Graham: The play's the thing

Last week I had the pleasure of seeing my sister-in-law Cinny in the world premiere of The Game, a play written by Bekah Brunstetter at PlayMakers Repertory Company.

PlayMakers is a professional in-theater residence in the dramatic arts in University of North Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences. Playwright Bekah Brunstetter is a graduate of UNC and is best known for her television work on “This is Us” and her adaptation of “The Notebook” that is currently on Broadway.

The Game focuses on a support group of women who band together to pull their partners away from a highly addictive online video game that is wreaking havoc on their relationships. It was funny when my sister-in-law tells the group she is a widow, and they question why she joined the group. She responds with humor that she did not have an emergency contact for her last doctor’s visit. Something I am sure many of us can understand. Perhaps caught up in the epidemic of loneliness recently identified in our country, her character is so lonely that she is willing to meet with a group of strangers under false pretenses. She is seeking the healing power of emotional connection. Loving other people is often a messy, fraught, and difficult task, but it is absolutely essential to living a joyful, meaningful life. Friendship is a choice, and knowing that you are heard and understood is a powerful validation.

The play is a loose adaptation of Lysistrata, the Greek comedy in which an Athenian woman named Lysistrata aims to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading women from warring territories to withhold sexual privileges from their soldier husbands. It was originally performed in 411 BCE. According to the article in the NYTimes, the playwright Brunstetter uses Lysistrata as a springboard, swapping the battlefield for video gaming. While the women in The Game try to withhold sex from their partners, it is not a successful tactic.

The main character, Homer, has a passion for online gaming that borders on addiction. I considered my sister in law’s passion for acting and how her sense of humor shines on the stage. Unfortunately, between caring for her elderly mother and the demise of local theater in North Carolina during Covid, she has not been able to pursue her passion. The Game provided her the opportunity to immerse herself in her craft with a witty, well-written play. The part seems as though it was written for her, and I am sure spending long hours in rehearsals with fellow actors and crew sparked a great deal of joy in her life. For all of us, it is important to find and explore activities that we are passionate about and that bring us joy.

It was ironic that the play includes the importance of adult friendships; I reached out months ago to a childhood friend whom I had not seen in 30 years to see the play with me. After all that time, we had a lovely evening together, talked about our lives and passion for horses. While we live miles apart, it was lovely to visit her.

As the support group in the play share their experiences, offer encouragement, and exchange information, it is through their shared experience and struggle that they find strength to carry on and feel less alone in their troubles. Joining a support group can be a valuable step towards helping one deal with life’s issues.

The main character struggles with her husband’s online gaming addiction. It is when she takes the time to communicate with him and dig into the life he is building online that she finds empathy that nurtures their romantic relationship. While we may not always initially understand what another is choosing to pursue, our trying to see the world through their eyes can make a difference.

Ultimately, the play touches on universal themes like community, the value of a support group, passion, the importance of adult friendships, and the way in which empathy can nurture romantic relationships. I hope Brunstetter’s play will soon be on the road from Chapel Hill to Broadway.

Feel free to share your thoughts with me: ashton@ashtoncannon.com.

Ashton Graham is an educator, book publisher, photographer, cowgirl and yoga teacher. If you like “Maintaining Balance,” consider subscribing www.ashtoncannon.com

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Graham: The play's the thing