There is a knockout performance by James Martinez (Raul), who handles his rapid-fire delivery with every consonant in place. He is a man with blinders screwed into his skull. Equally appealing is Michael Mosley as the rookie, Adam, who is innocent but not stupid. He loves the game with a purity that hobbles him. Jeremy Davidson (Kent) I found the least appealing, but as the play progresses and he relaxes into his work he fills out the warm-up jacket of this hollow man.
It is the last scene in particular, set in a hallway where two of the ballplayers are waiting to testify, that Moses soars. He balances humor, defiance, and reflection. and tops it off with a flourish that glows like the nub of a candle. It is here that you see what kind of a writer we have on our hands and realize that if the rest of the script were up to this level of writing the play would be that very much better. As it is, Back Back Back is damn good.
The only glitch is technical. These men are not as huge as the players who did the dope. I never thought of baseball players as large people until I saw Canseco and McGwire enter the Senate hearing room. Everyone else looked like Lilliputians in comparison. And no one had noticed?
So much for reality.
Get yourself over to the bleachers at the Manhattan Theatre Club.
Back Back Back by Itamar Moses; directed by Daniel Aukin. WITH: Jeremy Davidson (Kent), James Martinez (Raul) and Michael Mosley (Adam). Sets and costumes by David Zinn; lighting by David Weiner; sound by Ryan Rumery and Daniel Baker. Presented by Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow. At City Center, Stage II, 131 West 55th Street, Manhattan; (212) 581-1212. Through Jan. 4. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes.
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