“Far from Home” brought Sara Duplancic home
Betsy Mann
New York-based actor Sara Duplancic returned home to Sandy Hill recently to perform in a play written by local playwright Janet Uren to mark the 110th anniversary of Elmwood School. Titled Far from Home, the play tells a little-known and fascinating tale of generosity, compassion and community solidarity in Ottawa in the Second World War. It’s the true story of 23 children evacuated from wartime London who arrived with their three teachers in the summer of 1940 and, at first, found lodging in the empty quarters normally occupied by Elmwood’s boarders.
Herself an Elmwood “old girl,” Duplancic jumped at the chance to return to the city where she first took to the stage. “Although I’ve now spent over a decade living in New York City, Ottawa is still home,” she says. “When the phone rang with the opportunity to perform in this show, specifically one about Ottawa, home, belonging, and my alma mater—filled with both cast and crew I’ve worked with before—I couldn’t say no!”
Far from Home enjoyed three performances at the end of May in Academic Hall on the uOttawa campus, and audiences who were lucky enough to attend were very happy that Duplancic said yes. Her portrayal of the teacher, Leanora Williams, brought out the energy, warmth and devotion of this young British woman and showed how she gave her charges a feeling of love and security despite being so “far from home” for over four years. Duplancic herself immigrated to Canada from the former Yugoslavia with her parents at a young age. “I feel an enormous kinship with Leonora Williams, that brave teacher, who embodies a level of almost modern gumption,” she explains. “I understand her deeply, and it has been a joy to bring her story back to life.”
Duplancic’s roots in Sandy Hill run deep. She grew up at 108 Daly Avenue where her parents still own the Bella Notte B & B. Performing in Elmwood productions led by the drama teacher, Angela Boychuk, set her on the path to English Literature and Theatre Studies at McGill University. Upon graduation, she returned to Ottawa for a few years, during two of which she worked for Georges Bédard, City Councillor for Rideau-Vanier at the time.
She also had the opportunity to perform, among other places, at the Ottawa Little Theatre, conveniently located just around the corner from her home. Duplancic has high praise for OLT. “It is a huge asset to the neighbourhood and Ottawa as a whole, both for theatre creators, lovers, and the greater community,” she says. “It must be preserved at all costs!” Convinced by her experiences there that she wanted to pursue a career in acting, she went on to complete the two-year Professional Conservatory program at Atlantic Acting School in New York City.
Accepting the role of Leonara Williams in Far from Home allowed Duplancic to once again share the stage with actors she had worked with at OLT, this time to tell a story from her school’s past. The school’s present was represented by current Elmwood students who played the young evacuees with great enthusiasm.
Another historical character with a role in the play’s story, though she doesn’t ever appear on stage, once lived at 192 Daly Avenue, just a block and a half from the Bella Notte. Next time you walk past the house, take a moment to read the historical plaque there. This was the home of Senator Cairine Wilson. In 1940, with Britain under threat, Senator Wilson agreed to find a safe refuge for three children of family friends in London. Imagine her surprise when 23 children and three adults arrived! She prevailed upon Elmwood’s headmistress to allow the group to stay at the school until other arrangements could be made. And thus began Far from Home’s story of welcoming these “British guest children” and their devoted teacher.
There are unfortunately no current plans for more performances of Far from Home, and Sara Duplancic will be returning to New York. Perhaps her roots will draw her back to Ottawa for other productions and we will get to see her again.
If you want to learn more about how Ottawa opened its doors (and its purse strings!) to this group of children, you’ll find their story at
Photo: Maria Vartanova