Having a ball ‘Rounding Third’
Tom Titus
When Michael Mulheren and Kevin Symons sit down to exchange
theater stories between performances of “Rounding Third” at the
Laguna Playhouse, it’s not difficult to spot extensions of their
onstage characters in their offstage banter.
Mulheren, who plays the hardened, veteran Little League baseball
coach in Richard Dresser’s new play, and Symons, who plays the sports
novice who becomes his assistant, are eliciting terrific response to
their two-character comedy, which continues through Feb. 3.
They’re also collecting anecdotes to be recounted in future green
room bull sessions.
One of the most memorable, Mulheren relates, occurred just a week
before, when the van used by his character was supposed to be rolled
out on stage -- but wasn’t, due to a technical glitch. “I had to open
the scene in the dark,” he recalled.
Another snafu put Symons on the spot when the zipper bag
containing the baseball equipment he’s supposed to sort out refused
to open. “I finally went backstage and got a box cutter and slit it
open,” he said. “We couldn’t do the scene without that gear.”
Since they’re the only actors on stage, Mulheren and Symons have
established a mutual dependency not uncommon in the theater, when
each is acutely dependent on the other’s timing. “It’s not
Shakespeare, but you have to develop a sense of rhythm,” Mulheren
says.
Both actors have experienced the terrifying experience of being an
understudy thrust into action on short notice. Symons remembers a
particularly edgy occurrence when he was called on to take over the
character of Biff Loman in “Death of a Salesman” -- on one day’s
rehearsal.
“The other actors would come over to me and surreptitiously move
me to where I was supposed to be,” he laughed.
For Mulheren, some of the sarcastic remarks he makes about the
musical “Brigadoon” are particularly ironic, since the actor once
performed in that musical.
And when they chat with the audience members after the show,
Mulheren says, “Someone usually comes up to me and says, ‘I knew
somebody just like you,’” recalling a particularly demanding youth
baseball coach.
And Mulheren’s drill sergeant-like character isn’t too far into
caricature.
Symons tells of his own Little League experience, when he hadn’t
obtained a larger fielder’s glove to play in an advanced division. “I
missed a grounder and the coach never let me forget it,” he says. “I
was scarred for life.”
Both have immense respect for playwright Dresser, whose characters
break out of the stereotypical mold to deal with issues that have
been suppressed, primarily Mulheren’s Don, with his commitment to the
Little League team. Symons’ neophyte Michael simply wants the
opportunity to bond with his awkward stepson.
That the Little Leaguers appear only in the minds of the playgoers
puts an extra burden on the actor-coaches. “It’s on our shoulders,”
he said. “We get to create the kids in the audiences’ mind.”
“Rounding Third” continues for one more week, closing Feb. 2, at
the Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Tickets may be
ordered by calling (949) 497-2787.
* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.
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