CAMBRIDGE – She shoots. She scores. A local legacy comes to life on stage as a new Canadian play chronicles the impressive rise of Cambridge’s Preston Rivulettes women’s hockey team.
Drayton Entertainment is presenting Glory on stage at the Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge from May 15 to June 8.
Glory is written by Canadian playwright Tracey Power who saw a historical photo of the Preston Rivulettes women’s hockey team in a coffee table book and was inspired to tell the story of how they became one of the most successful hockey teams in Canadian history.
The production is created by Western Canada Theatre.
Set in the 1930s, this stage production follows two sets of sisters – Hilda and Nellie Ranscombe and Helen and Marm Schmuck – who set out to show the nation that Canada’s favourite pastime isn’t just for men.
After playing together on the Preston Rivulettes summer softball team, the four women seek out a winter sport to play; they form Preston’s first women’s hockey team under the same name – the Rivulettes.
They face a number of personal and professional obstacles as they work to make a name for themselves in the world of hockey.
The ladies figure out how to play the game, and win the Ladies Ontario Hockey League championship in their first season.
With bumps along the way, the team rises to earn one championship after another ultimately building an impressive winning streak that is the stuff of legends.
Along with their on-ice triumphs, the story also revolves around their personal lives, their relationship with Coach Fach, and their struggles as women fighting to be recognized in a male-dominated sport.
When Power was crafting Glory, staging the hockey games was a particular challenge since ice skating on stage is not practical.
Using music inspired by the jazz age, she has choreographed clever swing dance moves to convey the physical exertion and kinetic energy of the games.
The success of the Preston Rivulettes remains unparalleled in Canadian sports history.
The team played an estimated 350 games between 1930 and 1940, losing only two – a 95 per cent winning average.
In 1963, the Preston Rivulettes were recognized by Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1996, they were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Captain Hilda Ranscombe, who is considered by many to be the best female hockey player in Canadian history, would later be inducted as an individual player in 2015.
In 1997, the Preston Rivulettes were inducted as a team into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame, with Hilda Ranscombe inducted as an individual player.
“It’s really exciting for us to present Glory – not only is it an important local story, it’s an important Canadian story that highlights the immense role these women had in pioneering a path for women in hockey across the nation,” said Alex Mustakas, artistic director of Drayton Entertainment.
Tickets are $48 for adults, $29 for youth under 20 years of age and $39 for groups of 20 or more and select discount dates. Go to draytonentertainment.com/glory or call the box office toll-free at 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
