IAN PETERSON, Daniel Forrest and Samuel R.J. Hanke in Golden West College’s production of “Take Me Out” on the Mainstage Theater through Saturday, Oct. 18.

By Thom deMartino
Orange County Tribune

For being America’s “national pastime,” baseball isn’t all that welcoming to everyone. Particularly those trying to live their truth.

There’s a striking, powerful production currently staging at Golden West College’s Mainstage Theater, the baseball-themed “Take Me Out.” Written by Richard Greenberg and directed by Martie Ramm, it revolves around the fictional New York Empires baseball team, particularly their star center fielder, Darren Lemming (Samuel R.J. Hanke). Narrated by his friend and team shortstop Kippy Sunderstrom (Ian Pedersen), the story follows the events — and the fallout — after the charismatic (and bi-racial) Darren comes out as gay to his teammates, and the world at large.

While the centerfielder is nonchalant about his revelation, it’s not long before the reverberations of his announcement begin shaking the team and its morale. Because while he might be trying to be true to himself, the other players are suddenly uneasy, self-conscious and defensive with a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the clubhouse as they dress and prepare for games.

The anger and discomfort is palpable: although the catcher Jason Chenier (Tyler Pedersen) initially praises Darren, saying how he’s in awe of him, infielder Toddy Koovitz (Robert White) gets defensive. He complains how he has to worry about walking around naked and being “checked out” by the gay player — culminating in him angrily throwing the epithet “queer” in Darren’s face.

With his popularity and superstar status, he’d thought himself immune, untouchable: but Darren soon discovers the downside to being so open in the hyper-masculine sports environment. It’s not just the muttering and the uncomfortable stares, but the undertone of him becoming something lesser in the eyes of his former compatriots, save for Kippy.

There’s already some noticeable segregation within the clubhouse, with the black and Latino players being on one side of the clubhouse, and the white players on the other: but now they seem united in their passive-aggressive interactions and quiet homophobia towards him, while Darren continues to rise above it.

There are some bright spots, however — such as when his new accountant/financial advisor Mason Marzac (William Dawley) praises the centerfielder for his openness, inspiring him to become a fan of the sport, as well as Darren.

But all of this comes to a head with a new addition to the team roster, the rural relief pitcher Shane Mungitt (Daniel Forrest.) Brought in as a closer, his work helps the team start coming from behind in the league… But at a cost. While he’s immensely talented, Shane is also arguably damaged: having lived through a devastating childhood trauma, it’s clearly taken its toll on him (whether he acknowledges it or not.)

And when an interview goes sideways after Shane ignorantly spouts off racial and homophobic slurs (including calling the black players “colored”), the team — and Darren — are left wondering what effect this highly publicized outburst will have on the franchise, as well as Darren’s own life.

This is a deceptively powerful production being staged by Golden West’s Mainstage Theater: wrapped in the guise of a baseball story, it distinctly revolves more about identity and acceptance, and the cost one can pay for being true to themselves.

Presently, there are no openly gay players in Major League Baseball, and the only ones who have actually come out (in the nearly 25 years since the play was penned) have been after they retired. The writing does an outstanding job of displaying the uncomfortableness of the other players, who nearly universally think it’s about them — is Darren looking me over, sizing me up? Considering the way society has frequently objectified women as being the sum of their appearance, it’s ironic to see the players so concerned about being the subject of a different flavor of the “male gaze.”

Hanke excels in his role as Darren, with his seemingly boundless confidence — only it’s not too long before he’s feeling the effects of his unexpected revelation. He doesn’t want to be a symbol, and chafes at the thought of being seen as a victim… He simply didn’t want to hide who is is anymore. And for all his bravado, it’s heartrending seeing the events increasingly affecting him, chipping away at that formerly nonchalant attitude.

As to Ian Pedersen, this is without a doubt his best performance to date. He’s done excellent work in his other appearances at the Golden West College theater, but his Kippy shines with his intellect and empathy. His deliberate pacing in his narration, his sympathy — even as it may mask his own unease — towards Darren, display his complexity as a character, as he tries to negotiate the fraught events, even with the troubled closing pitcher.

Forrest’s Shane is a mess — and that’s exactly how he’s meant to be. His performance is troubling, disturbing… and immensely powerful. Seeing and understanding the tragedies that shaped him by no means excuse his prejudice and antiquated views on human rights, but it does illustrate how our pasts shape us — and how some may never rise above it, particularly when they can’t even see how it’s left them walking wounded, hurting others.

“Take Me Out” is more than the sum of its parts: not just a baseball story, not just one man’s truth and his struggle to openly live it; but of them and our society at large — and how the winds of change are ever wearing away at the stony face of our own biases, whether we’re ready for it or not.

“Take Me Out:” Ian Pedersen, Samuel R.J. Hanke and Daniel Forrest star in this gripping tale of both baseball and identity… And the cost of being true to oneself. Now playing through Oct. 18 at at the Golden West College Mainstage Theater, 15751 Gothard St, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. Tickets available through the box office at 714-895-8150, x1 or at http://www.gwctheater.com. Some mature themes and trigger warning for graphic language.