Dancing Sky Theatre: lacing up after 20 years for Life After Hockey
The love of the game and the love of theatre are bringing one of Saskatchewan’s favourite actors back to the stage after 20 years. Sean Hoy is returning to Dancing Sky Theatre to reprise his role as Rink Rat Brown in Ken Brown’s beloved Life After Hockey as part of the theatre’s 20th anniversary season.
“It’s the most quintessentially Canadian play ever set on the prairies,” says Hoy. “Everyone knows what it’s like to be on a rink in the middle of winter. The play evokes all those feelings and emotions and weaves in this tall tale of a guy who claims to have scored the winning goal in the 1984 Canada Cup.
”The play evokes all those feelings and emotions and weaves in this tall tale of a guy who claims to have scored the winning goal in the 1984 Canada Cup.”
Hoy stepped away from the stage to become a firefighter in Calgary almost a decade ago and while he enjoyed his new career, this play and the stage always called to him.
“It was just one of those shows, I couldn’t let go,” Hoy explains. “Probably all of us, when we were kids, wanted to be the next Wayne Gretzky. Rink Rat is a guy who’s never given up that dream.”
The original production at Dancing Sky (1998) wowed crowds as the stage took the shape of a rink for this very physical one-man show. The production was even invited to be part of the Globe Theatre’s main stage season the following year. This time around, audiences will be whisked into Rink Rat’s world with the help of music provided by Saskatoon’s own Gilles Zolty.
This is a show that many can enjoy regardless of whether they’re a hockey fan or not and that’s what has Hoy lacing up his skates once more. “It’s a love letter to the women in his life, his mother, wife and daughter,” says Hoy. He’s trying to explain his obsession for the game to them.”
For Hoy, remounting the show presents its own challenges. “I’m in my 50’s now, my body is not what it used to be but I’m going to give it my all because I’m just so excited to get a chance to play in this world again.”
