Review: HALF TIME WITH DON at Tipping Point Theatre

The show centers around a former NFL player who has Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE for short. Don has CTE due to many head injuries throughout his career. He has many physical ailments as well as mental gaps in his memory. The main character, Don Deavors, is played by Alex Leydenfrost. Half Time with Don by Ken Weitzman will be performed at the Tipping Point Theater from January 22 through February 16, 202

Half Time with Don is a play about football and the intricacies of the players after their time in the game ends. It's about the physical injuries widely known in the sports community. Still, the main prose is about the mental hurdles these former athletes must face every day after retirement. The main takeaway I experienced, which makes this show especially special, is the love of the game. When they leave the sport, these players endure the hardship of losing a key piece of their personality and soul. It consumes your life for years and years, and you sacrifice a lot to be the best player you can be. They give up vacations, personal time, relationships, and sometimes even their families to be the best. This show dives into that vulnerability and doesn't shy away from the depressive state these atheletes fall into.

Another critical aspect of Half Time with Don is the steadfast devotion of the fans who have followed these players throughout their careers. My favorite part of this production was the interactions between the cast. With a small cast of four actors on an intimate stage, you feel every emotion radiating off these actors. You could tell there was real chemistry between the actors. Alex Leydenfrost (Don Devers) is at the height of his acting prowess with this performance. His raw and delicate portrayal of this complicated protagonist had me on the edge of my seat the whole performance. His leading scene partner, Ed Ryan, played by Brian Sullivan, added a great layer to Don's character. Ed Ryan is a long-time fan of Don Devers and an aspiring sports journalist looking for his big break. Throughout the performance, his friendship and working relationship with Don takes many twists and turns. I was compelled throughout the show to watch the trajectory of their relationship.

Now, let's talk about the ladies! It was lovely to experience a show where the men were the more serious characters while the women got to be silly and goofy and act as comedic relief. Janai Lashon, who played Sarah Ryan (Ed's pregnant wife), brought such grace and femininity to this show. She portrayed the quintessential role of the tender matriarch. She was the perfect juxtaposition to her fellow actor Caitlin Cavannaugh, who gave an honest and expressive performance as Don Dever's pregnant daughter, Stephanie. Caitlin Cavannaugh as Stephanie was my favorite performance of the night. Her portrayal of the brass and blunt Stephanie had me laughing the entire time. It's so lovely to see women on stage acting together and to see the friendship that grows between two such different characters. This show gives the best of both worlds by making you laugh and cry throughout the performance.

I also have to point out the writer, Ken Weitzman, and director, Bill Simmons, who brought this production to life. I saw Halftime with Don on opening night, and they were both in attendance. They did a question-and-answer portion at the end of the show. Ken Weitzman is a long-time football fan, and it shows with the amount of football-related statistics and research he did for this show. The way he wrote these characters conveys his deep love of the game. One patron commented on how well he wrote the show's female characters, and I have to agree. As a male writer, it's sometimes hard to emote in the voice of real women, but he nails it in this play. The director, Bill Simmons, made some wonderful decisions on the flow of this performance. The show's pacing sometimes seems slow, but halfway through the performance, I realized that this was intentional to get you into the character's mind. Some moments get very vulnerable and make you realize and sympathize even more with what Don is going through. I found the whole show to be compelling and moving. Don tells Ed Ryan, "Your greatest moment is yet to come." Isn't that the exact sentiment anyone who is in a tough spot in life wants and prays for? This show will lift you up and inspire you. I implore anyone who is a football fan to see this for nostalgia and comradery, but I also suggest anyone who isn't a fan to see it for the hope the story portrays. It is a story about love, sacrifice, and getting that second chance to do something extraordinary.

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