Little Theatre hopes for a hit

Play tells story about die-hard baseball fans and the team they love

Police officer Scott Miller may not be a fanatical sports fan, but he can definitely understand where they're coming from.

Miller plays the lead role in the Las Vegas Little Theatre production of "Bleacher Bums," a play that chronicles the dramady and dynamic among a group of die-hard fans in the bleachers during a Chicago Cubs game.

"My character, Decker, is the suave businessman," Miller said. "You see him as the confident, smooth talker who sticks to his guns. But it's when you see him interact with the other characters, particularly a nerdy kid named Ritchie, that you get a feel for what he's all about."

According to Miller, the play's charm lies in the subplots that pop up in almost every scene.

"You really get to know these people," he said. "Yeah, they are super big Cubs fans and there's some comedy that's drawn from that. 'Cause these are the guys who always have the season tickets and paint themselves and yell about ump calls. But, you also see that there's a human element for these people who have bonded because of their love for a team."

Stage manager Alana Brown has worked with the theater for some time and said that she cannot recall a funnier, more well put together production.

"The script is great, the story itself will have audiences laughing until they can't breathe," Brown said. "There are a lot of laughs in this one. I think that's mainly due to the fact that it was conceived by a bunch of improv actors who happen to be baseball fanatics. They were writing from experience. It's not hard to imagine that there's a story behind those games."

The story idea was born from actor Joe Montegna's personal experiences with friends attending Cubs games.

"This is a story about people, not baseball," Brown said. "Almost anyone can relate to what they watch the characters go through."

Miller said that the most challenging part of the entire production was not memorizing complicated and erratic dialogue, but attempting to create the illusion that the characters are watching a baseball game.

"The banter sort of rolls off of you and you interact with the other characters, but you always have to maintain that there's a Cubs game going on," Miller said. "That has been tricky. But we pull it off, I think."

Las Vegas Little Theatre is located at 3920 Schiff Drive.

"Bleacher Bums" will play at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at www.lvlt.org or by calling 362-7996.