A & E

Baseball, our most American sport, becomes the playing field for Richard Greenberg's examination of democracy, racism, celebrity, sexuality and discrimination.

The focus of Greenberg's Tony Award-winning play "Take Me Out" is baseball superstar Darren Lemming, the young, rich, biracial, talented and handsome centerfielder of the world-champion New York Empires professional baseball team.

When Lemming casually announces that he is gay, his announcement alters relationships, perceptions and opinions as the news spreads through the team, the media and the nation.

The play is being presented by barebones productions as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival's 4th River Projects.

"It's about bigotry, sexuality, bravery, baseball and the American way. That sounds corny, but baseball can be corny," says New Kensington native David Whalen, who is directing. "Everyone gets a chance to step up to the plate and hit the ball -- or not -- and then they get another chance."

Barebones productions artistic director Patrick Jordan had been wanting to produce "Take Me Out" after reading a script of the play soon after its Broadway debut in 2003.

"I loved it, but I never thought I could do it. It has 11 actors, requires running hot water and controversy," says Jordan, who also is cast in the play.

Since founding barebones productions in 2003, Jordan's company has taken pride in creating edgy, provocative, thought-enticing plays that might not otherwise be done here.

Recent productions such as "Bug," "The Grey Zone" and "Frozen" have tackled difficult topics such as paranoia in contemporary society, the horrifying choices of Holocaust survivors and a compassionate look at a serial child killer.

The stumbling block wasn't the potential controversy of staging a shower scene in which the team members are completely naked. What stopped him was the expense of supplying the hot water for that shower as well as hiring a big cast, some of whom would be actors from out-of-town.

When 4th River Projects and the Three Rivers Arts Festival approached Jordan about collaborating on a production, he knew he would have the financial backing to do the play properly.

The all-male cast is headed by New York-based actor Christian Felix as Darren Lemming, who calls it the role of a lifetime.

"It's a character I can relate to, being biracial. There are thousands of actors who come from hybridic backgrounds, but very rarely is it recognized as an entry point to a whole host of issues in the play," Felix says. "David (Whalen) knows the play incredibly well. It's ensemble-led. My character starts a chain of events. But we all have crucial, necessary parts to play."

"Take Me Out" will be performed in Navarra, an intimate, brick-walled event space on Seventh Street that will place actors within inches of audience members.

"It's a found space. Its heightened intimacy plays with the private/public (issues). It's a whole new way to do it and very right," says Felix. "Its intimacy lends itself to the language of the play. Its language is so precious, so important, so crucial."

The cast also includes Bingo O'Malley, Tom Aulino, Tristan Farmer, Jeffrey Carpenter, Joshua Elijah Reese, Jose Rivas, Joseph "J.J." Jackson and Tony Bingham.

"It's a winning team," Whalen says. "And it feels like a team."

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