BWW Reviews: TAKE ME OUT is a Grand Slam in Tyson's Corner

Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out was a play that was clearly ahead of its time when in 2003 it told the story of a professional male athlete coming out as gay. 11 years later and we still only have two - Basketball player Jason Collins and new addition to the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Sam. We have yet to see a pro baseball player (as in Greenberg's play) tell the world who he is.

What I hoped would be a period piece by now after seeing it ten years ago at New York's Public Theatre, Take Me Out is taking on a vibrant new life at Tyson Corner's 1st Stage. Opening their lucky seventh season, the play is a poignant exploration of expectations, character and how we look at courage.

The 2003 Tony Award Winner for Best Play tells us more about baseball I think, than about being gay, or acceptance of gay people in professional sports. The play opens at a press conference where Empire team member Darren Lemming (expertly handled by Jaysen Wright) is telling the world about who he is.

"And if, incidentally, there's any kid out there who's struggling with his identity, I hope this sends a message that it's okay. They can follow their dream, no matter what. Any young man, creed, whatever, can go out there and become a ballplayer. Or an interior decorator."

And while it sounds as though we're going to be inspired by the character's bravery and selflessness, we quickly find out he's a bit more complex and not terribly likeable. Greenberg has painted the character well - not a standard hero and not even particularly interested in the modern day equality movement - just a guy who happens to be gay and also happens to be the star player on the team.

We're introduced to the cavalcade of teammates and their different reactions to Lemming's announcement - which range from the ignorant religious guy spouting on about God, to the team manager (William Aitken) who truly doesn't care so long as Lemming continues to play well. We also meet the closest thing Lemming has to a friend on the team - Kippy Sunderstrom (Sun King Davis), who enjoys Lemming's company regardless of his sexual identity.

Things get really interesting when we're introduced to the team's new relief pitcher, Shane Mungit (Ryan Kincaid). Mungit, an orphan from the South, is quiet and reserved until one day he opens his mouth to the press and releases a handful of racial and homophobic epithets and the predictable havoc ensues.

The greatest gift to this play (and incidentally this production), is Mason Marzac (Adam Downs). Greenberg's most layered character comes to us in the form of Lemming's newly-assigned openly gay accountant. He starts out predictably flamboyant and crushing hard on the now openly-gay African-American baseball star. But it's through Mason that we discover the play's true message. He starts out knowing nothing about the sport and through his fandom, develops a love for it that is at times poetic and at others, profound. It's through Mason also, that we learn who Lemming really is. It's only through that relationship that we begin to actually like our protagonist.

Greenberg frequently uses both Kippy and Mason as narrators, which I find to be a bit lazy when a writer uses so much narration for the exposition, but Mason's moments onstage in particular are so poignant and delightful, that I'm willing to forgive.

The cast at 1st Stage is first rate. Jaysen Wright as Lemming shows us a multi-dimensional character that could very easily fall flat, but Wright fights with the audience in the best of ways, challenging us to like him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him and Mason to wind up together at the end (a feeling I don't recall having with the original production, but I was all the more grateful for).

And Adam Downs as Mason was a revelation. We found ourselves waiting for his return every time he left the stage. Some actors have a strange ability to utterly change the dynamic of what's happening onstage around them. When Downs was onstage, everyone around him was more attentive, more involved and excited about the story they were telling. He's a generous actor who makes everyone's work a little easier.

The rest of the cast was also strong and supported the story beautifully. While at times, Doug Wilder's direction felt a bit paint-by-the-numbers, but happily he created some beautiful images and cast the show marvelously. As the play is set in a baseball locker room, there is some male nudity in the show. The woman sitting next to me in the front row said quite plainly "I'm sitting in the front because I'm 74, I haven't seen a penis in a long time - and there's no telling when I'll see one again." I will say that the briefness of the nudity and the use of a short wall around the shower set piece allowed for the audience to stop staring at man parts and actually listen to the scene (a luxury I don't believe I had when seeing the original).

Overall, I highly recommend taking a trip on the newly-opened Silver Line if you're in the DC area and checking out 1st Stage - and this production in particular. They have an excellent season lined up and I look forward to what they have in store.

Take Me Out runs through October 12th and tickets can be purchased at www.1stStageTysons.org or by calling 703-854-1856.

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