Review: LOVE AND BASEBALL is a Grand Slam at B Street Theatre

Two of my guilty pleasures-romantic comedies and baseball-are married in a hilarious one-act play showing now at the B Street Theatre. Love and Baseball is the latest success by B Street Theatre playwright Jerry Montoya. This clever take on gender stereotypes has also recently been made into a movie that is streaming now on HBO Max.

Love and Baseball tells the improbable love story of Will and Michele. Will (Peter Story) is a documentary filmmaker searching for conflict to enhance his stories. Michele (Brittni Barger) is a community college philosophy professor whose idea of rocking out consists of listening to elevator music. After a chance first meeting, it's love at first insult (?), kicking off an hour and a half of witty repartee and a battle of the sexes. Montoya fills the dialogue with innuendo and baseball anecdotes, sparking nostalgia for the Oakland A's of the 80s and delighting all of the baseball fans in the house-of which there were many. Despite his allegiance to the Dodgers, Montoya manages to rekindle the thrill that we feel when watching America's pastime. Peter Story's deft delivery and physical comedy make the stories all the more compelling, particularly in his side-splitting reenactment of "Merkle's Boner." Brittni Barger, a newly minted baseball fan, shows a mature sensitivity and capacity for forgiveness toward Story's own bonehead decisions.

With some surprising plot twists and smart rhythm, Love and Baseball is a rare jewel that has something for everyone. Intelligent, humorous, and (bases) loaded with fun, you'll want to see this before it leaves the park, er, theatre.

Love and Baseball plays at the B Street Theatre through November 6. Tickets may be found at BStreetTheatre.org, at the box office at 2700 Capitol Avenue, or by calling (916) 443-5300.

Photo credit: Tara Sissom