Hurry to Port Stanley to see this Charmer Reviewed by Sookie Mei The novel idea of staging a play about curling in the middle of the summer turns out to be a good one, in the case of Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s latest production.  Hurry Hard, by Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva, is hilarious, touching, and definitely does not leave the audience feeling cold. Set in winter at a curling club in Stayner, Ontario, an important regional bonspiel is coming up.  Brothers Bill and Terry are on the men’s team, along with newcomer Johnny, and the guys begrudgingly share the ice with the women curlers, including Bill’s ex-wife Sandy and her friend Darlene. When a medical emergency leaves the men one player short, the two teams need to reconcile their differences to work as one if they have any hope of beating their rival team, Meaford. The script is solid, with great characters, interesting dialogue, and an abundance of humour that has the audience laughing pretty much throughout.  Da Silva melds comedy with very realistic life experiences – divorce, jealousy, aging, crushed dreams – and the result is a feel-good show that avoids too much broad humour or fluffiness.  Some added romance rounds out the story quite nicely. The set, designed by Dora award winner Joshua Quinlan, really looks and feels like a curling club. Photos of winning teams, pennants, and trophies decorate plain white walls with wood trim, and those ubiquitous vinyl and metal chairs with wooden armrests are placed around tables that are painted like the rings on the ice.  The whole set has a lived-in and comfortable feel, like it’s been a club for decades. As good as the set and script are, the cast is even better. Mark McGrinder as Bill hits the right balance between ...