New play "Flex" takes women's basketball from the court to the stage
NEW YORK -- High school women's basketball is creatively brought to life in a new play at Lincoln Center.
It's about ambition that can turn friendships foul, and the actors play the game for real on stage and must adapt the plot accordingly.
Summer youth basketball is getting propelled from the playgrounds and landing on a Lincoln Center stage in "Flex" by Candrice Jones.
"I'm having a ball on stage," said Erica Matthews, who plays Starra Jones.
Starra is determined at all costs to rise from her high school team and go pro, but the arrival of new player, Sidney, played by Tamera Tomakili, threatens Starra.
"Sidney being there is basically her saying, you're not going to the WNBA, and that is a hard pill for Starra to swallow," Matthews said.
Starra plots a secret betrayal that threatens to unravel the team.
As the teammates deal with friction, a hidden romance and teen pregnancy, the actors multitask with lots of running, jumping, passing and shooting.
Depending on how the games on stage go, the script changes, and there are two endings.
But win or lose at the end, the play's message is the same.
"This sport has brought us together because it is a communal thing, and I think that is the heart of the story, is that, at the end of the day, we need community, we need to be together in order to make kind of everyone's dream come true," Tomakili said.
"She still learns that no matter what, your journey is your journey," Matthews said. "Learning to play with the team, it isn't always about you."
Turning the actors into athletes was basketball consultant Amber Batchelor, of the group "Ladies Who Hoop."
"Jumping into the theater world and being connected to this project has been the thrill of my life," she said. "Especially some of the character work between Starra and Sidney, and those one-on-one games was really fun to choreograph ... I think each and every one of them were surprised at how quickly when you just get kind of the basics and fundamentals."
Batchelor added, "We're in this amazing time now, there's a real evolution of the women's game -- not just basketball, but women's sports as a whole ... You're going to see a lot of women playing at all ages."
The action on a real court or a theatrical one has the power to bring you to your feet, cheering.
"Flex" plays through Aug. 20 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center. For more information, click here.
