Saturday, March 12, 2011

Theater Review: That Championship Season

Championship Season Turns into Full-Court Press
By Lauren Yarger
Four teammates and their coach reunite to recapture the glory of their high school basketball championship season, but 20 years later, when they meet in 1972, the heady memories turn into a pressurized full-court press as the men face challenges of health, success and loyalty on the other side of their once glorious youth.

George Sikowski (Jim Gaffigan) is now the mayor of the town, somewhere in the Lackawanna Valley, and promises campaign manager and junior high principal James Daley (Kiefer Sutherland) the superintendent of schools job if he’s re-elected. George’s success depends on a big campaign contribution from Phil Romano (Chris Noth), but it seem both he and James might want to tip the ball to George‘s opponent.

Using the influence he still has with his former athletes, Coach (Brian Cox), who isn’t in the best of health these days himself, plies the men with drink -- even James’ alcoholic brother Tom (Jason Patric) -- and tries to rally loyalty and teamwork, but he might get blocked. There are several turnovers in an even match seemed destined for overtime until a foul is called: Phil had an affair with George’s wife complicating the mayor’s decision to accept his help.

That Championship Season by Jason Miller was a "nothing-but-net" winner of the NY Drama Critics Circle, the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize when it premiered on Broadway in 1973, but its dialogue, full of the men’s racial prejudices and degradation of women, makes it seem more a lucky rim shot today.

Gregory Mosher directs a talented cast including two of television’s most popular stars. Sutherland does a good job creating a character not reminiscent of “24’s” Jack Bauer and has great chemistry with Noth of “Law & Order” and “Sex in the City” fame. Patric scores a three-pointer for his portrayal of defeated-in-life Tom, whose funny sarcasm increases with his level of inebriation.

Mosher applies zone, rather than man-to-man direction with the rest of the cast, however. Gaffigan seems miscast and never develops a rhythm with the other players. Cox’s portrayal causes the coach to look more like a bench warmer than the controlling manipulator the dialogue tells us he is.

MVP of this production, however, goes to Michael Yeargan for his functional and visually satisfying design of the elegant stained-glass, wood-trimmed set of the old home the coach inherited from his mother.

The limited engagement runs through May 29 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 West 45th St., NYC. For tickets call 212-239-6200 or 800-432-7250.

Christians might also like to know:
Language
Lord’s name taken in vain
Sexual dialogue

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Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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