BlackBalled

Very interesting piece and fascinating subject matter. A great piece to bring to the stage. ... full review

I usually love historical dramas, and Blackballed is just what I wanted to see after learning about it at a Fringe Office Hours. Blackballed was the kind of slow burn that I love to watch on TV and stage. So much of theatre experiments with plot, costume, staging, etc., and sometimes all you need to tell a compelling story is the verisimillitude and dialogue that Blackballed delivered so well.... full review

The story is a compelling one and one which I very much wanted to see played out on stage. I know it was a preview/opening, but the number of incredibly slow, and (several incorrect) tech cues, slowed the pace of the show to a degree that truly detracted from the experience. Actors were left onstage waiting for lights to come up several times. Also there was a photographer in the booth shooting the show whose camera chirped and clicked with every shot -- those sounds can be turned off. It was incredibly distracting.... full review

I walked in eager to know more about the history of black baseball, before my time, and walked out an hour later with my expectations thwarted! This well-crafted play, with three sharply-drawn characters, provided NO context and I left knowing no more about the subject overall than when I went in! Maybe the script would need to be twice as long, but I wanted to know WHO the three principal characters actually were and HOW they came to own baseball teams! (Also, it was never clear how "the one white guy" was related to them!) I can't fault the actors, who obviously knew their craft and their characters---but I didn't know who they were playing! Only in the last quarter-hour, when Jackie Robinson appears on the historic scene (and well-pla... full review

The play was extraordinary and timely. The acting was memorable and superb. The writing highlighted the struggles of the time period and carried moments of laughter and takeaways. ... full review