Each year, Stanstead College students present a school play, and the cast often includes one or two members of the school’s varsity hockey teams. Despite busy athletic schedules, time on the road and academic commitments, these student-athletes put in hours of time in the pursuit of creativity and entertaining their peers.
This spring’s production was Suite Surrender, a farce by Michael McKeever. Set at a luxury hotel in 1942, the play follows two rival divas as they accidentally get booked into the same suite. There are lots of close calls, slamming doors, mistaken identity, even a flying dog.
Logan Foote (Halifax, NS) played the pivotal role of Mr. Dunlap, the hotel manager trying to keep the proceedings (and himself) together. Logan is a second-year Spartan, a senior defenseman and alternate captain on the varsity boys team (QMJHL Cape Breton). It is also his second year in the school play.
“Last year, [English teacher] Ms. Campbell recruited me to be in the play when someone got sick. I really didn’t know what to expect but I’m so glad that I got to be a part of it.”
Being in the play takes commitment and hard work, Logan said. He often had to miss rehearsals for away games, and he had to find time to learn his many lines. But it was worth it in the end, he said.
“The connections that you make with the group is something that I’ll appreciate for years to come,” he said. “I hope I inspired other hockey players to participate.”
Joining Logan was Andrew Shimon of Sydney, NS, a senior goalie on the varsity boys squad. Andrew played Otis, one of two bellhops caught up in the shenanigans. It took some convincing to get him to audition, he said, but he is now glad he did.
“At first I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but as time went on, I started to really understand the hard work we were putting in and how much fun we were having as a group,” he said. “Being in a play is kind of like hockey: you’re there for each other to have fun but you also need to execute and have good communication.”
Getting involved in non-hockey pursuits, Andrew says, is important and makes you a “better all-around person.”
Both Logan and Andrew have been accepted to St. Francis Xavier University and University of New Brunswick, with Logan also accepted at Acadia and Andrew at St. Mary’s. They are hoping to play junior hockey next year.
