Get ready to head to the locker room, as two hockey dads face off in the Vancouver premiere of Zee Zee Theatre’s production of Men Express Their Feelings, from March 18 to April 3 at Firehall Arts Centre. A poignant and provocative comedy challenging stereotypical assumptions about masculinity, gender norms, sexuality and identity, Men Express Their Feelings, is written by award-winning Canadian playwright Sunny Drake, and directed by Zee Zee Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director Cameron Mackenzie,
“While there are many people actively dismantling traditional notions of masculinity to build a more inclusive and empathetic society for all genders, heteronormative expectations of how a man should look, act and feel are still pervasive in our culture today,” says Mackenzie. “This brilliantly funny and meaningful comedy, written by one of Canada’s most celebrated trans male playwrights, offers Vancouver audiences an essential perspective on masculinity that embraces and empowers vulnerability and transparency, and ultimately redefines what it means to be a man.”
Following its premiere in March 2020, Men Express Their Feelings was hailed by the Calgary Herald as “an instant Canadian classic,” lauded for its patriotic nod to Canada’s favourite pastime and “wildly, unabashedly funny” script.
Set in the locker room of a community hockey rink, two teen hockey players and their dads are forced by the minor hockey league chair to work through their feelings following a heated scuffle between the dads in the parking lot. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, the foursome tackle difficult conversations, addressing complex topics of racial and cultural tension, sexual attraction and generational divides with wit and levity.
Structured like a hockey game, Men Express Their Feelings has three distinct periods and instant replays that depict moments from different characters’ viewpoints, inviting audiences to witness their transformation as they move beyond physical aggression to explore the deeper meaning of their emotions.
Starring Quinn Churchill and Ishan Sandhu as 17-year-old hockey players with Jeff Gladstone and Munish Sharma as their dueling fathers, Men Express Their Feelings presented by Zee Zee Theatre runs March 18 to April 3, 2022 at Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E Cordova St. Find more details, and tickets online at zeezeetheatre.ca