Review: PICKLEBALL Is A Hard Hitter At B St. Theatre

Pickleball is the fastest growing game in the country and you can experience it now, out of the heat and inside the B St. Theatre, with the aptly titled Pickleball. Jeff Daniels’s play is an amusing farce about the dangers of middle-aged competition and a reminder to not take life too seriously – only pickleball.

Under M. Graham Smith’s direction, the characters do just that. With little else to keep them occupied, their lives revolve around the pickleball court. Larry (John Lamb) and Billie (Amy Kelly) are partners who long to rise above their 2.5 rating. To become a 3.0 would mean more women for Larry (he hopes). For Billie it would be a way to honor her late wife, who died on the court. Their friendly rivals are two men who share a skepticism of each other’s abilities and a healthy fear of Angry John, a disembodied voice who lords control over the pickleball domain. Sheldon (Greg Alexander) blames Spike (Jason Kuykendall) for his injuries, convinced that Spike’s “poaching” led to his blown-out butt muscles. Spike is adorably adrift and unsure of his place in life after his pickleball obsession leads to the end of his marriage. He does know, however, that he needs to take lessons from Perfect (Stephanie Altholz), an unreachable pickleball phenomenon who has her own YouTube channel. She carries the honor of being taught by the Dalai Lama, who has gone so far as to show her his coveted “killer serve,” with the promise that she never use it. As you might expect, she does…with hilarious and disastrous consequences.

This show is heavy on physical comedy, at which John Lamb and Amy Kelly are particularly adept. They make a great duo, and their individual talents meld into a cohesive unit seamlessly. Similarly, Greg Alexander and Jason Kuykendall complement each other. Alexander is beleaguered and dry, while Kuykendall’s earnest desire to do well is adorably endearing. Stephanie Altholz is perfect as Perfect. Her timing, focus, voice, and, well, everything scream reigning pickleball champion. She may leave us with "nobody's perfect," but I disagree.

A fun set and lighting design by Christina Barrigan, sound design by Ethan Hollinger, and costume design by Eva Herndon complete the immersion into this ultra-competitive world where “there is no sorry in pickleball.” Choreography by Jacob Gutierrez-Montoya elicits some of the biggest laughs of the show. Again, physical comedy abounds.

Pickleball is a great escape into silliness and relatability – particularly if you’re mobile and over forty. Tickets are selling fast! It plays at the B St. Theatre through September 22nd. Tickets may be purchased online at BStreetTheatre.org, at the Box Office at 2700 Capitol Avenue, or by telephone at (916) 443-5300.

Photo credit: Rudy Meyers

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