by Christine Sarkes

Park Square Theatre‘s superbly acted production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Gin Game, is directed by Twin Cities theater veteran Faye M. Price and features acclaimed TC actors Greta Oglesby (Fonsia Dorsey) and Terry Hempleman (Weller Martin). The Gin Game follows the bond that develops between two lonely residents of a retirement home as they play gin rummy in a series of matches. Hempleman perfectly captures the irascible and cynical Weller Martin, with his Boomer tendency to interrupt, mansplain and bully his new friend. Oglesby is a revelation as the vulnerable, yet self-righteous Fonsia.

The two strangers are inexplicably drawn to each other through their loneliness and a relationship develops platonically into a tangled long-time married couple dynamic. They bicker, gossip about the residents and reveal their life stories, while playing card games that Fonsia nearly always wins. The fact that Fonsia draws winning hands and beats Weller, the “expert” player, drives him crazy with frustration and ultimately destroys their friendship. Oglesby perfectly portrays Fonsia’s growing resilience against Weller’s temper as she abandons her churchgoer demeanor and stands up to Weller’s increasingly bullying behavior. There are gentler, touching moments between the two as well, particularly when they discover a mutual love of dancing and music.

The patronizing treatment of the elderly, the indignities of growing older, and the absence/negligence of family members are timeless themes that resonated with the audience. I’m still sorting through the meaning of the ending, which seemed abrupt and unresolved to me. The play won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and opened on Broadway in 1977 staring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, directed by Mike Nichols. The play offers insight in gender dynamics, aging in a youth-oriented society and how we are doomed to make the same mistakes repeatedly if we don’t learn or change from them.

The Gin Game, by D.L. Coburn, directed by Faye M. Price. Miranda Shunkwiler, Stage Manager, Joseph Stanley, Scenic Designer, Sarah Bahr, Costume Designer, Kurt Jung, Lighting Designer, and Katharine Horowitz, Sound Designer. Playing now through February 23 at Park Square Theatre, 20 West 7th Place, Saint Paul. Tickets are available at parksquaretheatre.org or by calling the box office at 651.291.7005.