"The Last Match" at Writers Theatre

                              "The Last Match" (courtesy of Writers Theatre)

Writers Theatre continues to captivate Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic works under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma. Their newest show “The Last Match,” is a play about fictional tennis characters, their stories, and the result of the U.S. Open semifinal.

What happens when a young Russian tennis phenom, Sergei, and an American superstar, Tim, meet at center court? They bring with them a rich history that draws you inside the minds of all the characters as they face challenges in sport, life, and love.

This virtual experience is entertaining to watch with its fast paced monologues delivered by Ryan Hallahan (Tim) who refers to the birth of his son, “It's the most beautiful moment, you don’t feel the pressure, failure,or death.  The ambition, and the coming up short.”

Christopher Sheard (Sergei) says, “I had to be hard on myself...I had extraordinary skills of hand-eye coordination at a young age and trained in Italy France, and America.”

Choreographer Steph Paul inserts the right amount of stops and starts so the plot is interwoven throughout.  You'll shout along with the players as they excel in glory, whether it be pivoting and serving a ball to victory or when a character is on his back crying out in agony.

“The Last Match is ostensibly about tennis, but it is also about the process of aging, the navigation of a relationship amidst an all-consuming passion, the toll of obsessive commitment to work and family and the things we do in order to feel young, current and important.” says Director Michael Halberstam.

In the second half of the film, I noticed the character dynamic shift. Sergei pauses mid court and there’s a flashback scene where the truths of his interpersonal relationships are revealed including the death of his parents and the impact it had on his career.

In another scene, Tim and his wife, Mallory (Kayla Carter) are dealt with the news of a subsequent miscarriage. I'm thinking of my birth, as her hands are abdomen. It's an unforgettable emotional scene. Mallory delivers heartfelt monologues so visceral, you want to shout “You go, girl” and “Tell him!” Images of the 2000 film “Love and Basketball” came to mind.

”The Last Match” will continue streaming! Available on-demand through May 30 at overture.plus/patron/Writers-Theatre