Bang The Drum Slowly at Gunston Arts Center

Bang The Drum Slowly

Gunston Arts Center
2700 S. Lang Street Arlington

The roar of the crowd and the quiet dignity of the human spirit are both celebrated in Bang the Drum Slowly, the brilliant adaptation of Mark Harris' classic novel. One of the best plays about friendship ever written, this touching drama focuses on the bond between a Major League pitcher and his catcher, a country boy struggling to cope with a terminal illness. Featuring both the excitement of a pennant race and the drudgery of life on the road, the play is ultimately about how two totally different people can come to care for each other, remaining loyal until the very end. This stage version builds on the success of the 1955 novel and the acclaimed film adaptation starring Robert Di Nero. Ellen Dempsey directs at the Gunston Arts Center.

Thru - Feb 1, 2014

Price: $32 - $40

Show Type: Drama

Running Time: 2 hours, with 1 intermission

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Bang The Drum Slowly Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...The American Century Theater (TACT), a stalwart presence in the DC area theatre community, is now presenting the stage adaptation by Eric Simonson of Mark Harris’ novel (the second in a series of four) entitled Bang the Drum Slowly). The material was also adapted to a successful 1973 film starring Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty."

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- David Friscic

Talkin Broadway - Somewhat Recommended

"...Bang the Drum Slowly, the current production of American Century Theater in Arlington, Virginia, is achingly sincere but too often dramatically inert. This story of baseball players coalescing into a family in the face of tragedy has possibilities, but Eric Simonson's script never really comes to life despite a game cast and an experienced director, Ellen Dempsey."

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- Susan Berlin

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...The production falters slightly in its final inning, with Crump's concluding monologue feeling hurried and anticlimactic. But his closing line is a powerful one. He should take a moment to center himself on the mound before he lets it go."

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- Chris Klimek

ShowBizRadio - Recommended

"...One of the important themes of the play is the extent to which casual cruelty hurts not only the emotions but also the performance of those against it is directed. (Richie Incognito take note.) At play’s end, Henry reflects not only on how his teammates affected Bruce’s life but also on his own forgetfulness of Bruce’s needs, concluding, in one the best last lines of any play, “From here on in, I rag nobody.” Not a bad thought to take out of the theater."

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- Bob Ashby

DCTheatreScene - Recommended

If you don’t know a bunt from a fly-ball or a run from an out, fear not. There is nostalgia for the boys of summer but baseball is merely the vehicle which helps deliver a story about the power of the human spirit.

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- Jeff Walker

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Bang The Drum Slowly at Gunston Arts Center