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Introduction
For over two decades, Fred Newman has been a unique voice in the American theatre.
In 30 highly original and entertaining plays and musicals, Newman’s plays
are deeply philosophical and accessible, sharply political and non-didactic. Read
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Links
• allstars.org |
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A
Baseball Legend Playing a New Position: Flawed Human
Eddie Goldstein
The New York Times
November 20, 2004
Sports fans wonder if the long-ball histrionics of Barry Bonds are chemically
enhanced and hear that a $27 million offer offends Latrell Sprewell, who explains
that he's concerned about feeding his family. So what happened to true sports
heroes like Jackie Robinson? He's featured in a new play where even a treasured
icon is not sacrosanct.
"Stealin' Home (A Baseball Fantasy)," written and directed by Fred
Newman, takes a revealing look at the man who broke baseball's color barrier. "Stealin'
Home" depicts the friendship between Robinson (Garrett Lee Hendricks) and
Pee Wee Reese (Andy Parker), his teammate, over four decades and pulls few punches
on the revered Brooklyn Dodger.
Respectful of Robinson's historical impact, Mr. Newman shows us the competitive,
prideful and playful star - then jump-cuts to Robinson's defending his rarely
recounted later years supporting Richard Nixon and testifying against Paul Robeson
at the Army - McCarthy hearings.
A clumsy final scene imagines Robinson sharing perspectives on his triumphs and
failures during a "second lifetime." Still, despite the clunky use
of a Greek chorus, embodied in the character of Sojourner (Donisha Brown), "Stealin'
Home" has much to share on racism, hero worship, cultural changes in the
United States and latent homosexuality in the locker room. Perhaps the most valuable
insight on contemporary role models is that only heroes in tights and capes can
live a lifetime in the public eye without regrets.
"Stealin' Home (A Baseball Fantasy)" runs through Dec. 12 at the Castillo
Theater,
543 West 42nd Street.
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