Review: THE NEW CANADIAN CURLING CLUB at Alberta Theatre Projects Falls Flat on the Ice

As the closer to Alberta Theatre Project's 2018/2019 season - and coming off of the announcement in August of 2018 to exchange this show for another - all eyes were on The New Canadian Curling Club.

From the website, ATP describes the show as thus:

"The New Canadian Curling Club tells the story of a Chinese physician, a Jamaican Tim Horton's manager, a South Asian father, and a 17-year old Syrian refugee who live in a rural Albertan town. In an effort to welcome newcomers to Canada, the community decides to offer a free, "Learn to Curl" program. But when its organizer slips on the ice and breaks her hip, the rink's ice custodian and former champion curler Stuart MacPhail is forced to step in as head coach. Trouble is, Stuart has some strong opinions about immigrants - opinions he has trouble keeping to himself. What follows is the hilarious and inspiring story of a group of unlikely athletes who face off against local prejudice and become a true team."

Directed by Artistic Director Darcy Evans, this two act play set the goal of diversity and inclusive storytelling and I don't think it follows through.

Mark Crawford has written a play that might have been well intentioned but falls short of insightful. Beyond the discussion of whether white writers can properly tell a story that is directly about a person of colour's experience, Crawford has taken four very distinct cultures and bottled them into caricatures that hit all of the stereotypes on the way to a quick introduction. Though a few tragic and very real stories are peppered in, in my mind it doesn't make up for so many empty character points. I don't understand the intention of writing a story like The New Canadian Curling Club. It is labelled as a "Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy" on the ATP website, but a lot of the humor is at the expense of other characters and seems counter-intuitive to what I assume has to be the goal of teaching tolerance and understanding (as is stated in the show). That said, I didn't see a whole lot of growth from any of the characters - even the one who is meant to be taught a lesson. The racist character, and by extension the audience who are laughing at his jokes, are never explained or shown why the comments they're making aren't funny; they're just being told not to make them. Perhaps this story is more about the team and coming together for a sport but if that's the case, there are some strong character flaws that have taken precedence over the plot.

While I liked the low-impact, familiar music of the preshow - featuring Canadian music from well-known artists such as Stompin' Tom Connors, and Joni Mitchell - I felt the music that was a part of the production didn't fit the tone as well. There are so many amazing Canadian artists, and using more popular names and songs certainly maintains the overall Canadian theme throughout the scene transitions. However, I don't believe the particular songs that were chosen fit the particular tone of the scene. I'm more curious about the intention of these song choices than I am satisfied.

Scott Reid's set design is practically perfect. The icy floor, sponsored boards, and open roof gave the feeling of cold, stale air and slightly out dated technology - a feeling of nostalgia for ice rinks off the beaten path. I really do enjoy the floor they've created for this set. The majority of the Martha Cohen stage has been turned into a curling rink that the actors are able to throw rocks down and slide around as if it were made of real ice. I was very impressed.

Fatima Al-Sayed, played by Sepidar Yeganeh Farid, is the newest Canadian in the team of new Canadians and as such, there is more opportunity to watch her learn about her new environment. Yeganeh Farid gave a wonderful innocence to the character, easily letting us in to her character's emotional journey.

Anoopjeet Singh is the epitome of a father just trying to make ends meet and provide for his family. While Anoopjeet was not my favourite character, I liked Richard Young's portrayal of the Tim Horton's employee. His physicality was strong, and I felt a balance between serious, down-to-earth dialogue (even if it isn't always dealt with) and quirky, comedic moments.

Jenni Burke's performance as Charmaine Bailey left me wanting. There was a hum of energy that wasn't quite high enough to meet the audience. I had a difficult time understanding her dialogue not because of her accent work - which came in and out in a way that didn't feel natural - but because of her diction and pacing. Charmaine is depicted as the maternal character and I saw that in the way she smiled at the other characters and interacted with them. I instantly trusted her, but I didn't feel that motherly love reach the back of the audience.

Mike Chang is an interesting character, playing the role of teacher to Stuart with reasonably high stakes, who is also quite apathetic to his student. Jonathan Ho's portrayal of the soon-to-be doctor had a relatable dry wit and budding leadership that made him a charming protagonist.

Duval Lang has the unique challenge of portraying a character who is meant to be the example of how not to be, while still having very human moments of empathy. Stuart MacPhail is somewhat of a strawman - apart from his connection with Mike - but apart from a few awards line readings, I saw a fully-formed character from Lang. From his shuffling physicality to his distinct vocal work, I hated his character but I loved performance.

This is one story, one script, in a sea of plays that are meant to tell a Canadian experience - something relatable and entertaining and community-driven. Was this the best story to tell? Was this the best way to tell it? From the audience members unironically laughing at racist jokes and leaning over to ask what the Indian character said, to the fairly unoriginal character stereotypes, I don't think this story is making the right impact on the community.

The New Canadian Curling Club is playing at the Martha Cohen Theatre until March 23rd 2019.

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