'Something About Cats' prowling around Fergus Grand Theatre Sunday

It's all about furry felines for Jay Wilson at this year's Culture Days when he performs Something About Cats at the Fergus Grand Theatre on Sunday.

Culture Days, a national celebration that runs annually from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13, invites everyone to experience the joy of creativity, community and culture.

With a mission to break down barriers to arts participation, Culture Days emphasizes inclusivity, exploration and shared experiences across the country.

For Wilson, what better way than with cats?

"In the spring I was toying with this idea for the Guelph Fringe Festival, a show based on the theme, 'cats.' But It never saw the light of day," Wilson said.

That was until Eric Goudie, theatre coordinator at the Fergus Grand Theatre, put out a call for Culture Days, with the theme of 'just play.'

"Eric is a big booster of local talent. He is a big believer in getting local talent out onto the stage to perform," Wilson said.

"For Culture Days this year, he opened up the Fergus Grand Theatre for regional entertainers to come out and step on the stage."

Wilson is no stranger when is comes to performing.

The man behind JayWalking Guelph, Wilson presents stories, recitations, walking tours and small-scale theatre productions locally and across the province. 

For over 50 years, Wilson has appeared on stage at festivals, events, schools, theatres, community centres, retirement homes, parties and "simply out on the street."

During this year's Culture Days, Wilson be one of several acts to participate on Sunday at 10 a.m.

"I've been working on a show based on this theme about cats. Of course, we know of Andrew Lloyd Weber's, Cats. This isn't based on the musical, but on the book, by T.S. Eliot, which is where the musical, Cats came from," Wilson said.

Something About Cats features three stories: Gus The Theatre Cat, by T.S. Eliot, Francis O'Feline, by Charlene Herrold and The Addressing of Cats, by T.S. Eliot.

"The third piece, Francis O'Feline, comes from another show that I do called, Lilt of Laughter: Trace of Tears," Wilson said.

"It's made up of Irish tales written by an old family friend of mine. She's now long passed but she wrote a book called, 'Lilt of Laughter: Trace of Tears'. And this particular story, she actually sent to me personally and dedicated it to my children."

Francis is an Irish cat who ends up on the door step of an Irish woman.

"He's looking for a place to live. Eventually, the woman takes him in. And then it's revealed that he's not actually an Irish cat. He's just a Canadian cat. But he has a flare for an accent. So, she ends up adopting him and things work out really well," Wilson said.

Wilson still pursues a larger show that is all about cats.

"The bigger show, of course, I would use from other famous cat things, including poems and stories that I hear about cats. I thought Culture Days was a great opportunity to showcase this," he said.

"I love Culture Days. Because it is family friendly, I thought ok, I will do something that is for families. And the cat thing is just so adorable."

Wilson believes Culture Days offers a great opportunity for people who love theatre and live performance.   

"It's also for people who don't know or who might be unsure. So, this is a chance for them. There is no cost and no big time commitment. They can get a taste of it, see if they like it, and bring the family along, including the kids and grandma. They can just see if this is something they like," Wilson said.

"There is such a variety. You will really get a taste of a bunch of different performances. And it's a great way to spend your Sunday morning. Come on out and have a good time. That's what it's all about."