“Runt of the Litter†isn’t currently on Broadway, but a film is in the works based on it, so before you eventually head to the movies to see it, check out our review of what inspired it, first.
About an hour before former NFLer Bo Eason was ready to take the stage in his one man show, “The Runt of the Litter,†a man in his mid-30s was walking his small dog outside the 37 Arts Theatre in Manhattan. Most likely in an attempt to get back indoors as fast as possible, the dog urinated right next to the door to get inside and then proceeded to scurry away from the crime scene. A pity, because the canine was about to miss one of the most entertaining one man shows in quite some time, even though a few moments were in fact for the dogs.
Eason, a former All-Pro strong safety with the Houston Oilers, takes us on a poignant tale of love, loss and lunacy, in a semi-autobiographical tale about his days in the NFL. You see, Eason’s bigger brother, Tony, was an NFL standout [he was also the New England Patriots first pick in 1983, a draft that featured NFL legends Eric Dickerson, John Elway and Jim Kelly] and they both played in the league at the same time. However, the way they made it into the league was entirely different and serves as the canvas where the rest of the story is painted.
Growing up, it was apparent that Tony [or Charlie, as he is called in the play] was a natural athlete. As a matter of fact, it was his brother’s athletic ability that kept his mother from drinking and his father in the house more often. His younger brother, Jack [played by Eason] is the hard-working, gritty and determined runt of the family that does everything within his power to prove he’s just as talented as his brother.
Taking place in a makeshift locker room, “The Runt of the Litter,†watches Eason get ready for the biggest game of his career, by watching him put on his equipment as the show goes on. Finally playing his brother in a huge conference game, Eason looks back on what it took for him to get that far and ponders what it will take for him to not only beat his big brother and get into the Super Bowl, but how he can do it and earn the respect of his father and family.
During several flashbacks of sort [Eason actually does a decent job of voicing his younger self], we learn the tough road that Eason has had to travel to get to the NFL, nearly costing him his mind, body and love-life. He then goes on to address how he thinks the game should be played and how he’s looked down upon by other players in the league for never letting up and never letting the opposition get a free pass. Showing numerous battle scars on his back and his knees from his NFL days, it’s obvious that this was one part of the story that wasn’t embellished. As a matter of fact, Eason goes on quite a lengthy diatribe, explaining how you’ve done something wrong if you’ve played a long-time in the NFL. While the casual sports fan will love the stories about Eason’s younger days, big time football fans will eat up his words from start to finish and will want to shake his hand after the show. Nevertheless, the performance isn’t all about big hits and football.
Seeing the growth of Eason’s character from his childhood stories, he seems to have grown up disillusioned, almost intent to do anything to bask in his father’s praises. You get the feeling that he knows this, but the crazed glare in his eyes is apparent throughout the performance. When the show’s climax finally occurs, you don’t get the feeling that Eason has changed for the better or for the worse. Sadly, you don’t even have the slightest hint that he’s changed at all. So if that is the case, then what was this performance all about in the first place? What was the point? Was it just a way for a good-looking former NFLer to vent on his career long frustrations or was it designed to make you ponder your own ending?
Despite the haphazard ending, by the time Easton bows for the last time, you know you’ve had a good time. Nevertheless, it may be spoiled upon a long conversation after the show that picks apart everything from the “dance scene†to his injecting himself with a substance on stage during the show for mere shock value.Void of a true story teller’s arc and closure at the end, “The Runt of the Litter†isn’t for a theatre buff that is looking for something different. It is however for the football fan who wants to try the theatre for a change of pace.
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