Review: THE GREAT LEAP at Cleveland Play House

Lauren Yee, the author of THE GREAT LEAP, the Cleveland Play House production, which is now on stage in the Outcalt Theatre in the Allen complex, states of her play, "This is a play about basketball, but it is also a basketball play. The game is reflected not just in the subject matter but the rhythm, structure, language, and how the characters move through space. We also should have a sense that someone is always watching. We may or may not see any actual basketballs on stage."

The play she is describing is the tale of an American basketball team traveling to China for an exhibition game. It is 1989. There is stress between the countries. For two men with a past and one teen with a present and future, the game is a chance to claim personal victories on and off the court.

Underlying the game is an exploration of the cultural and political risks of both raising one's voice and standing one's ground.

"Not everyone in San Francisco's Chinatown may think that Manford is the best point guard to play the game of basketball, but Manford does. And he is relentless."

"Not everyone may realize that Saul, the men's basketball coach at the University of San Francisco, is washed up. But Saul can see the writing on the wall, and coaching his team to victory in a rematch of a 1971 game against Beijing University is his last chance to prove himself."

"Not everyone in China knows that Wen Chang, a former translator and current coach of the Beijing basketball team, doesn't really want the apartment, the air conditioner or any of the perks associated with a Chinese man of his stature. But Wen Chang knows, and it makes him afraid."

When Manford--a Chinese-American high school student with a chip on his shoulder and fine basketball skills, Saul---a foul-mouthed, washed-up coach of the University of San Francisco's men's basketball team, who credits himself with introducing the game of hoops to China, and Wen Chang-the observant and efficient coach of Beijing University's men's basketball team, come together in Beijing for the big game in 1989, they discover their meeting is about far more than basketball.

"One finds a mother, one finds a son, and all of them find courage."

The CPH staging, under the direction of Esther Jun, is not only well-staged but clearly focused. The characterizations are finely etched, the pacing nicely ebbs and flows with the energy of the writing, and the technical aspects are perfectly sewn into the production.

The creative use of Scenic Designer Yu Shibagaki's meticulously created basketball court, makes each audience a member of the staging. You are at a basketball court, not only cheering for a player and involved in the strategy of the game, but entwined in the lives of four people...three who appear on stage and one whose existence catapults the plot.

Michael Boll's lighting enhances the action as do the sounds created by Melanie Chen Cole and projections of T. Paul Lowry.

Eric Cheung is captivating as Manford, the under-sized powerhouse point-guard, who has a maniacal desire go to China to play in a grudge basketball during the Tiananmen Square Protests. His is a quality performance!

Amanda Kuo, is totally believable as Manford's "cousin."

David Mason clearly conveys the frustration and maniac drive of a man compelled to succeed, whether as a basketball coach and human being, but falling short on all levels.

Reuben Uy beautifully creates a Wen Chang, who displays the emotional control demanded by his culture, but which results in a life of frustration and unfulfilled personal satisfaction.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT: THE GREAT LEAP is a well-written, thought-provoking play that gets a slam dunk production at CPH! This is a must-see that uses the Outcalt stage configuration in epic ways.

The show runs through November 20, 2022. For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to: www.clevelandplayhouse.com

Next up at CPH: I'M BACK NOW--Sara travels to Cleveland to meet her birth mother. As she strives to reconcile the legacy she thought she knew with her actual origins, Sara discovers that she is a descendant of the last woman prosecuted under the Fugitive Slave Act. February 4-24 @ the Allen Theatre

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