The Gin Game
On Broadway at the Golden Theatre

 

Weller Martin (James Earl Jones)  couldn’t be happier to see Fonsia Dorsey (Cicely Tyson) show up on the porch of  the old age home and it takes no time at all to reel her in to the folding card table as they sit down to begin The Gin Game.  Weller was just looking for a little companionship, but he gets more than he bargained for in this two act, two actor dramedy.

The setting is a covered porch of a rickety old farmhouse turned nursing home.   Wheel chairs, walkers and the like clutter the porch and remind us of old age and things discarded much like our two characters. 


Weller wants nothing to do with the organized activities inside the home and prefers to sit on the porch with a deck of cards.   Fonsia joins the game claiming to know very little about it, so at first it is quite amusing how she quickly wins the first hand.    The games continue on and tension builds as she continues to win game after game.  Ms. Tyson is comical in her various performances of shouting out ‘geeee-IN’ and Mr. Jones is equally laughable trying to contain   his poor sportsmanship like behavior by shouting out four letter words at every defeat. There seems to be no winning for Weller, for even when he finally wins a hand, it is clear that Fonsia has thrown the game in his favor and the  first act comes to a close, but not before Weller shouts out a few more expletives and turns over the table in an explosive rage.

In the second act, after some apologizing and begging, Weller gets Fonsia back into his good graces and we have one of the few loving moments between these two frenemies when Weller agrees to a dance.   The two embrace in a moment of sugary sweetness that tugs on the heartstrings.  And soon they are back to The Gin Game.   The love – hate relationship again turns volatile when Fonsia’s  winning streak continues; sending Weller   into an uncontrollable rage that goes from low blowing verbal abuse to full out blows, giving the term bitch - slap a whole new meaning.

 
This show is  filled with quick witted humor as well as dramatic pause and it’s delivered in crisp form by these Broadway royals.  The set comes to life with the sounds of nature, moments of rain showers and   stormy weather both in the air as well as around the card table.   The lighting and thunder is only drowned out by the thunderous applause of the audience that rise to their feet as Weller meets his Waterloo.  For tickets and more information visit http://thegingamebroadway.com/ and see how you can get discount tickets here.  

-Thisbroadsway 10/16/15