Humans are flawed. Language is raw. Art imitates life.
Jason Miller’s 1972 play That Championship Season – which won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play – is rarely produced these days.
Notably direct in its portrayal of five men who once shared the glory of a high school basketball championship, the script is quite raw, with curse-filled anger, disparaging references to blacks, Jews, and women, infidelities, double-dealing, and rough humor. As the playwright did not hold back on language and frankness, neither does Main Street Productions’ offering, directed by Lori Raffel.
Set in the Scranton, Pa., home of the Coach, earnestly played by Jim Simmons, what remains of the winning team has gathered to celebrate their glory days of 25 years ago. There is town mayor George Sitkowski, an often-frantic Earl Campbell, whose re-election day is upcoming. His former teammates have acted as advisors and beneficiaries of George’s position. That includes Phil Romano, an oily Ken Kingshill, whose wealth is derived from his mining operations – with permits provided by the mayor, junior high school principal James Daley, played with wide open emotions by Mark Kamish, and Tom Daley, James’ unsuccessful alcoholic brother, stoically offered by Adrian Blackwell, who seeks nothing more than a chance to be cynical while downing the next bottle.
(From left) Coach (Jim Simmons), Tom (Adrian Blackwell), Phil (Ken Kingshill), George (Earl Campbell), and James (Mark Kamish). (Photo provided by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
As the storyline quickly turns from celebrating to strategizing an election plan, the play reflects themes of nostalgia, failure, the importance of winning, and a cacophony of human flaws. The Coach’s idealisms, which once drove the team to proud victories, now ring hollow, and he is shown to be a bigot and a fraud. Friendships hard won by shared glories are brutally tested by recent events.
This is a difficult play in many ways – certainly for the actors playing the nightly anguish and disarray, but also for audience members. There is no one to root for here – there is hardly any protagonist to identify with – perhaps the Coach in his finer moments of encouragements. But all are antagonists, leaving us patrons with a disbalanced feeling at the end – no doubt what the playwright was aiming for.
Bottom line: This ensemble of performers works hard to do the script justice. Though the workings are uneven at times, there is enough energy and understanding of motivation to provide a strong overall production. Be warned of very harsh language and attitudes. Not everyone desired to sit through the opening night show, and it was not surprising to me as our senses are indeed tested.
That Championship Season continues in Westfield through April 14. Information about the schedule and reservations can be found at westfieldplayhouse.org or by calling (317) 402-3341.
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