There’s chatter circulating the L.A. theater world, and
the rumor is that the new season at the Geffen Playhouse is riskier
than in years past. If “Take Me Out,” playing now as
part of the 10-year-long American Originals series, is any
indication of what is to come, the buzz is right.
“Take Me Out,” is edgy. In fact, it is visually over
the top. But these attempts to push the envelope are ineffective
and actually overshadow the play’s message. The play is
bursting with thought-provoking scenes and characters, like a fatal
baseball pitch, but its truly powerful story is overwhelmed by its
attempt at shock value.
Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning drama highlights
the issues of identity and prejudice, and chronicles the aftermath
of a superstar baseball player’s public announcement of his
homosexuality. The main character, Derrin Lemming (Terrell Tilford)
is a hot shot in every way ““ he’s got talent,
confidence and sex appeal ““ and announces he is gay in a
press conference early in the play. But the story is told through a
series of flashbacks, narrated by Lemming’s teammate, Kippy
Sunderstrom (Jeffrey Norlding), which means the audience must sit
through a long series of expository scenes before the real drama
comes. When it hits in the second half, it hits hard.
Suddenly, a play that appeared to be the story of people’s
reactions to an athlete’s coming out becomes a provocative
and highly engaging piece of American drama. The play is
refreshing; it does not focus on Lemming’s struggle with his
identity, as he is confident about this. He views himself as a sort
of god of baseball, more revered than anyone else. Instead, his
revelation shakes the collective identity of his team. Baseball is
no longer just the backdrop of the play, it is a main character,
and each of the leads reacts to its expectations in different
ways.
Another teammate, Shane Mungitt (Jeremy Sisto), is the ignorant
but talented new pitcher for the Empires, who rarely opens up about
his backward life until a press conference, where he announces his
hate for his teammates as he shouts racial slurs.
This scene is both the beauty and the curse of this play. With
this conflict, the play becomes a story of sexuality, violence and
prejudice, ironically coated with baseball nostalgia. It’s
unfortunate the story is clouded by the drawn-out opening act. The
second half is so powerful, almost overwhelming, in an
“American Beauty” manner. It’s something one
needs to see to enrich perspective, but might be too much to watch
over and over again.
The meaty material is lightened with a healthy dose of comedy,
sometimes in the form of cheap jokes by Sunderstrom, but more
effectively through Lemming’s business manager, Mason Marzac
(Jeffrey Hutchinson). Marzac begins without any understanding of
baseball, and is soon addicted to the game. His childlike
enthusiasm for the sport is endearing, and serves as a bridge to
connect the play’s darker themes with its classic
metaphor.
This is why the play connects with audiences. Instead of
relaying the message of destruction by ignorance through a
disturbing setting, Greenberg chooses to illuminate the story with
baseball, and Marzac personifies this spirit. Hutchinson’s
brilliant depiction of a fresh fan takes the discomforting story
and adds a layer of inspiration. In the end, he is the only
character caught under the spell of baseball, declaring,
“democracy is lovely, but baseball is more mature.”
The graphic visuals of the play can be distracting, but they
only slightly chip at an already rich production. Those looking for
a story of the magic of baseball or prejudice in the modern world
can find it all in this play. “Take Me Out” will leave
an impression on audiences, and the different reactions to it only
add to its appeal.
-Fay Gordon