#1
Posted: 2/26/05 at 8:47pm
First off, let me start by saying that the only reason I went was because I knew I’d get to see some naked guys. (what a way to start a review) Fortunately, or unfortunately (still haven’t figured it out) I was treated to a bit more than I bargained for ($25 rush). The play penned by Richard Greenberg was surprisingly touching when it wanted to be and exceeding hilarious even when it didn’t mean to be. It was, however, shady at times because I did leave the theatre questioning quite a few things. For instance: can anybody really die from a baseball to the chest? Can a play about baseball really appeal to people such as my self who generally detest the game? And have you ever seen a bigger sausage fest in all your life???
As for the first question, I really don’t know. The human body is a lot stronger than we all tend to think I’ll give it that. But I suppose if a ball was thrown at the proper angle with the intent of killing someone it could at the very least cause some brain damage. And yes, a play about baseball can be enjoyed by those who don’t appreciate the sport. Why? Because I was able to see the game through the character’s eyes. And that was an interesting experience. The character, Mason Marzac was instantly relatable. As played by T. Scott Cunningham I was able to understand things better when said by him because he was a person who didn’t like baseball but caught on through a different medium, which seems to be what this play is all about. Appreciating baseball – or anything for that matter – simply because it brings joy to others.
M.D. Walton as Darren Lemming was an inspired choice. He’s first off a fantastic actor but he’s also got perfect timing which helped for the comedy moments. He’s also well endowed (shhhh…) with a great ability to work off his fellow actors very well which was so important for this piece. He made Doug Wert’s job as best friend and narrator seem effortless which isn’t a word I would associate with the role of Kippy but Doug delivered a stand out performance… and he obviously goes to the gym more than twice a week which of course isn’t a necessity for the role but rather an extremely surprising bonus. The rest of the cast was just awesome. I mean I have to applaud anyone willing to walk on stage naked and shower in front of a couple hundred people. Bravo!
The direction by Joe Montello, for this production at least, was off for me. There were some things that went unexplained that I had hoped would somehow be sorted out by the end and they were not. But I guess we’re just left to ponder why exactly it is Shane did what he did instead of finding any actual conclusions. Shane, by the way, played by Harlon George was sooooooooooooo worth the ticket price.
The lighting and sound design was used to perfection in this piece. You have to see it. There is no way to explain really what’s done other than to just describe it as being perfectly cued chaos. It’s an interesting night at the theatre for sure and for a sausage fest it had a lot to say about humanity.
The run concludes tomorrow here in San Diego at The Old Globe Theatre.
www.oldglobe.org
As for the first question, I really don’t know. The human body is a lot stronger than we all tend to think I’ll give it that. But I suppose if a ball was thrown at the proper angle with the intent of killing someone it could at the very least cause some brain damage. And yes, a play about baseball can be enjoyed by those who don’t appreciate the sport. Why? Because I was able to see the game through the character’s eyes. And that was an interesting experience. The character, Mason Marzac was instantly relatable. As played by T. Scott Cunningham I was able to understand things better when said by him because he was a person who didn’t like baseball but caught on through a different medium, which seems to be what this play is all about. Appreciating baseball – or anything for that matter – simply because it brings joy to others.
M.D. Walton as Darren Lemming was an inspired choice. He’s first off a fantastic actor but he’s also got perfect timing which helped for the comedy moments. He’s also well endowed (shhhh…) with a great ability to work off his fellow actors very well which was so important for this piece. He made Doug Wert’s job as best friend and narrator seem effortless which isn’t a word I would associate with the role of Kippy but Doug delivered a stand out performance… and he obviously goes to the gym more than twice a week which of course isn’t a necessity for the role but rather an extremely surprising bonus. The rest of the cast was just awesome. I mean I have to applaud anyone willing to walk on stage naked and shower in front of a couple hundred people. Bravo!
The direction by Joe Montello, for this production at least, was off for me. There were some things that went unexplained that I had hoped would somehow be sorted out by the end and they were not. But I guess we’re just left to ponder why exactly it is Shane did what he did instead of finding any actual conclusions. Shane, by the way, played by Harlon George was sooooooooooooo worth the ticket price.
The lighting and sound design was used to perfection in this piece. You have to see it. There is no way to explain really what’s done other than to just describe it as being perfectly cued chaos. It’s an interesting night at the theatre for sure and for a sausage fest it had a lot to say about humanity.
The run concludes tomorrow here in San Diego at The Old Globe Theatre.
www.oldglobe.org
