Hockey Dad Play coming to Strathmore
amy gregson – Times Reporter
It’s been a year in the making, but the play Hockey Dad: A Play in 3 Periods is finally coming to Strathmore in February.
The play is the first production from Burnt Thicket Theatre and was postponed after actor James Popoff severely broke his wrist.
“It feels really good,” said Stephan Waldschmidt, director, about finally going on tour with the play. “We had a good tour set-up last year and then with the broken wrist, we decided we didn’t have time to re-rehearse it with a different actor.”
Hockey Dad is a one-person play and deals with the life of character Todd Williams. He was born the moment Paul Henderson scored the final goal in the Summit Series between Canada and Russia in 1972
Williams grows up playing hockey – not well mind you – and dealing with the pressures from his father. He quits hockey after the completion of high school, causing an estrangement between him and his father.
The play picks up 20 years later as Williams is about to compete in the father-daughter hockey game for his daughter who has fallen in with hockey after her grandfather’s influence.
“He is trapped in the dressing room of the hockey rink with his gear from when he was in high school and he can’t put it on to go out and play with his daughter,” said Waldschmidt, a Strathmore resident.
“A lot of the story is about him as a kid and the struggles and conflict with his dad, but then a lot of it is about his love for his daughter. It has a very nice happy ending.”
The idea is based on Popoff’s real life, except the relationship between him and his father was never strained.
Many of the props used are Popoff’s, including the old hockey equipment that he wears and his father’s old jersey from the Lloydminster Border Kings.
An entire tour had been set-up for last year, but had to be cancelled because of Popoff’s wrist injury.
Now, Waldschmidt gets to bring the play he directed back to his hometown.
“It will be kind of a homecoming for me because I have lots of friends in Strathmore,” said Waldschmidt. “The show has played in Calgary a couple of times but only a handful of people have been able to come out and see it.”
The pair will also be going to the Alberta Winter Games in Cold Lake Feb. 4 to 7 for two shows for the athletes, coaches and parents.
Popoff will also be going to The Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in February for 10 shows.
The show is being brought to Vancouver as part of “More than Gold”, which brings artists from across Canada to perform shows during the Games.
“Getting it to Vancouver is just a huge thing,” said Waldschmidt.
Henderson, who scored the final goal in the Summit Series, will also be speaking after the show on Feb. 24.
Waldschmidt said the show is geared towards parents and kids; hockey fans and those who remember the Summit Series will enjoy it.