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| David Nelson, Eric Boudreau and Jaime Gaeta |
"Richard Greenberg's play Take Me Out created quite a stir when it premiered Off-Broadway in 2002, due to the amount of male nudity in that production. After a London run, the production moved to Broadway in the spring of 2003 and swept all of the major awards, including winning the Tony Award for Best Play. Take Me Out's main theme deals with homosexuality in professional sports, but the drama touches upon many other things too, from race and bigotry to male bonding and how baseball is basically a metaphor for life. I saw the show with both the original Off-Broadway and Broadway companies and I'm happy to report that the Nearly Naked Theatre Company's current production of the play is on par with those productions. It is well directed and designed, with a fairly good cast and effective staging in an intimate space, and the play still resonates today.
Greenberg's play is ambitious but unfortunately leaves some questions unanswered, and a few actions that the main characters make aren't exactly clearly explained. It also isn't quite as moving or inspiring as it originally was. This is possibly due to several professional athletes who have come out in the past 12 years, even though no major ballplayers came out while they were still actively playing the sport like Darren does in the play. There is also the fact of changing views of homosexuals and more acceptance of gay rights during the past twelve years, especially same sex marriage. However, this is still an effective play, as the topic and themes of racism, bigotry and acceptance remain relevant today. The Nearly Naked Theatre Company production has a good cast, clear creative elements and effective direction." Take Me Out runs through February 1st with performances at Phoenix Theatre's Hardes Little Theatre at 100 E. McDowell in Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased by calling (602) 254-2151 or at nearlynakedtheatre.org
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