From Museum Memories to the Blyth Festival Stage: Curveball Premieres Summer 2026

By Kelly McIntoshPublished On: June 3, 2026

Curveball: The Fast-Pitch Ladies From The Factory Floor

Created by Kelly McIntosh, Andy Pogson, Stacy Smith, & Severn Thompson
Original music, composition and lyrics by Dayna Manning

World Premiere Musical at the Blyth Festival
July 8 – August 22, 2026

The Stratford Perth Museum is thrilled to celebrate the world premiere of Curveball: The Fast-Pitch Ladies From The Factory Floor, a new Canadian musical inspired by the remarkable true story of Stratford’s legendary Kroehler Girls softball team.

Premiering this summer at the renowned Blyth Festival, Curveball grew out of years of community storytelling, archival research, theatrical workshops, and public engagement led in part through the Stratford Perth Museum and its ongoing exploration of the history of the Kroehler Manufacturing Company.

Originally developed from the hit 2021 Here For Now Theatre production Kroehler Girls!, the project evolved into a full two-act musical through collective creation and extensive historical research. The Stratford Perth Museum played an important role in the project’s development through its “Kray-ler Trailers” community events, where former employees, family members, and community members shared photographs, uniforms, keepsakes, memories, and stories connected to the factory and the women who played for its celebrated softball teams.

Set in the 1950s, Curveball tells the story of women who worked on the factory floor by day and took to the softball diamond by night. In 1953, against the odds, the team mounted an extraordinary comeback season that carried them to regional championships and local fame.

Developed through collective creation and grounded in community memory, the musical celebrates the grit, humour, camaraderie, talent, and determination of women whose athletic accomplishments were rarely recognized in their own time.

The production features original music and lyrics by JUNO Award–nominated singer-songwriter Dayna Manning and will be staged outdoors on Blyth Festival’s iconic Harvest Stage.

The Stratford Perth Museum is proud to have helped preserve and share the local history that inspired this exciting new Canadian musical and encourages visitors to continue exploring the story through the museum’s ongoing Kroehler exhibits and programming.

Visitors can also:

Explore the museum’s remediated Hidden Qualities Kroehler exhibit to learn more about the Kroehler Girls and Stratford’s manufacturing history at the Stratford Perth Museum
Listen to Kelly McIntosh’s podcast exploring stories from former Kroehler employees

“We’ll sing you the song of our ball team, it’s the finest team in all the land. We’ll tell you about all the players, and we’ll tell you the truth if we can.”
— excerpt from a team song written by Dorothy Landers