‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’
Bo Eason, the author and sole performer of ‘RUNT OF THE LITTER,’ spent five years as a professional football player with the Houston Oilers.
‘RUNT OF THE LITTER,’ which is supposedly semi-autobiographical, looks at what happens to two brothers in their life paths. One is expected to be a super-star. He does so with supposedly little real effort. The other, the younger and smaller of the duo, is inspired to succeed in spite of his physical and talent limitations and becomes almost maniacal in his quest to play in the Super Bowl as a defensive safety.
As we find out, though Jack Henry (the named used by Bo in the play) thrived on the excitement and financial rewards, he often wondered -- even while standing in a huddle -- "What am I doing out here?" Especially when he compared himself, and others compared him to his brother (in reality, former New England Patriot’s superstar quarterback, Tony Eason).
‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’ is set in a locker room just before the “big game,” where Eason is psyching himself to play against a team that includes his brother. The script examines his struggle to be the best, and the sacrifices, victories, and tragedies that surround achieving the ultimate goal in sports.
Eason is an excellent performer. He appears to be at ease with the audience, seemingly at ease with himself. He exhausts both himself and us with his passion.
CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’ was an intense experience. It was an eye-opener which allowed the audience to get an inside look at what it takes to be a success in competitive sports, especially when the odds are against that success.
