Overview
Synopsis
Applauded for its complex treatment of professional sports and homosexuality, Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out is a riveting drama driven by the love of baseball. Center fielder Darren Lemming, the star player of the Empires, has seemed to have a charmed life. Unexpectedly, he publicly announces that he is gay--and turns the world of baseball on its head. As Darren’s teammates and fans navigate this new revelation against their preconceived notions of athletics and masculinity, relief pitcher Shane Mungitt is plucked from the Minor Leagues to join the team. All seems fine--until Shane’s racist and homophobic television interview. Now, the Empires must confront their own biases, and Darren (who has always wanted to be envied by others) must deal with the loss of his god-like status. Shane returns to the team for one fateful, tragic pitch, and the world of baseball will never be the same.
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Context
Richard Greenberg was inspired to write Take Me Out based on the stories of Major League Baseball players who came out following their retirement--notably Billy Bean, who retired in 1995, but did not announce that he was gay until 1999. Greenberg wondered what might happen if an active professional player came out in the middle of a season, and his speculation turned into the play.
Greenberg’s characters in Take Me Out are heavily inspired by actual MLB teams, players, and events. The
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Act One
Kippy Sunderstrom, the shortstop for the Empires, appears. He tries to take the audience back to when “the whole mess” started. Kippy introduces Darren Lemming, the center fielder and the star player of the Empires. Darren’s life has always been easy and he’s always received accolades from everyone. But when the team started to slump, Kippy explains, they called up Shane Mungitt, a pitcher from the Minor Leagues. At the same time, Darren has told the world that he is gay, and now
to read the plot for Take Me Out and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Take Me Out.
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Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A dramatic device that transports the narrative to an earlier time to provide background or context.
A character or voice that tells part of the story, offering commentary or background. Narrators are frequently used in children’s theatre and epic productions.
A genre that centers LGBTQ+ characters and themes, challenging heteronormative narratives and celebrating diverse identities in performance.
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress