Actors Marc Bondy and Natalie Robitaille during a rehearsal for Bruce County Playhouse’s production of Hockey Mom, Hockey Day opening August 11 and running through August 19 at the Southampton Town Hall.
Hub Staff
Bruce County Playhouse is laced up and ready for the the final play of the their 2017 summer season which takes actors to the bleachers at the Southampton Town Hall. Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, written by Michael Melski, opens August 11 and is about two single hockey parents who fall in love in the stands.
The production will star Marc Bondy as ‘Teddy’ and Bruce County Playhouse Artistic Director Natalie Robitaille as ‘Donna.’ Robittaille has stepped out of the director’s chair to take on her first acting role in six years, passing the director's duties to Eli Ham.
Bondy and Robitaille may be the only actors in the play, but they share the stage with an authentic set created by Marilyn Graham and sound effects by Stage Manager Andrew Young. “I’m pretty lucky I have a pretty good scene partner in Marc,” said Robitaille.
“We never shut up,” joked Bondy who said the play relies on their chemistry.
Local elements are referenced throughout the play from Duffy’s in Southampton to Saugeen District Secondary School. “That’s the great thing about this show is it can take place anywhere, really, in Canada; any small town or anywhere that has an arena and kids that play hockey,” said Robitaille. Bondy added that his character ‘Teddy’ is a pretty big fan of the Owen Sound Attack.
“We took advantage of making local references that would make people have the ‘a-ha’ moment to connect to the story.” Bondy went on to say that the play is about two characters looking for an opportunity to connect. “Two people who are single and have different reasons for being single but are sort of both lonely... two people that are looking for a second chance I suppose.”
While Robitaille said her character ‘Donna’ is learning from past mistakes, she also needs to learn to not let herself be hindered.
Tickets for the play can be purchased online through onstagedirect.com or at Cathy’s Flowers N’ Treasures in Port Elgin and the Southampton Arts Centre.
There are evening performances on Friday and Saturday, August 11 and 12; Tuesday and Wednesday, August 15 and 16 and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 17, 18 and 19 with afternoon performances on Sunday, August 13 and Thursday, August 17.
