Jim Watts: Girl Reporter

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Synopsis:

The play opens in 1930s Toronto and centres around the real-life character of Jim (Jean) Watts, who was a fiery, non-conventional, self-identifying bisexual young woman, deeply involved in leftist politics. Jim is angered by the deep income and class disparities endured by millions of people during the Depression. When Civil War breaks out in Spain, Jim is adamant that she should fight for the democratically elected Socialist government. Since women can’t travel to Spain as soldiers, Jim applies for a job with the Toronto Clarion newspaper which sends her over as their star reporter. Jim Watts eventually drives an ambulance into the action, making her the only woman to officially join the Canadian unit in Spain, the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion.

Jim Watts: Girl Reporter is a large-cast play written for 4th Line Theatre’s expansive outdoor venue. Jim travels from Toronto to Madrid, from political rallies to the battlefields of Spain. The cast features a number of familiar characters, including Edward Cecil-Smith, commander of the Mac-Paps, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, and Dr. Norman Bethune. We also follow the incredible story of another Mac-Pap, Jim Higgins, who saves the life of a young Spanish boy during the bombing of Corbera d’Ebre.

The play is a fascinating exploration of the experience of trailblazing Canadians who illegally flocked to Spain to fight fascism, attempting to stop its political march across Europe. Through the story of Jim Watts, Cooper explores the question: can one person make a difference in the world?

Reviewer Lynn Slotkin writes of the play: “I loved how Beverley Cooper created characters who want to change the world but are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. But they don’t stop. They are not defeated. They are frustrated and angry, but they are tenacious. We live in a world that is full of the accomplishments of single people who would not be deterred and did in fact change the world.”

Characters:

This play was written for 4th Line Theatre, their sweeping outdoor space and their talented group of professionals, semi professionals, students and volunteers. We had a very eclectic cast of 30 people, kids, a truck and a dog! Because we had a wonderful Flamenco dancer in the cast, I wrote a section for this beautiful dance. We had one person with a disability in the cast – this is not necessary but it was wonderful to have a show that reflected the community. The character of Jim (Jean) Watts carries the play with everyone else playing many roles. Because of Jim’s gender identity being so much who she was for her time period, she should be played by a woman, however we had several women playing male roles in the 4th Line production. There are several characters who need to speak Spanish well. Please take the number of characters listed above with a grain of salt, this play could be produced with 30 actors or 15. There is wiggle room on the number of actors required and how the play is produced. Diversity in the casting is welcomed.

First Produced:

Jim Watts: Girl Reporter by Canadian playwright Beverley Cooper was commissioned and first produced in August 2024 by 4th Line Theatre, directed by their Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Resources:

Play can be accessed through contacting the playwright’s agent Colin Rivers at Marquis Literary: colin@mqent.ca