REVIEW: "Take Me Out" in Bloomington, IN

Performance: Thursday, March 25th (Final Dress Rehearsal)

Location: Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington, IN

Take Me Out by playwright Richard Greenberg, and 2003 Tony Award winning Best Play, was a highly anticipated show in the Indiana University Theatre Department season. Plays that focus on diversity related issues provide a unique opportunity for me to expose the students in my "Understanding Diversity" class to the art of theatre, and the notion that not all learning comes from a textbook. I am happy to say that this production surpassed my expectations.

Take Me Out follows the relationships and interactions among men on the New York Empires baseball team. When the team's star player, who also happens to be African American, easily announces that he is gay, the team must come to terms with this new knowledge which is especially difficult for the team's homophobic and racist pitcher. Beautifully acted and written, I was easily able to expose my students to the beauty of theatre and the complexities of human interaction, socially constructed norms and discrimination.

Admittedly, I have not been greatly impressed by the 2009/2010 IU Theatre Department season. However, I offer nothing but praise for this production. While I normally highlight the few standout performances, I welcome the difficulty that I have had singling out only a few.

First year MFA student Jaysen Wright, who brought to life star player Darren Lemming, commanded the stage from the moment he entered. His performance also offered complexity, as one wonders if his confidence and "no cares" attitude is genuine, or only a mask intended to shield his doubts. Freshman, Taylor Crousore (Shane Munger) offers the opposing force to Darren, as he holds strong to his homophobic and racists beliefs. Though Shane plays a large role in the play, his character has has very few lines; he thoughts, attitudes, and reactions by and large come only from the intricate mannerisms that Crousore developed. I was truly taken aback by the talent of this first year student.

Though not wishing to ignore the overall strength of this ensemble cast, I would be remiss not to mention Neal Utterback (Mason Marzac), seen to the right with Wright, who offered moments of laughter to the point of tears. Mason is Darren's new, VERY gay, business manager. Marzac's timing, over the top mannerisms, and general likability quickly made him an audience favorite.

I never would have guessed that the performance I was watching was a final dress rehearsal. My kudos go out to the cast and crew of this production.