| At
Large Business Briefs Cartoons District Court Report Editorial Gone Fishin' Letters to the Editor Real Estate Transactions Sports Sports Highlights |
| Art Bestsellers Dance Edibles Film In Print Music Theater |
| Achievements Astrology Birds Births Community Shorts Dean's List Engagements Garden Notes Honor Roll Obituaries Off North Road Short Subjects Town Meetings Visiting Vet Weddings |
| Chilmark Edgartown Oak Bluffs Tisbury West Tisbury |
The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
August 4 - 10, 2005 Edition
Web
Comments
- Email Submissions
|
Theater:
Playhouse hits one out of the park August 4 , 2005 By Sam Griswold
As you enter the theater walking along a classic chain-link fence, you feel yourself instantly transported into the arena, or battleground, that is Little League baseball. The stage is set for “Rounding Third,” an entertaining and poignant play told through two fathers who join forces to coach their sons’ Little League baseball team. The conflict of the play flows from the two men’s extreme differences of opinion on winning and life in general. Don (never Donald), sporting a hard-nosed, by-the-book, winning-is-everything mentality, is infuriated, very humorously, by Michael, (never Mike), who has a more relaxed, let’s-just-have-fun attitude. Don questions Michael’s commitment to the kids, while Michael is appalled at Don’s win-at-all-cost tactics. At the team’s first practice, Don announces with authority: “The goal of the team will be to have fun, which means winning.” He also takes the hard line when it comes to tardiness, two positions that Michael has a problem with. Complete games The true success of the play lies in the acting, with both men bringing a wealth of experience to the stage, and each perfectly cast in his role. John M. Jackson plays Don with a somewhat grumpy tone and slouching body language. Mr. Jackson is the quintessential Little League coach. Tim Ryan plays Michael with happy bouncy movements, coupled with his constant smile and awkward inspirational comments, which show him as a clear newcomer to the game of baseball. Michael’s body language is perfect, with his insincere movements masking a tragedy he has yet to overcome. Don’s “Nothing can faze me” attitude covers up his own personal problems at home. Neither man has been able to overcome his problems, and both look to baseball as an escape. A game of inches The attention to detail is extremely precise, from Don’s old, beat-up baseball shoes, which he wears months before the season, to Michael’s shiny new trainers. Don is always in team colors and his sweat-drenched hat contrasts with Michael’s finely pressed khakis, which suit him perfectly. The set is realistic and well done, using the stage creatively, utilizing everything from lighting to playing surface to give the sense of an authentic baseball diamond. The audience is welcomed by a ballpark-style public address announcement before the play. The music included songs from “Brigadoon,” Frank Sinatra (reminding the audience of the next production “My Way”), “Put Me In Coach,” and of course “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” A double play Don and Michael’s relationship leads to a great deal of clever humor which flows from misunderstandings and friction. Michael’s son plays right field, and he winces every time a ball is hit in his son’s direction. The play utilizes the audience as members of the team on the bench. This technique is how we learn the most about the characters, and see how they have grown during the play. Their changing approaches toward baseball and winning are the evidence of the impact these two men have on one another over the course of the season. Like Little League baseball, in this play there is far more than meets the eye. The play slides unexpectedly into many intricate philosophical and emotional realms. It is not just their different takes on baseball that separate the two fathers. Their approach to baseball mirrors their approach to life. Yet as steadfast as they appear in their bickering, it is clear that neither of the two is happy. Each lacks what the other has. Playwright Richard Dresser gives good insight into the tangled, chaotic world that is Little League baseball. Almost anyone who has played or coached can relate with such a story. The comic aspects are fun, but the play maintains a serious edge. “Rounding Third” proves that two men, even as completely different as Don and Michael are, can both benefit one another and that two different approaches toward life and winning can both be right. “Rounding Third” at the Vineyard Playhouse, Church Street, Vineyard Haven, Tuesday through Saturday, through Aug. 13. Ticket prices and curtain times vary. Call 508-696-6300 or visit www.vineyardplayhouse.org. Sam Griswold, a journalism major at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, is a Times summer intern. |
|||
| Send this page to a friend: | |||
|
©The
Martha's Vineyard Times 2005 - www.mvtimes.com
|
|||
The
MV Times Webcam
Click
here for a view of the Vineyard Haven Harbor
