by Jessica Knapp

Actor Paul Dyck might have a better idea of how Sir John A. Macdonald would respond to questions than most. He plays the role of John A. for SALON Theatre productions based in Kingston, Ontario. Walking down the streets as the charismatic prime minister, Dyck is asked all types of questions, from the jovial — “Do you remember my distant cousin who used to work for you?” — to the more serious — “Why did you have such blatant disregard for other cultures in Canada?”

You might wonder how an actor could possibly know the answers to questions that could only be rightfully asked of the real John A. It’s because Dyck has done his homework. He has studied Macdonald and his contemporaries, along with the social and economic conditions of Canada during the Confederation era. By applying healthy doses of historical and critical thinking, Dyck can respond confidently and intelligently to all inquiries. Listen to this podcast to hear more about his experiences in the public sphere as Sir John A Macdonald.

In the second week of January 2015 Kingston community members joined together to commemorate Sir John A Macdonald during what was called “Macdonald Week.” In the week leading up to his 200th birthday, artists, actors, educators, and authors came together to highlight both the positives and the negatives of Canada’s first prime minister. Describing the events as a celebration fits in the sense that Canadians used his birthday as the climatic event of the week, but actor Paul Dyck made it clear that SALON Theatre Productions’ used Macdonald Week as a catalyst for discussing Macdonald, the Confederation era, and the changes that have happened in Canada leading to the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Listen to this podcast to hear about Macdonald Week and Sir John Eh? The Road Show.

How does one earn the role of Macdonald? Is it more than just looking the part and having a charismatic character? Hear the story from Paul Dyck himself in this clip.

In this last podcast Paul Dyck is asked one of the 2015 Government of Canada History Award essay questions. The questions were developed with teachers, historians, and educators from across Canada.

The question was: “Métis leader Louis Riel was executed in 1885 after directing an armed rebellion against the government of John A Macdonald. Interestingly, like Macdonald, his image has been used on a Canadian postage stamp. According to Canada Post policy guidelines, such recognition is given to ‘to recognize outstanding contributions to Canada.’ Do Riel and Macdonald equally deserve this honour?”To hear his answer listen to this podcast.