←Recommendations of SECOND BANANA

It occurred to me that prior to today, I'd never read a sports play before. Brent Alles captures the backroom drama (and comedy) of a new head football coach's office in SECOND BANANA. The coaches are characters with rich history and the plot follows lived-in sports drama territory that would feel especially fresh on stage in this play. I'd be very excited to see how this script continues to develop!

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. It’s drama, and no better stage than a high school football team. Central to Alles drama is a new head coach chasing a winning season and dealing with a demanding principal, ex-wife, teenage son, and two assistant coaches (one of them a trailblazing female). And all this under the shadow of his mentor. Audiences will care for these characters, will root for them, and will celebrate how they each find their way to a winning season.

It's hard not to be charmed by the earnest goodness and traditional values of the high school football coaching staff that struggle to uphold the legacy of their longstanding and beloved head coach. Straightforward as most of the characters are, there is conflict among the staff and plenty of family dynamics, plus the ambitious head cheerleader who threatens her boyfriend with her binder of alternative boyfriends should he ever disappoint her.

SECOND BANANA is a nostalgic romp through high school as viewed through the eyes of a high school football coach, his son and all the accompanying requisite character tropes. What's different about this piece is the level of care provided in the development of each character - all of whom the audience will cheer for regardless of where they fall on the social scale. Alles wisely allows the parents to be parents and the kids to expose their struggles in a manner that doesn't devolve into simple stereotypes. I love this play! Someone please produce this!

"Second Banana" is a heartfelt portrayal of overcoming obstacles to maintain a legacy, even if it's just for a high school football team. The dynamics between the characters Alles writes is distinct and makes them memorable. This would be an entertaining play to have produced!