Give & Go: Learning From Losing to the Harlem Globetrotters

"What am I going to learn from losing every night to the Harlem Globetrotters?"

That was Brandt Johnson's initial reaction when asked to sign on as one of the Boston Shamrocks, a team whose sole purpose was to play straight for those world famous basketball clowns.  But in his semi-autobiographical solo play Give And Go:  Learning From Losing To The Harlem Globetrotters, Johnson recalls a huge lesson he learned during his month-long tour of Europe as a perennial loser.

It's simple story, told with sincerity and charm.  Johnson was a high school and college basketball player who wasn't quite good enough to be drafted by the NBA so he shifted to a career in investment banking.  With his basketball coaches ("When I say shake and bake you put on your apron.") and finance bosses ("Polyester has no place at Goldman-Stanley.") all demanding the same fierce, mechanical teamwork, sans individuality, Brandt grew accustomed to being a dedicated robot; successful in his career, but lacking in self-fulfillment.

It was through touring with the Globetrotters that he learned that you can achieve your goals without losing the opportunity to let loose, have fun and cherish what makes you unique.  As a Shamrock he found that the hired losers were respected as important players in what made the Globetrotters successful.  The freewheeling fun couldn't work without precisely choreographed teamwork between both sides.  And the Shamrocks also had to be good enough to keep the games close and keep the crowds wondering if they might be witnessing a rare Globetrotter loss.

Johnson tells the story through a series of monologues, playing various coaches, co-workers and occasionally himself.  A problem with the hour-long production is that the monologues are generally very short and the actor spends a great deal of time between them making on-stage costume changes.

Though the script seems to just skim the surface of the story, just as Johnson's acting – while certainly engaging – seems to just skim the surface of his many characters, director Andrew Garman's production is still very enjoyable.  During the course of the evening Johnson takes several shots at an on-stage basket, keeping audience members in the small space on their toes for missed shots that may bounce into the crowd.  Matthew Hodge and Storme Sundberg serve as referees, taking in rebounds.

With a little work, Give And Go might be an excellent piece to bring to high schools, where Brandt Johnson can share his experiences with young athletes who may soon be faced with making the same decisions he did.

Photos: Brandt Johnson; Give and Go logo

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