←Recommendations of Rice, Sam

I love this play, this ode to lore, legend, and storytelling as seen through a famous play in World Series history. I love that Rand Higbee's focus is on point of view -- the "Rice, Sam" title referring to "Rashomon" as mentioned in previous recommendations -- rather than a definitive answer. Not everything needs to be understood or explained. "People want to know." "They do." "God knows why. It's only a game." And Higbee brings playfulness, a game to the stage in this short comedy. Wonderful.

06.18.26 - I missed this charmer at the Valdez Theatre Conference recently, but luckily, I caught a video of it while I read the script alongside it. Needless to say, this was quite a catch for the audience. Rand Higbee gives us a "Rashomon"-style series of interviews concerning an infamous World Series catch and whether it played out according to history. Details may differ, but not your enjoyment of this play. The characters and the playwright have hit a home run. Catch it if you can.

I had the pleasure of hearing "Rice, Sam" read at the Valdez Theatre Conference. It's a charming piece, which applies a time-tested theatrical technique - think "Rashomon," which is BTW the inspiration for the title - to a long-forgotten moment in baseball history. It's tight, charming, and funny, and wisely leaves the audience to reach their own conclusions. A great choice for fans of baseball and novel narrative construction.

If you know Rand Higbee -- and if you don't, why not? -- you know he loves baseball (Go Twins) and writing plays that are both comedic and intricate with clues to insights about life and perhaps old movies. "Rice, Sam" is one such short play that is both funny and multi-layered. There's good baseball history, but peel back the layers and look for the nuggets of wisdom from stories that are ancient and timeless. And if you know who Sam Rice was, you'll catch the connection.

RAND HIGBEE’s play, “RICE, SAM”, is a historical comedy. Did Sam Rice make the ‘famous catch’ in the 1925 World Series? It certainly matters to baseball enthusiasts. I won’t reveal the ‘twist’ or ‘conclusion’, but this play was fun to read.