Cast members, including Katie Ryerson as Jim Watts, in 4th Line Theatre’s 2024 production of Jim Watts: Girl Reporter, directed by Kim Blackwell. Set Design by Michelle Chesser. Costume Design by Korin Cormier. Photo by Wayne Eardley, Brookside Studio.
Jim Watts: Girl Reporter
The play starts in 1930s Toronto. Jim (Jean) Watts is a fiery, non-conventional, self-identified bisexual young woman, deeply involved in leftist politics, angered by deep income and class disparities endured by millions of people during the Depression. When Civil War breaks out in Spain, Jim is adamant that she should join the side of the democratically elected Socialist government. The play takes us from Toronto to Madrid, from political rallies to the battlefields of Spain.
Jim Watts: Girl Reporter is a fascinating exploration of the experience of trailblazing Canadians who illegally flocked to Spain to fight fascism, attempting to stop its march across Europe. Jim was the only woman to join Canada’s regiment in Spain, the MacKenzie-Papineaus. Through the story of Jim Watts, the play explores the question: can one person make a difference in the world?
“In short, Cooper’s Jim Watts: Girl Reporter is heady, provocative stuff, and a landmark play for 4th Line, considering its rabble-rousing political content.…. Cooper’s ending, which I will not give away, is superb. Suffice it to say, Jim Watts remained committed to making a difference in the world until the end.”