Canada’s 150th birthday is being celebrated by Tree House Youth Theatre with two one-act plays about courageous kids overcoming big obstacles.
Red Deer playwright and Tree House artistic director Nicole Leal will premiere her original work, The New Recruits, at Red Deer’s Scott Block Theatre as part of the troupe’s Canada 150 Production, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9.
Her 40-minute play about a brother and sister from El Salvador who are struggling to fit into a Canadian classroom, will be staged along with She Shoots She Scores.
The New Recruits only performs three times: evening shows on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and a matinee on Dec. 2. She Shoots, She Scores, however, plays the entire run of the Canada 150 Production, from Nov. 30 to Dec 9 — evening and matinees.
The latter, 50-minute script was written by Alan R. Davis in the 1980s about a girl who wants to play hockey when no girls’ teams exist in her town.
While this may seem like a ‘what’s the big deal?’ scenario at a time of mixed recreational leagues, Leal believes the script will present a window on the not-too-distant past, in which girls had to fight for the right to play team sports with boys.
Somebody has to be the first to “break the norm” and set a new course, said Leal, who believes young audiences will enjoy the play. “It’s a good story.”
The New Recruits could also be an eye-opener for those who don’t understand the everyday difficulties faced by immigrants who arrive in Canada from distant homelands.
Leal’s parents moved to Canada almost 40 years ago from their native Chile. Although she was born here, Leal recalled being playfully teased by friends about mispronouncing some English words, and feeling different because of her Spanish-speaking home life.
In the case of the brother and sister in her play, the elder girl, Anika, adapts better to Canadian life than her little bro, Farid, who isn’t making friends. While Anika tries to help him, she discovers that sometimes what’s most needed to help people re-adjust is time.
Leal, who’s previously written comedy sketches, is excited to see her first play presented on stage with a cast of 11 young actors. “It’s also a little scary,” she admitted, with a laugh.
She credits the nine to 17-year-olds in both one-act plays (as well as the few adult recruits) for their dedication. “It would be great if the community would come out and support these kids. They’re working really hard, and I’m so proud of them…
“If people came out, it would be like the cherry on top!” Leal added.
Tickets are available from www.treehouseyouththeatre.ca, Eventbrite.com, or at the door.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter