Review: PICKLEBALL at Hillbarn Theatre

What happens when competition, romance, and a whole lot of ridiculousness collide on the pickleball court?
Pickleball at Hillbarn Theatre, written by Jeff Daniels, takes one of the country’s fastest-growing sports and serves it up as an unabashedly silly comedy filled with eccentric players, romantic entanglements, and plenty of physical humor. Whether you know your dink from your drive or, like me, barely know much about the sport at all, the play invites audiences into a community where what happens off the court can be just as chaotic as what happens on it.

Walking into opening night, it quickly became apparent that there were plenty of pickleball players in the audience, which added another layer of fun to the experience. References and inside jokes were met with knowing laughter from around the house, but thankfully, you don’t need to be a seasoned player to follow along. Hillbarn embraces the absurdity of the material wholeheartedly, creating an evening that asks audiences to simply relax and enjoy the ridiculous ride.

Having never seen Pickleball before, I’ll admit I expected the story itself to offer a little more comedy and excitement than it ultimately did for me. There isn’t an enormous amount of depth or underlying meaning to unpack, but I’m also not entirely convinced there needs to be. Once I stopped looking for something deeper and accepted the play for the lighthearted comedy it wants to be, I found myself enjoying it more.

The plot is ridiculous—and I mean that affectionately. Hillbarn seems fully aware of what kind of show this is and leans into that silliness rather than fighting against it. Where the script occasionally left me wanting more, the actors consistently picked up the slack. The true humor of this production lies in their performances, with sharp comedic instincts, fearless physical humor, and impeccable timing giving the material an extra boost of energy.

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Erin Gould brought plenty of laughs as Larry, a recent divorcé eager to find his next shot at love. Gould approached the character with an endearing sense of optimism while still embracing all of the awkwardness and comedy that comes with Larry’s journey back into the dating world.

Chris Reber was hilarious as Sheldon, particularly through his physical comedy. He fully committed to the perpetually injured-player shtick, finding new ways to make the recurring joke land throughout the evening. His willingness to throw himself physically into the comedy made several of his moments especially memorable.

 My personal favorite, however, was Rebecca Schweitzer as Billie. Playing a gay Midwesterner with what felt like an endless supply of energy, Schweitzer brought an infectious enthusiasm to every scene. Her delivery, physicality, and sheer commitment had me cracking up throughout the evening, and she provided many of the production’s biggest laughs.

Imri M. Tate was equally entertaining as Perfect, the player appropriately regarded as the best on the court. Tate seemed to embrace the heightened absurdity of the piece perhaps more than anyone, creating a character that fit seamlessly into this wonderfully strange world.

Across the board, this cast understood the assignment. Rather than trying to ground the material too heavily, they committed to its heightened comedic style and trusted their timing to carry the humor—and that choice paid off.

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The design team also did plenty to bring the pickleball world to life. Pamila Gray’s lighting was terrific as always, enhancing even the smallest comedic moments while giving the production a polished visual identity. I especially enjoyed the silhouetted sequences around the stage, which were a clever addition to the show’s overall aesthetic.

Jeff Mockus’s sound design brought a modern, fresh energy to the space and helped establish the rhythm of the production before the actors even had to do the work themselves. The music and effects complemented the playful tone without overwhelming it.

Artistic Director Steve Muterspaugh’s scenic design was perhaps the clearest visual representation of the show itself: bright, colorful, sharp, and unmistakably pickleball. The court-inspired environment immediately established where we were and gave the performers an ideal playground for all of the physical comedy that followed.

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Pickleball isn’t trying to offer a profound examination of the human condition—and perhaps that’s exactly the point. It’s ridiculous, lighthearted, and built around characters who take their beloved sport far more seriously than anyone reasonably should. Hillbarn’s talented cast understands that tone and finds plenty of laughs within it.

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