Bleacher Bums
Bleacher Bums
Conceived by Joe Mantegna and the Organic Theater Company
Directed by Frank Hilgenberg
Starring Dean Walkuski, John Minioble, John Bateman
Theater Downtown, Orlando FL</strong>
Its summertime in the bleachers of beautiful Wrigley Field and the fans are arriving with sunscreen, hotdogs and a penchant for making weird bets on the game. Zig (Walkuski) bets with his heart, while Marvin (Bateman) bets with his head. Given the Cubs typical performance, cash flows from the believers to the doubters with clockwork regularity. Decker (Minioble) can afford to lose a few bucks but keeps a level head about the Cubs – you have love ‘em to gain admittance to the cheap seats, but betting on them is a fool’s errand.
“Bleacher Bums” is a fun ensemble piece populated by a strong set of TDT regulars and perfect for this first really warm weekend of the year. Both Walkuski and Bateman get better and better every time I see them. Tonight they give stunning performances – Walkuski as the vein-popping loyalist, and Bateman as the slimy bookie who more concerned with making a living than living a dream. Supporting them is Ritchie (Justin Bowen) the geeky kid made of rubber bands and odd angles who get ice-cream all over himself as he attempts to get sexy Melody’s ( Jackie Prutsman) phone number. It’s never clear why Melody wandered into this low rent district, but she gets the attention of the boys with her low cut dress that constantly teases but never reveals. By the end of the game, Ritchie gets her number but its blind realist Greg (Mark Carrasquillo) who takes her home. Aaron Babcock appears as the gung-ho uber-fan armed with statistics and the names of the outfielder’s illicit girl friend. Rachel Aldrich plays Zig’s wife Rose, and when she learns how to hedge off his bets, she infuriates him to the point of his falling back in love with her. As the game unfolds, Greg’s transistor radio keeps us up to pace with the stats, and when things get close, the cast is on its feet, yelling and hollering like it’s a game they really care about.
While gambling fills the time, the story is about faith and fellowship and attending a sacred service. As long as there is orthodoxy in the stands, the world is fine, win or lose. It’s only when the snake of hard-headed logic invades the Garden of Eden that misery befalls. Logic requires doubt, and if you doubt the true purity of baseball as a metaphor for life, then a loss of a cocky game bet really hurts deep in your heart. After all, God didn’t kick Adam and Eve out for nibbling from the Tree of Suspension of Disbelief – its The Knowledge of Good and Evil that excludes you from the Tree of Life.
For more information, please visit http://www.theatredowntown.net
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