[NEohioPAL]Beacon Journal Review "Laughter rippled steadily" ROUNDING THIRD at Actors' Summ
Thackaberr at aol.com
Thackaberr at aol.com
Sun Sep 16 11:30:08 PDT 2007
-------------------------------1189967408
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
'Rounding Third' playwright covers all the expected bases
Keith E. Stevens, as coach, makes audience forget how script drops the ball
By Elaine Guregian Beacon Journal arts and culture critic
Published on Saturday, Sep 15, 2007
HUDSON: Laughter rippled steadily through Rounding Third at Actors' Summit on
Saturday night, cresting at times like the arc of a baseball that's been hit
into center field.
Playwright Richard Dresser scores the easy way sometimes. Jokes about
athletic cups are sure to elicit nervous laughs, if nothing else. The more
satisfying laughs were the murmurs of commiseration, when Dresser's two characters
think about how baseball is like life. When the coach, Don (Keith E. Stevens),
reveals that he pushes his team to win because he wants them to win in life,
he is surprisingly persuasive. And when he talks about how hard everything is
in life, from getting ahead to hanging on to a marriage, his character
transcends what is often a stereotypical characterization of a working-class guy.
It's much to Stevens' credit that you leave Rounding Third feeling like
you've gotten to know somebody. Playwright Dresser's depictions of two very
different men coaching one Little League team are often quite shallow.
Constance Thackaberry directs the production, which uses costumes by MaryJo
Alexander and lighting design by Cory Molner.
The story is told as a series of meetings between Don and the new assistant
coach, Michael, before or after team practice. Gradually, we learn about
Don's fraying marriage and the death of Michael's wife. The players are
invisible, imagined only as the coaches call out in the direction of the audience.
Speaking of players, it's too predictable that Michael's son would be the worst
player on the team. Having him be a good player, despite his unathletic dad,
would have opened more interesting psychological doors. What if he were a
better player than Don's son?
As the incumbent coach, Don is full of himself and sure of his methods, even
when they include morally questionable techniques. Stevens played the role
with a convincingly wound-up physicality.
Daniel Taylor had the more difficult and less rewarding role of Michael
(don't call me Mike), the nerdy, soft, assistant. It's hard to imagine what
Dresser had in mind when he did things like have Michael yell at a player to
''hurry'' to get to the next base. No one is as clueless and goody-goody as
Michael.
There's more than an edge of anger toward high-powered white-collar guys in
this script. Dresser would have made his point more potently by portraying
Michael as successful off the field. Making Michael a wimp all around isn't
nearly as interesting, or as fair a fight.
Elaine Guregian can be reached at 330-996-3574 or
_eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com_ (mailto:eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com)
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
-------------------------------1189967408
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:st1 =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUS-ASCII">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.6000.16525" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial"=20
bottomMargin=3D7 leftMargin=3D7 topMargin=3D7 rightMargin=3D7><FONT id=3Drol=
e_document=20
face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2>
<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.6pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DHelvetica><SPAN class=3Dstory-title1><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 14.5pt">'Rounding Third' playwright covers all the expec=
ted=20
bases </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></=
STRONG></P>
<P style=3D"LINE-HEIGHT: 12.6pt"><STRONG><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3DHelveti=
ca><SPAN=20
class=3Dstory-deck1><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Keith E. St=
evens,=20
as coach, makes audience forget how script drops the ball </SPAN></SPAN><SPA=
N=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></STRONG></P>
<P style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: 12.6pt"><FONT size=3D3><SPAN=20
class=3Dpost-credit1><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">By Elaine=20
Guregian Beacon Journal arts and culture critic </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style=3D"LINE-HEIGHT: 12.6pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=3Dright><FONT size=
=3D3><SPAN=20
class=3Dpost-date1><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-b=
idi-font-size: 12.0pt">Published=20
on Saturday, Sep 15, 2007 </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><FONT size=3D3><st1:City w:st=3D"on"=
><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">HUDSON</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">: Laughter rippled steadily through <I>Rounding=
Third=20
</I>at Actors' <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City=20
w:st=3D"on">Summit</st1:City></st1:place> on Saturday night, cresting at tim=
es=20
like the arc of a baseball that's been hit into center field.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>Playwright Richard Dresser scores the easy way sometimes. Jokes abo=
ut=20
athletic cups are sure to elicit nervous laughs, if nothing else. The more=20
satisfying laughs were the murmurs of commiseration, when Dresser's two=20
characters think about how baseball is like life. When the coach, Don (Keith=
E.=20
Stevens), reveals that he pushes his team to win because he wants them to wi=
n in=20
life, he is surprisingly persuasive. And when he talks about how hard everyt=
hing=20
is in life, from getting ahead to hanging on to a marriage, his character=20
transcends what is often a stereotypical characterization of a working-class=
=20
guy. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>It's much to Stevens' credit that you leave <I>Rounding Third </I>f=
eeling=20
like you've gotten to know somebody. Playwright Dresser's depictions of two=20=
very=20
different men coaching one Little League team are often quite shallow.=20
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>Constance Thackaberry directs the production, which uses costumes b=
y=20
MaryJo Alexander and lighting design by Cory Molner.=20
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>The story is told as a series of meetings between Don and the new=20
assistant coach, Michael, before or after team practice. Gradually, we learn=
=20
about Don's fraying marriage and the death of Michael's wife. The players ar=
e=20
invisible, imagined only as the coaches call out in the direction of the=20
audience. Speaking of players, it's too predictable that Michael's son would=
be=20
the worst player on the team. Having him be a good player, despite his=20
unathletic dad, would have opened more interesting psychological doors. What=
if=20
he were a better player than Don's son? <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>As the incumbent coach, Don is full of himself and sure of his meth=
ods,=20
even when they include morally questionable techniques. Stevens played the r=
ole=20
with a convincingly wound-up physicality. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><=
FONT=20
size=3D3>Daniel Taylor had the more difficult and less rewarding role of Mic=
hael=20
(don't call me Mike), the nerdy, soft, assistant. It's hard to imagine what=20
Dresser had in mind when he did things like have Michael yell at a player to=
=20
''hurry'' to get to the next base. No one is as clueless and goody-goody as=20
Michael. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style=3D"mso-line-height-alt: 9.0pt"><FONT face=3DHelvetica size=3D3>Ther=
e's more=20
than an edge of anger toward high-powered white-collar guys in this script.=20
Dresser would have made his point more potently by portraying Michael as=20
successful off the field. Making Michael a wimp all around isn't nearly as=20
interesting, or as fair a fight. </FONT></P>
<P style=3D"LINE-HEIGHT: 9pt"><SPAN class=3Dstorytext1><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Elaine Guregian can be reached=20=
at=20
330-996-3574 or <A href=3D"mailto:eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT=20
color=3D#000099>eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com</FONT></SPAN></A>=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style=3D"co=
lor: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 10=
px">See what's new at <A title=3D"http://www.aol.com?NCID=3DAOLCMP0030000000=
1170" href=3D"http://www.aol.com?NCID=3DAOLCMP00300000001170" target=3D"_bla=
nk">AOL.com</A> and <A title=3D"http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=3DAOLCM=
P00300000001169" href=3D"http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=3DAOLCMP003000=
00001169" target=3D"_blank">Make AOL Your Homepage</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY><=
/HTML>
-------------------------------1189967408--
More information about the NEohioPAL
mailing list