The Marks Family

You will have to look carefully to find the monument to the Marks Brothers Theatrical Company since you will be approaching it from behind and it is on one of the inner paths. They were known as "The Canadian Kings of Repertoire" and for nearly 56 years toured the world, returning to their cottage on Christie Lake and to the Balderson Theatre in downtown Perth to recoup and prepare for another season.

The seven brothers were: Robert (R. W.), Thomas (Tom), Joseph (Joe), Ernest (Ernie), John, MacIntyre (Mac), and Alexander (Alec).

Local playwright and producer David Jacklin has spent hours researching and documenting their story.

On his webpage dedicated to the company he writes, "The story goes that in 1878, King Kennedy, a magician, was playing to a small crowd in Maberly, Ontario.  Afterward, a brash young man offered to take over Kennedy's management, for a percentage on every ticket he sold above the dismal crowd in Maberly.  Robert Marks's career as a theatre entrepreneur was born. Within two years, he had purchased the Emma Wells stock company, was joined by brothers Tom, Joe and Ernie and the Marks Brothers Dramatic Company was created."

The last of the performing Marks, R. W.'s son Robert Jr., who was a stage veteran at the age of three, passed away in the early 1980s, leaving his collection of Marks memorabilia to the Perth Museum.