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Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad
Stoneham brings together real life acting duo for U.S. premiere
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Stoneham Theatre’s staging of Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, making its American debut after receiving success in its native Canada, is essentially a play about the everyday. The narrative follows the relationship between a man and a woman (a hockey dad and hockey mom) watching their children practice and play, and navigating through the development of their own relationship. But the play is much more than that. Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad star Gabriel Kuttner (Teddy) describes the show as, “Two people who are searching for meaning in their life, connection. They’re lonely and insecure in different way, looking for a connection, looking for happiness.” His onstage (and offstage) partner, Danielle Perry (Donna), is quick to chime in, “…she isn’t looking for it, and she’s got more baggage.” Kuttner and Perry are working together for the first time. They are new parents to a nine-month-old son and when I speak with them it is obvious that they are as passionate about the work that they are producing as they are about each other.
Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad requires the two to examine the fruition, blossoming and sometimes-thorny path of the relationship between two single parents. It’s material not often covered on the stage but ever present in the average American’s life. Funny and charming, Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad’s slice of real life isn’t simply some dopey rom-com. After all, dating life after kids, relationships and adulthood includes a knitting bag full of strings. These come on the form of a previously abusive relationship that Donna has had to endure. Perry wanted to stay true to the character when navigating this sensitive topic, “I didn’t want to make her this shy, shrinking violet. She’s not a victim; she’s a stronger woman than that. I don’t want her to feel weak or be shy. She’s a good person who got herself into a bad situation.”
Perry’s character choices in the play have been informed by her experiences as a mother. As they look out onto the ice (Stoneham will be incorporating an ice rink complete with skaters in full hockey gear doing stylized skating) Kuttner and Perry imagine their own son, and the experience becomes something that they can connect to on a deeper level.
The play will mark a return to the stage for Perry who worked with director Weylin Symes in A Christmas Carol in 2000. Of working together Kuttner said, “It’s been really terrific, she has a lot of experience, camera work and voiceover, great instincts, good chemistry. We’re looking forward to having the shared experience; we don’t have to tell separate stories at the end of the day.” If Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad is anywhere near as delightful as these two, it’s sure to be a huge hit.
Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad will run at the Stoneham Theatre January 14–31, 2010. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.stonehamtheatre.org.