|
The Winning Streak
By Lee Blessing
Directed by Brian Russell
At Apple Tree Theatre
595 Elm Place
Highland Park, IL
Call 847-432-4335, tickets $35 - $45
Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 PM
Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 5 & 8:30 PM
Sundays at 3 & 7 PM
Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission
Through July 16, 2006
The Winning Streak plays like the Cubs this year
Apple Tree Theatre’s last production in the shopping center on Elm Place ends their amazingly wonderful ‘winning streak’ of fine theatre. In search of a permanent home, Apple Tree Theatre hopes to stay in Highland Park and will use a smaller venue for their upcoming season.
The Winning Streak by Lee Blessing isn’t a terrific play and in the hands of Bob Breuler it becomes an unruly affair. Breuler plays a nasty old man, former Major League Baseball umpire who agrees to meet his estranged son after 30 years. Matthew Brumlow, a sensitive and engaging actor tries to make this premise work. He gets little help since Breuler flubs many lines leaving Brumlow struggling to keep the play afloat. I have seen Breuler do this in several plays. Breuler also seems to change the tone of his character whenever he wishes. Brumlow’s bewildered and surprised double take is testimony to Breuler’s unpredictable antics.
 |
Maybe he was trying to make something more from Lee Blessing’s unoriginal script. Blessing uses a baseball motif and mixes comedy with drama to tell the story of a 30something man’s search for the father he never knew. The son is an artsy type and the father is a mean spirited loner whose only pleasure seems to be watching his baseball team on its current winning streak. The early scenes depict Omar (the former umpire) as a crude, rude and uncaring person that Ry (the son) most likely would have quickly decided was not worth getting to know. But, of course, the play would have ended so the playwright forces Ry to continue relating to this unlovable loser until the inevitable reconciliation scenes after Ry confesses he isn’t what he said he is. Blessing, a baseball fanatic, uses the winning streak devise that has Omar demanding that Ry stay in town as long a his team is on their winning streak. Ry agrees thus Blessing has him hooked to play out the inevitable ending.
 |
Matthew Brumlow is effective as the desperate Ry and adapts to Breuler’s stumbling performance like a real pro. Breuler started out as deliciously nasty sort but then he sprinkles cutesy bits into the mix that he seems to be inventing as he goes along. Still, Breuler and Brumlow have some moving moments as they effectively communicate their feeling. Too bad they don’t have better material.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2006
|
