The New Canadian Curling Club
When
Approximate running time: 2 hours
Venue
Play Notes
From Mark Crawford, the playwright who brought us the smash hits The Birds and the Bees and Stag and Doe, comes a hilarious new comedy with a rich heart. The essential premise is a small town in rural Southwestern Ontario with an ice rink, a refugee resettlement program, and a “Learn to Curl” class.
In an effort to welcome sponsored Syrian refugees to the town, the municipality offers a free, introductory “Learn to Curl” program, open to anyone. In addition to a young Syrian girl, everyone who signs up happens to be a newcomer from across the globe, each with their own story. The night before the very first class, the woman from municipal Parks & Rec, who organized the outreach event, falls and breaks her hip. Consequently, the duty to teach “Learn to Curl” falls on the custodian/Zamboni driver, Stuart, a former champion curler, and unfortunately, a man with some…well…er… opinions about immigrants.
What follows is a hilarious and inspiring story of an unlikely group of would-be athletes who face off against local prejudice to become a true team, and end up competing in the most prestigious local bonspiel tournament: the highly coveted Royal Highlander trophy.