October is the pinnacle month for Major League Baseball. But the World Series is a long way from frets and fervor of Little League baseball as we see in “Rounding Third” the season’s first presentation of the Ovation Series at The Ocala Civic Theatre.
Don (Ken Noble) is the coach of a non-descript LLB team. His son, Jimmy, is the star pitcher.
Don believes that winning is the goal of every team even if it involves a little cheating. His previous Assistant Coach has moved on and Michael (Jeffery L. Ryan) is the only volunteer for the open slot. Michael knows little about the game, but he wants to support his adopted son to play and interact with other youngsters. His philosophy is focused on ‘having fun’ and winning is incidental.
Banter fills the stage in this two-man show. For the most part there are plenty of laughs in a script that makes you switch allegiances several times. But the problems of the script outweigh the humor.
The play is nearly three hours long including intermission—way too long for a two-man show. The involvement of the personal lives of Don and Michael are diversions from the appealing theme of the play. Both Noble and Ryan deserve applause for taking on these arduous roles. Line pick-up is good with only a few fluffs and pauses.
Veteran Noble is a risk-taker in taking on roles outside his previous performances at OCT. Unfortunately, Noble is physically too “long in the tooth” for someone who has a son in LLB.
Newcomer to OCT, Ryan has an impressive resume. He physically fits the part, but intentionally or not, his character comes off as foppish.
Near the end of the show, Don quits his post and Michael must take over and we see how the shoe uneasily fits on another foot.
“Rounding Third” runs through Oct. 18. For further information check the OCT Web Site at www.ocalacivictheatre.com.
Villager Jack Petro reviews local theater for Villages-News.com
