Take Me Out (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Take Me Out Mary Groebner (bio) Take Me Out. Written by Richard Greenberg, directed by Joe Mantello. Bagley Wright Theatre, Seattle WA. 11 12, 2004. Last spring I read Richard Greenberg's play "Take Me Out" and was captivated. I hoped to someday get a chance to see the play performed, and not merely because of the promise of male nudity. Reading a play, no matter how well-written, cannot capture the highs and lows of comedy and drama, or the effect of pacing on either. In the same way, reading a box score or game story (no matter how well-written) cannot capture the beauty of a well-turned double play, the excitement of fans screaming in unison as the runner rounds third, or the tense battle between pitcher and batter. When I saw "Take Me Out" it was the second "game" of the season at the Seattle Repertory Theater. Though the on-stage cast differed from those who had performed in the Tony award–winning Broadway production (with the exception of Gene Gabriel, an original cast member and the "baseball movement consultant"), the actors in the Seattle production were up to the task. The performances of Doug Wert, as Kippy Sunderstrom, and of T. Scott Cunningham, as Mason Marzac, were especially memorable. Director Joe Mantello, who won a Tony award for "Take Me Out" on Broadway, along with set designer Scott Pask, costume designer Jess Goldstein, and sound designer Janet Kalas all reprised their Broadway roles. They created believable clubhouse, shower, and on-the-field scenes with a set so well designed that it never has to physically change. A plot synopsis would go something like this: star biracial baseball player announces that he is homosexual, setting in motion a particular chain of events among his fans, friends, and teammates. Professional team sports have long struggled with the idea of having homosexual teammates. Billy Bean, for [End Page 189]example, "came out" only after he retired from the game, having played his career under a sort of de facto "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Any work involving unresolved issues surrounding homosexuality will necessarily touch on questions of tolerance, bigotry, and even religion. But categorizing "Take Me Out" as a play written solely to grapple with these issues (though important) minimizes it. It is also a story of friendship, of acknowledging and accepting who we are both privately and publicly. But most of all, it is a story of an unabashed, unadulterated love for baseball. Greenberg's play does engage in some stereotypes of its own in the sketches of the minor characters: the dumb jock (the catcher, probably the position least likely to be the dumb jock), the macho Latino ballplayers, and the too-intense Japanese pitcher. But Greenberg's main characters are more deeply, if subtly, drawn, inviting us to want to learn more about them. Even the John Rocker–like character of Shane Mungitt intrigues us as we learn about his troubled childhood and his anguished need for baseball. Production notes from the program tell us that Greenberg came to love baseball recently as an adult. His newfound passion for the game flows from his characters' voices in a variety of ways. After the main character (Darren Lemming) has made his big announcement, he tells his closest friend on the team (Kippy) that, sexuality aside, he'd "rather just play ball." Japanese pitcher Kawabata tells us that "baseball is everything." Shane Mungitt screams, "I just want to throw." Nothing means more to these players than the game, and for some it is a salvation of sorts. Kippy notes that clubhouse tension dissipates in the face of memories of "Dad and the Wiffle ball." Baseball, Kippy says, has "too much emotion." This may be why baseball players, more than players of other sports, try to control those emotions and avoid extreme highs or lows. It is, after all, a long season. Most vividly and beautifully of all, Greenberg speaks his love for the game through the character of Mason (Mars) Marzac. After Darren's announcement, his previous financial manager dumps Darren's account on Marzac, who is also (not coincidentally) gay. And as...