Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD, and Theron Raymond (seventh grade)
Little Lake Theatre continues its Home Is Where the Heart Is themed season with actor (turned playwright) Jeff Daniels’ play, Pickleball.
As you guessed, the show capitalizes on the popularity of this racquet sport that was invented by three dads in 1965. That also makes pickleball 6 years younger than Little Lake Theatre Company, which is celebrating its 77th season.
Pickleball exploded during COVID as an age-inclusive, socially distanced outdoor activity. Daniels’ post-pandemic 2022 play brings the Little Lake line-up to the present day. You can easily envision future trivia questions inquiring about “What racquet sport spiked in popularity in the 2020s?”
This co-reviewing team will volley that answer. We’re regulars on the pickleball court. Our knowledge of the sport augmented the experience, but being a player, or even knowing the game, is not a prerequisite to enjoying this banger from Little Lake.
Like any sport, pickleball has its devotees. The play follows a quartet of competitors that includes the widow, Billie (Amanda Weber); bumbling womanizer, Larry (Cole Vecchio); recently divorced Spike (Darrin Mosley Jr); and retiree Sheldon (Ted Froats).
Thanks to director Michael Patrick Trimm, this foursome has an effortless chemistry. While they may have come together via pickleball, they are embedded in each other’s lives. Mosley Jr. captures Spike’s tension as a freshly minted divorcé trying to follow his ex-wife’s admonishment to “turn over a new leaf.” Froats counters with comic relief. He reminds his team he “blew out my butt muscles” and navigates the effects with some extraordinary feats of physical comedy.
The quartet’s bonds are tested with the introduction of the aptly named star pickleball player, Perfect (Maddie Kocur). Perfect also looks flawless, dressed in a dazzling white skin-skimming pickleball dress with a saucy sashay to match. Perfect consistently misremembers each character’s name, calling Billie “Barbie” and Larry “Lenny.” It’s as if she can’t be bothered with such details, but it’s all part of her manipulations.
While the performance capitalizes on the dedicated foursome, one character stands out for his distinctive headgear. Ralph’s (Gordon Robertson) forehead is, throughout the play, adorned with a pickleball splattered with (thankfully fake) blood. This innovative costume design is all the work of Little Lake’s clever prop and costume designer, Sylvia Sims-Linkish.
Not surprisingly, the show is set on a pickleball court where almost all the events take place. The court, while not regulation-sized, is depicted on the stage floor to give the audience a well-ordered visualization of the game. Scenic designer Alex Keplar skillfully extends the court into a third dimension by adding four sections of chain-link fencing hanging above the stage, each covered with a smattering of pickleballs.
Jeff Daniels light-heartedly capitalizes on the popularity of pickleball. This high-energy show has perfect seasonal timing. It’s a fun kickoff to summer that makes you eager to get outside and swing a pickleball racquet – or enjoy the outdoor summer activity of your choice, be it porch-sitting or parkour. Pickleball reminds us that whatever it is, it’s always better with friends.
-TKR, Ph.D. & TR
Little Lake Theatre’s production of Pickleball (recommended for 13+) runs through June 14, 2026, at 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317. Purchase tickets online here.
Wonderful review! Thanks