Review Fix Exclusive: Allen Meyer Talks ‘The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy’

Review Fix chats with “The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy” co-playwright Allen Meyer, who discusses the historical comedy of Major League star William “Dummy” Hoy and how he changed America’s pastime forever.

Set for a 10-day run at the Gene Frankel Theatre, “The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy” is more than a comedy for baseball fan, it’s a coming of age story that reminds us that anyone, in spite of their disabilities, can achieve anything.Allen Myer – one of “The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy” playwrights

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the play?

Allen Meyer: When I came across the story of William “Dummy” Hoy, I was amazed that it had not formally been told in play, movie or book form. Much research was done by Michael and me. This included meeting his heirs, and traveling to many of the places Hoy lived and played baseball in. We quickly learned what a terrific baseball player he was, as well as an upstanding person. Baseball is full of folklore, and this story needed to be included. Having a deaf daughter as I do, did inspire us as well.

Review Fix: How important is this story? Why do you think it should be told?

Meyer: Michael and I agreed early on that this was going to be a play about people, about relationships, about accepting your own weaknesses and challenges when a person who is somewhat different arrives on the scene. It is a very important statement about the variety of personalities exists within the human specie, and how people evolve…..or don’t. This kind of presentation never gets too old to be told.

Review Fix: What was the writing and research process like?

Meyer:  As the play is not brand new, the research process was a bit more manual than what it would be like today. However it was exciting and a valuable journey. As for the writing, it was a joy. Michael and I did not know each other prior to agreeing to write The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy. So the writing began with six months of discussion, creating a comfort level with each other and our vision of the nature of the play. The writing itself was a true collaboration of ideas, words and the creation of a diverse group of characters. To tell my truth, when the words “The End” were written, there was a feeling of bitter sweetness. It did not last long. There were plenty of rewrites, additions and fortunately, many productions.

Review Fix: What was the casting process like?

Meyer: As a rule, writers are not involved in the casting process. This is a vital and personal decision of the Director, who has their own vision of the characters. Michael and I were involved in casting the first production in Chicago, and the one in Portland, Oregon that Michael himself Directed. The only caveat we have is that Dummy Hoy be played by a deaf actor, except under extenuating circumstances and with our permission. This exception has mainly been granted to High School productions.

Review Fix: What are your goals for this production?

Meyer: Our goals for every production are the same. We want audiences first and foremost to be entertained. Without that, nothing the play has to offer will be accomplished. After that we want the audience to come away further sensitized to the plight of the deaf, and to the need search ones inner self about their relationships in general. Tolerance, empathy, respect and life’s gift of how teamwork should always be an asset.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?

Meyer: As Ringling Bros. says, “Ladies, Gentleman and children of all ages.” This is a family play. One can enjoy it for and by themselves, or take away some message about their loved ones.

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

Meyer: For me, it is not so much “remembered.” Sure we want people to now remember who Dummy Hoy was. But more importantly, I want people to take something of the play home with them. This is what motivates me to continue to believe in the play, as I have been privileged to hear stories of how it still affects people who saw it years ago.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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