Jake's Gift

Written and Preformed By Julia Mackey

Friday, October 17th, 2025 at 7:30PM
Saturday, October 18th, 2025 at 7:30PM
Doors open at 7PM
Tickets: $30
or Purchase Season Pass for reduced rate.

Presented at Music Makers Hall

255 2 Ave W

Fort St. James, BC V0J1P0

This show is open to all ages, but is recommended for people aged 10 to 100 and beyond.

(Mild Language)

Purchase Tickets

Season Pass

Jake’s Gift is a surprisingly funny drama that tells the story of a Canadian WW2 veteran’s reluctant return to Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. While roaming the shores of Juno Beach, Jake encounters Isabelle, a precocious ten-year-old from the local village whose inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long-ignored ghosts – most notably, the wartime death of his eldest brother, Chester, a once promising young musician. At its heart, Jake’s Gift is about the legacy of remembrance and makes personal the story behind one soldier’s grave. Since 2007, Juno Productions has toured this multi-award-winning play to over 250 communities across Canada including international stops in Washington State, Tiverton & Birmingham, England, and to Normandy, France, for the 70th, 73rd, and 75th anniversary of D-Day. For their touring schedule and more information about Jake’s Gift please visit www.jakesgift.com.

Julia Mackey - Playwright/Performer

Julia was born in Birmingham, England, and grew up in Beaconsfield, Quebec. For many generations her maternal and paternal families have had strong ties to the performing arts. Julia first began creating and writing theatre in the mid 1990s in Victoria, BC, with an exciting independent theatre company called Theatre SKAM. For over 25 years, Julia has worked as a professional actor in theatres across Canada. In 2007, she and Dirk Van Stralen created Juno Productions. To date, they have toured Jake’s Gift to over 250 communities across Canada, including stops in the US, the UK and Normandy, France. When not on the road, Julia lives in the tiny hamlet of Wells, BC, where she is the Director of Presentations at the historic Sunset Theatre. She dedicates this performance to her band of veteran boyfriends and girlfriends scattered across the country.

Dirk Van Stralen - Director/Stage Manager

Dirk is a four-time Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Nominee for acting. Also, an award-winning cartoonist and illustrator, his single panel cartoon, Van Stralen, appeared in Vancouver’s The Georgia Straight for 17 years. He is the illustrator of two wordless kid’s books: Ben’s Big Dig and Ben’s Bunny Trouble. During the pandemic, he pivoted to producing a daily cartoon, collected in Keep Calm and Bury On: A Selective History of a Plague Year.

He most recently directed Meadows of Stone by Amy Newman & Jim Hodgkinson, a new musical developed through the Sunset Theatre’s Exploration Series. Other credits include Brendan Bailey’s Sawney’s Legacy, Morag Northey’s 17 (Sunset Theatre), Mamma’s Boy, by Mike Delamont (God is a Scottish Drag Queen), and The Occupation of Heather Rose (Theatre Northwest). When not on tour with Jake’s Gift, Dirk works as the Director of Productions at the Sunset Theatre in Wells, BC.

Dirk Van Stralen Director & Stage Manage

Gerald King - Lighting Designer

Gerald designs frequently with Dance, Theatre and Opera Companies around Western Canada. His work has been seen with - Bard On The Beach, The Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, The Citadel, Theatre Calgary, The Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria. His work has also been seen with Omaha Opera, Baltimore Opera, Ballet British Columbia, the National Ballet of Canada, The Grand Theatre and the National Arts Centre. Gerald is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.