In this Tony Award-winning Best Play, playwright Richard Greenberg celebrates the personal and professional intricacies of America's favorite pastime. When Darren Lemming (Jesse Williams), the star center fielder for the Empires, comes out of the closet, the reception off the field reveals a barrage of long-held unspoken prejudices. Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to contend with the challenges of being a gay person of color within the confines of a classic American institution. As the Empires struggle to rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties, and the price of victory.
Directed by Scott Ellis, this revival, too, is a solid hit, despite a few grounding errors. It should also prove to be popular for all market segments, especially with its triple-play of television favorites: two who are taking their Broadway bows for the first time, along with a beloved stage veteran.
Ellis's ensemble cast-which also includes Julian Chi as a Japanese pitcher, Hiram Delgado and Eduardo Ramos as macho Empires, and Ken Marks as their manager-is a model of teamwork, with the main cast leading the charge. The role of Darren is challenging because the character is such a cipher ('I don't have a secret, Kippy. I am a secret'), but Williams balances believable swagger with lovely shades of growing self-awareness. Oberholtzer brings high low-life intensity to his performance as the foolish Shane, and Dirden is a pillar of testy rectitude as the pious Davey. But Mason is by far the play's best role, and Ferguson-warm, sweet and infectiously enthusiastic-is the show's most valuable player. In every moment he spends onstage, with every perfectly timed aperçu, he wears the audience like a glove.
| 2002 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2003 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
| 2022 | Broadway |
Second Stage Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
| 2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Return Engagement Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Jesse Williams |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Take Me Out |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Patrick J. Adams |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Scott Ellis |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Michael Oberholtzer |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Take Me Out |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Michael Oberholtzer |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Jesse Williams |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Take Me Out |
| 2021 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | Patrick J Adams |
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