DIG, VOLLEY, SPIKE!
The play also reiterates the thesis that athletic activities provide young males with valuable “character-building” experience and train them to be autonomous, responsible adults–and proposes that the same might be true for females. It also explores female-bonding rituals–the shared discussion of thwarted ambitions, fear of flying, job versus babies, two-timing boyfriends, insensitive husbands, incapacitated parents. Although it has only one tearful hug, it does have a nice double-handed handclasp and lots of jubilant high fives.
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Honors for the superlatively accurate English accents go to dialect coach Gillian Lane-Plescia. Honors, too, go to director Susan V. Booth for a group of actresses who play together with the precision and coordination of–well, a team. Particularly memorable are Vita Dennis as the wisecracking Elaine and Lynne Magnavite as Ace, an achiever so intense you expect her to glow in the dark. Blair Glaser does what she can with the stereotypically ditsy Basher, as does Ruth Arnold with the suburban homemaker Christine. Andrea Dzavik, as the sweet-but-klutzy Molly, and Cyndee Redlinger, as Jo, the veteran coach trying for one more season, bring strength and dignity to their roles.
