lucrative business arrangement with Tobias, his American friend, will provide the means to a dowry. Polly is reluctant to be married off and hopes that love will find her first. Jock yearns to be free. Mary reveals a secret. All the while, war is brewing and threatening to interfere with their plans, hopes and dreams.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Serafino
• Release date: Jul 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005646035

David Serafino

David Serafino was born in 1947 and grew up in Niagara Falls Ontario but has lived almost all of his adult life in the historic town of Port Dalhousie, now a suburb of St. Catharines Ontario. He began writing while a young adult, contributing to local publications and attempting a first yet-to-be published auto-biographical novel. In 1997 he began publishing Dalhousie Peer Magazine which ran for 14 years and 150 monthly issues. He is a published author by virtue of having a short story adjudicated for inclusion in a Canadian literary journal in 2009. In 1997 he co-authored and printed a history book of Port Dalhousie titled “A Nickel a Ride” In 2020 he produced, published and co-authored a more detailed and complete history of Port Dalhousie titled “Port Dalhousie: An Intimate History. Serafino has also written a series of five plays based on the War of 1812 and two children’s plays, some of which were performed locally and in New York State. He has also published two novels and a book of short stories & poems as eBooks. He is an amateur musician who uploads self-produced music videos of original songs to YouTube. Together, with his wife Lana, they have built an off-grid, solar-powered retreat in Central Ontario where they spend much of their summer. Since retirement in 2010 they have spent part of their winters in Latin America.

Book preview

TRADERS on the BORDER

A MUSICAL PLAY

by DAVID SERAFINO

ISBN: 9781005646035

Music and Lyrics by David Serafino

Copyright © 2010

David Serafino

Dalpeer Productions

6 Pine Street, St. Catharines ON L2N4T1

905-934-9676

[e-mail]

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. This play may be performed for free by any school group or not-for-profit community theatre group with permission from the author.

CHARACTERS

JOCK MACKENZIE 50 years old, Scottish immigrant tavern owner.

TOBIAS EPP 50 years old, Pennsylvania-Dutch trader

MARY OLEARY 40 years old, Irish Immigrant tavern keeper

POLLY MACKENZIE 18 years old, Jock’s niece

PETER PYPER 25 years old, merchant and business partner of Tobias

*JOSEPH TWO MOONS 40 years old, a Shawnee associate of Tecumseh from Ohio

*LITTLE HAWK 20 years old, a Mohawk from the Grand River Nation

#Appearances by: Laura Secord, Captain James Fitzgibbon, Captain William Hamilton Merritt.

TIME

The period spanning the war of 1812, October 1812 to March 1815

The play begins and ends in March 1815 after peace has been declared. With the exception of the first and last scenes, the play takes place between September 8, 1812 and October 13, 1812.

PLACE

The Queens Tavern—A Tavern/Boarding House near the Canada/US border on a crossroads between St. Davids and Queenston in the Niagara Frontier, Upper Canada.

*The two First Nations characters are not essential to the play and are written out in an alternative version. However, these two characters play major roles in the sequel, ‘Whisky on the Run’.

#Character doubling can be achieved by Mary playing Laura, Jock playing Fitzgibbon, and Tobias playing Merritt.

SONG LYRICS & CHORDS

Original music by David Serafino

The Battle Song – An instrumental Medley

The Traders Song – A sea shanty sung by Mary, Tobias, Jock

Where Does Love Go? – A romantic ballad sung by Polly

Where Does Life Go? – segue to a lamenting ballad sung by Jock

Mary From Ireland – An Irish ballad sung by Jock (optional)

The Suitor Song – A blues rock song sung by Polly

I’d Fall For You – A spirited love ballad sung by Polly and Peter

Sons & Daughters Dance – A sea shanty (same as Traders Song)

Join in the Dance -- segue to a calypso, sung by cast, minstrel, audience

SYNOPSIS

The year is 1812 and to Jock MacKenzie, the outbreak of war is one more thing to keep him from getting on with his life. Having wasted his youth impressed upon a British Warship fighting Napoleon, his injuries have earned him free passage to the Niagara Frontier. But he is once again trapped—this time by the promise to his dying brother to raise his daughter, Polly, and marry her off to a well-heeled gentleman.

Mary O’leary—a woman who makes her living satisfying the needs of men—is Jock’s partner both in running the Queens Tavern and in raising the young and attractive, Polly. She has a secret that is yet to be revealed.

Tobias Epp is an American trader of Pennsylvanian Dutch extraction, who delivers the mail and trades in anything that can turn a profit. He and Jock have had many a deal but none as profitable as the guns and whisky they are trading across the border now that the threat of war is upon them. For Jock, this ‘deal’ is the means to finance Polly’s betrothal.

Polly MacKenzie is a young girl, born in Upper Canada, who has reached ‘marrying’ age. She dreams of love and a life of adventure, not the arranged marriage Jock is planning—and she is determined not to become just some man’s chattel.

Plans are made but even the best-laid plans can be washed away by an approaching invasion from south of the border. With a rousing musical score that spans the genres from sea shanty and Irish ballad to rock, pop and calypso, ‘Traders on the Border will have the audience on its feet dancing before the curtain comes down.

TRADERS ON THE BORDER

A musical play by David Serafino

Character Descriptions:

Jock MacKenzie—Tavern owner and barman. A Scottish immigrant who left England for adventure in the Caribbean only to be captured aboard an American frigate and impressed into service in the British Navy, whereupon, after being wounded in battle, he was given passage to Canada