Local News
Winnipeg Playwright Gilles Messier Brings Atomic Age Tragedy to the Fringe
By MARTIN ZEILIG Winnipeg playwright Gilles Messier is turning his lifelong fascination with the Manhattan Project into a new stage production for next summer’s Fringe Festival.
His latest work focuses on Louis Slotin, the Winnipeg-born physicist whose fatal accident at Los Alamos in 1946 made him both a cautionary tale and a reluctant hero of the atomic age. Slotin was conducting a criticality experiment with the notorious plutonium “demon core” when his screwdriver slipped, unleashing a burst of radiation.
The core itself was a 6-kilogram plutonium sphere intended for an atomic bomb of the same type as the Trinity “Gadget” detonated at Alamogordo on July 16, 1945 and “Fat Man” detonated over Nagasaki on August 9. It only became known as the “demon core” after Slotin’s death, because it had already killed physicist Harry Daghlian under similar circumstances eight months earlier.
Slotin absorbed a lethal dose while shielding his colleagues from the worst of the blast. In Winnipeg and beyond, he was celebrated for his sacrifice. Among fellow scientists, however, he was remembered as a brilliant but sometimes audacious experimenter. Messier says it is precisely this contradiction—heroism at home, recklessness among peers —that drew him to Slotin’s story.
“That tension between brilliance and recklessness is what inspired me to write this play,” Messier explained in an email interview.
Told Through Alvin Graves
The play unfolds through the eyes of Alvin Graves, the physicist Slotin was training at the time of the accident. Graves received the second-highest dose of radiation and survived, though his life was forever altered.
The frame story is set in a Los Alamos hospital, where Slotin lies dying and Graves recovers from his injuries. Slotin’s parents, Israel and Sonia, arrive from Winnipeg to be at their son’s bedside and press Graves for answers. Through flashbacks, audiences see two versions of Slotin: the dutiful son his parents knew and the risk-taking scientist his colleagues remembered.
Messier says he became increasingly intrigued by Graves during his research. Despite experiencing radiation sickness firsthand, Graves later denied the long-term effects suffered by survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He went on to direct the Nevada Test Site, assuring the public that nuclear testing posed no danger.
“Graves is a fascinatingly contradictory figure,” Messier noted. “In some ways, even more than Slotin.”
Support and Sponsorship
Producing a Fringe play is never simple, and Messier’s latest project presents unique challenges. Period costumes, authentic props, and the recreation of Slotin’s fatal experiment all add to the expense. If the production does not win the venue lottery, it will need to “Bring Your Own Venue,” further increasing costs.
Messier is seeking sponsorship from the general community and, in particular, the Jewish community. Financial support would help cover costumes, props, and venue rental. He also welcomes offers of rehearsal space, auditions from community members, and consultation on cultural or historical aspects of the show. Sponsoring organizations will be promoted in programs and posters.
Cast and Characters
The play features a cast of eight:
· Louis Slotin
· Alvin Graves (portrayed by two actors, one in the hospital frame story and another in flashbacks)
· Harry Daghlian, another physicist killed by the same plutonium core
· Israel and Sonia Slotin
· A Nurse and a Doctor
Several roles double as prominent physicists, including Leo Szilard, Enrico Fermi, and Otto Frisch.
Writing and Refinement
Messier drafted the script in about three weeks, a pace he describes as typical for his Fringe productions. But the work continues to evolve.
“I don’t consider a play truly finished until opening night,” he said.
His last show, If Day, saw half its jokes devised by the cast during rehearsals.
Looking Ahead
For now, the play is slated for next summer’s Winnipeg Fringe Festival. But Messier is open to other opportunities.
“If venues or companies elsewhere are interested in hosting performances—or even taking over production entirely—I’m willing to explore those possibilities,” he said.
Authenticity remains central to his vision. Messier is already building period-accurate props, including replicas of the critical mass experiments that killed Slotin and Daghlian, as well as a full-size replica of the Trinity “Gadget,” the world’s first atomic bomb.
About Gilles Messier
Messier brings both technical expertise and creative experience to the project. A graduate of Carleton University with a degree in aerospace engineering, he worked as a tool design engineer before turning to writing and research. He is chief writer for the Today I Found Out YouTube channel and the sole writer, presenter, and editor for Our Own Devices. He also leads the Miami Bunker Project in Manitoba.
His previous Fringe productions include The First Pillar (2017), The Sport of the Engineer (2018), The Mercury 13 (2019), Murmurs of Earth (2022), Countdown to Babylon (2023), Nuclear Family (2024), and If Day (2025). He is also the author of Calling All Stations (2020).
Messier’s upcoming play promises to shine a spotlight on one ofWinnipeg’s most unlikely connections to the atomic age. By exploring the contradictions of Louis Slotin and Alvin Graves, the production asks audiences to grapple with the paradoxes of science, responsibility, and memory.
As Messier put it: “Slotin’s story is not simply about one man’s fatal mistake. It’s about the contradictions at the heart of the atomic age—brilliance and recklessness, courage and denial, heroism and tragedy.”
To contact Gilles Messier for sponsorship, etc.: maxqproductionswpg@gmail.com
Gilles Messier
Sidebar: A Story Worth Supporting
As someone long fascinated by the life of Louis Slotin, I feel compelled to add a personal note.
My first feature story about Slotin, “Dr. Louis Slotin and ‘The Invisible Killer’” (The Beaver, Volume 75, Number 4, August–September 1995), gave me an early opportunity to explore his remarkable and tragic life.
A few years later, in 1998, I worked as a researcher, writer, and associate producer on the documentary Tickling the Dragon’s Tail: The Story of Louis Slotin, directed by Tom Radford and co-produced by Great North Productions of Edmonton and CanWest Global. The film was broadcast in April 1999.
These projects, along with earlier works such as Dexter Masters’ The Accident (1955) and the fictionalized Slotin character portrayed in the film Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), deepened my appreciation for Slotin’s complex legacy and the importance of sharing his story.
Building on that experience, I believe Gilles Messier’s new play, Fission, deserves strong community support. He revisits Slotin’s life in a novel and compelling way, using theatre to explore the contradictions of brilliance and audacity, heroism and tragedy.
This is not only an important Winnipeg story, but one that resonates far beyond the city. Among fellow scientists, Slotin was remembered as brilliant yet audacious—qualities that tragically led to his death.
Messier’s production would be a perfect undertaking for institutions such as the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, which could provide a platform for a work both historically significant and artistically ambitious. His play offers audiences a chance to reflect on the human side of the atomic age.
It is not just theatre—it is a vital act of remembrance.
Local News
Winnipeg Jewish Theatre breaks new ground with co-production with Rainbow Stage
By MYRON LOVE Winnipeg Jewish Theatre is breaking new ground with its first ever co-production with Rainbow Stage. The new partnership’s presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof” is scheduled to hit the stage at our city’s famed summer musical theatre venue in September 2026.
“We have collaborated with other theatre companies in joint productions before,” notes Dan Petrenko, the WJT’s artistic and managing director – citing previous partnerships with the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts in Montreal, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre in Toronto, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and Winnipeg’s own Dry Cold Productions. “Because of the times we’re living through, and particularly the growing antisemitism in our communities and across the country, I felt there is a need to tell a story that celebrates Jewish culture on the largest stage in the city – to reach as many people as possible.”
Last year, WJT approached Rainbow Stage with a proposal for the co-presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Rainbow Stage management was really enthusiastic in their response, Petrenko reports.
“We are excited to be working with Winnipeg’s largest musical theatre company,” he notes. “Rainbow Stage has an audience of more than 10,000 people every season. Fiddler is a great, family-oriented story and, through our joint effort with Rainbow Stage, WJT will be able to reach out to new and younger audiences.”
“We are also working to welcome more diverse audiences from other communities, as well as newcomers – families who have moved here from Israel, Argentina and countries of the former Soviet Union.”
Helping Petrenko to achieve those goals are two relatively new and younger additions to WJT’s management team. Both Company Manager Etel Shevelev, and Head of Marketing Julia Kroft are in their 20s – as is Petrenko himself.
Kroft, who is also Gray Academy’s Associate Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, needs little or no introduction to many readers. In addition to her work for Gray Academy and WJT, the daughter of David and Ellen Kroft has been building a second career as a singer and actor. Over the past few years, she has performed by herself or as part of a musical ensemble at Jewish community events, as well as in various professional theatre productions in the city.
Etel Shevelev is also engaged in a dual career. In addition to working full time at WJT, she is also a Fine Arts student (majoring in graphic design) at the University of Manitoba. Outside of school, she is an interdisciplinary visual artist (exhibiting her work and running workshops), so you can say the art world is no stranger to her.
(She will be partcipating in Limmud next month as a member of the Rimon Art Collective.)
Shevelev grew up in Kfar Saba (northeast of Tel Aviv). She reports that in Israel she was involved in theatre from a young age. “In 2019, I graduated from a youth theatre school, which I attended for 11 years.” In a sense, her work for WJT brings her full circle.
She arrived in Winnipeg just six years ago with her parents. “I was 19 at the time,” she says.
After just a year in Winnipeg, her family decided to relocate to Ottawa, while she chose to stay here. “I was already enrolled in university, had a long-term partner, and a job,” she explains. “I felt that I was putting down roots in Winnipeg.”
Etel expects to graduate by the end of the academic year, allowing her to focus on the arts professionally full-time.
In her role as company manager, Shevelev notes, she is responsible for communications with donors, contractors, and unions, as well as applying for various grants and funding opportunities.
In addition, her linguistic skills were put to use last spring for WJT’s production of “The Band’s Visit,” a story about an Egyptian band that was invited to perform at a cultural centre opening ceremony in the lively centre of Israel, but ended up in the wrong place – a tiny, communal town in southern Israel. Shevelev was called on to help some of the performers with the pronunciation of Hebrew words and with developing a Hebrew accent.
“I love working for WJT,” she enthuses. “Every day is different.”
Shevelev and Petrenko are also enthusiastic about WJT’s next production – coming up in April: “Ride: The Musical” debuted in London’s West End three years ago, and then went on to play at San Diego’s Old Globe theatre to rave reviews. The WJT production will be the Canadian premiere!
The play, Petrenko says, is based on the true story of Annie Londonderry, a young woman – originally from Latvia, who, in 1894, beat all odds and became the first woman to circle the world on a bicycle.
Petrenko is also happy to announce that the director and choreographer for the production will be Lisa Stevens – an Emmy Award nominee and Olivier Award winner. (The Olivier is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional London theatre).
“Lisa is in great demand across Canada, and the world really,” the WJT artistic director says. “I am so thrilled that we will be welcoming one of the greatest Jewish directors and choreographers of our time to Winnipeg this Spring.”
For more information about upcoming WJT shows, readers can visit wjt.ca, email the WJT office at info@wjt.ca or phone the box office at 204-477-7515.
Local News
Rising Canadian comedy star Rob Bebenek to headline JCFS’ second annual “Comedy for a Cause”
By MYRON LOVE Last year, faced with a federal government budget cut to its Older Adult Services programs, Jewish Child and Family Service launched a new fundraising initiative. “Comedy with a Cause” was held at Rumor’s Comedy club and featured veteran Canadian stand-up comic Dave Hemstad.
That evening was so successful that – by popular demand – JCFS is doing an encore. “We were blown away by the support from the community,” says Al Benarroch, JCFS’s president and CEO.
“This is really a great way to support JCFS by being together and having fun,” he says.
“Last year, JCFS was able to sell-out the 170 tickets it was allotted by Rumor’s,” adds Alexis Wenzowski, JCFS’s COO. “There were also general public attendees at the event last year. Participants enjoyed a fun evening, complete with a 50/50 draw and raffle. We were incredibly grateful for those who turned out, the donors for the raffle baskets, and of course, Rumor’s Comedy Club.
“Feedback was very positive about it being an initiative that encouraged people to have fun for a good cause: our Older Adult Services Team.”
This year’s “Comedy for a Cause” evening is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25. Wenzowski reports that this year’s featured performer, Rob Bebenek, first made a splash on the Canadian comedy scene at the 2018 Winnipeg Comedy festival. He has toured extensively throughout North America, appearing in theatres, clubs and festivals. He has also made several appearances on MTV as well as opening shows for more established comics, such as Gerry Dee and the late Bob Saget.
For the 2026 show, Wenzowski notes, Rumors’ is allotting JCFS 200 tickets. As with last year, there will also be some raffle baskets and a 50/50 draw.
“Our presenting sponsors for the evening,” she reports, “are the Vickar Automotive Group and Kay Four Properties Incorporated.”
The funds raised from this year’s comedy evening are being designated for the JCFS Settlement and Integration Services Department. “JCFS chose to do this because of our reduction in funding last year by the federal government to this department,” Wenzowski points out.
“Last year alone,” she reports, “our Settlement and Integration Services team settled 118 newcomer families – from places like Israel, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Each year, our program supports even more newcomer families with things like case management, supportive counselling, employment coaching, workshops, programming for newcomer seniors, and more.”
“We hope to raise more than $15,000 through this event for our Settlement and Integration Program,” Al Benarroch adds. “The team does fantastic work, and we know that our newcomer Jewish families need the supports from JCFS. I want to thank our sponsors, Rumor’s Comedy Club, and attendees for supporting us.”
Tickets for the show cost $40 and are available to purchase by calling JCFS (204-477-7430) or by visiting here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/jcfs-comedy-for-a-cause. Sponsorships are still available.
Local News
Ninth Shabbat Unplugged highlight of busy year for Winnipeg Hillel
By MYRON LOVE Lindsay Kerr, Winnipeg’s Hillel director, is happy to report that this year’s ninth Shabbat UnPlugged, held on the weekend of January 9-11, attracted approximately 90 students from 11 different universities, including 20 students who were from out of town.
Shabbat UnPlugged was started in 2016 by (now-retired) Dr. Sheppy Coodin, who was a science teacher at Gray Academy, along with fellow Gray Academy teacher Avi Posen (who made aliyah in 2019) – building on the Shabbatons that Gray Academy had been organizing for the school’s high school students for many years.
The inaugural Shabbat UnPlugged was so successful that Coodin and Posen did it again in 2017 and took things one step further by combining their Shabbat UnPlugged with Hillel’s annual Shabbat Shabang Shabbaton that brings together Jewish university students from Winnipeg and other Jewish university students from Western Canada.
As in the past, this year’s Shabbat UnPlugged weekend was held at Lakeview’s Hecla Resort. “What we like about Hecla,” Kerr notes, “is that they let us bring in our own kosher food, it is out of the city and close to nature for those who want to enjoy the outdoors.”
The weekend retreat traditionally begins with a candle lighting, kiddush and a traditional Shabbat supper. Unlike previous Shabbats UnPlugged, Kerr points out, there were no outside featured speakers this year. All religious services and activities were led by students or national program partners.
The weekend was funded in part by grants from CJPAC and StandWithUs Canada, along with the primary gift from The Asper Foundation.
Kerr reports that the activities began with 18 of our local Jewish university students participating in a new student Shabbaton – inspired by Shabbat Unplugged, titled “Roots & Rising.”
In addition to Shabbat Unplugged, Hillel further partnered with Chabad for a Sukkot program in the fall, as well as with Shaarey Zedek Congregation and StandWithUs Canada for a Chanukah program. Hillell also featured a commemoration of October 7, an evening of laser tag and, in January, a Hillel-led afternoon of ice skating.
Coming up this month will be a visit to an Escape Room – and a traditional Shabbat dinner in March.
Kerr estimates that there are about 300 Jewish students at the University of Manitoba and 100 at the University of Winnipeg.
“Our goal is to attract more Jewish students to take part in our programs and connect with our community,” she comments.