3 takeaways from the Oklahoma premiere of the basketball diary 'The Great Leap'

Like a 5-foot-7-point guard with a 42-inch vertical leap, some things don't seem to go together.

Under most circumstances, the Tiananmen Square protests and the game of basketball would probably be considered a similarly unlikely matchup. But Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre's Oklahoma premiere production of "The Great Leap" defies the odds and proves almost as thrilling as watching Spud Webb win the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Chinese-American playwright Lauren Yee was inspired by events from her own father's life and short-lived basketball career when penning "The Great Leap." Directed by Jessica Holt, the fast-paced basketball diary follows an American college basketball team to Beijing for a four-day stay that's to culminate in a "friendship" game vs. a Chinese team. But the rivalry between the two teams isn't the only conflict that heats up during those hot June days of 1989.

With performances continuing through Nov. 20 at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center's Te Ata Theater, here are three takeaways from "The Great Leap."

1. OKC play puts the audience in the game

It's a credit to the creative team that OKC Rep's Oklahoma premiere production of "The Great Leap" lets the audience feel like it's in the game. Ticketholders are seated up close on either side of the stage, which scenic and projection designer Edward T. Morris has made into an authentic (albeit small-scale) basketball court.

Along with the courtside seats, the costume designs by Tulsa native Noel Huntzinger, lighting designs by former University of Central Oklahoma professor Christina Watanabe and sound designs by New Yorker Michael Costagliola help immerse the audience in the 1980s sports drama. The two-act show's intermission has even been dubbed a "halftime," with an actual countdown clock letting audiences know when to fast break back to their seats.

There are those who say "ball is life," and renowned local choreographer Hui Cha Poos helps to bring the action to life as the show's movement director.

2. Small cast is a slam dunk in 'The Great Leap'

Yee wrote her historical drama for three Chinese-American actors, plus a Jewish-American performer, and the OKC Rep cast is made up entirely of all-stars.

Oklahoma City University associate professor of acting William Langan shows off a full-court press of emotions (and his good-natured wearing of some truly awful wigs supplies some fun comic relief) as Saul Slezac, the grizzled coach of the hapless University of San Francisco men's basketball team. A former star point guard, he has loved basketball to the exclusion of all else, but with his team struggling, his job is in jeopardy.

Back in 1971, during the height of China’s Cultural Revolution, Saul was tapped to engage in "ping-pong diplomacy" on the hardcourt: The big-talking, foul-mouthed American coach visited China to coach a Chinese basketball team.

As seen in flashbacks, Saul managed to bond with and inspire his careful translator, Wen Chang (magnetic Minnesota native Brian Kim McCormick, whose dry wit and natural warmth help him pull off the character's habit of breaking the fourth wall) on his initial visit, despite his brash, quintessentially American ways. Saul predicts that Wen Chang will have the chance to become the team’s new permanent coach and encourges him to seize the opportunity.

When Wen Chang invites Saul and his USF team back to China 18 years after their initial meeting to pit their teams in a friendly rivalry game, Saul accepts with the hope that the good publicity will help him keep his job.

The coach is taken aback when Manford Lum (charming dynamo James Aaron Oh, a California actor who previously played the role last year with the San Jose Stage Company), a cocky first-generation Chinese-American high-schooler, crashes the USF practice gym wanting to join the team for the Beijing game. Despite his diminutive stature, the point guard is a local legend among the street ballers of Chinatown, known for his speed, skills and relentless energy.

Saul reluctantly agrees to let the talented teenager join the team, despite the misgivings of Connie (Jenelle Chu, whose tenderness and humor help her make an outsized impression in her supporting role), Manford's protective honorary cousin, who worries that the cocksure youth will get caught up in the increasing unrest in China.

Despite a few bobbled lines during a Nov. 8 preview performance, the cast boasts the chemistry of a San Antonio Spurs championship team, and it's satisfying to watch them work together, especially during the fast-paced buildup to the striking finale.

3. Yee's historical fiction delivers the drama of a Game 7

Yee's "The Great Leap," which marked its world premiere in 2018, delivers the compelling drama of a Game 7 in the NBA finals. Even when you can see where the plot is heading, you want to watch and witness exactly how she's going to make the plays leading to the final buzzer — and the playwright has plotted out the kind of show where small details and asides later become crucial moments.

Basketball proves a surprisingly suitable court to play out the cultural clashes between America and China, and "The Great Leap" humanizes and contextualizes a chapter of recent global history that many in the USA probably don't know much about except for a few iconic images, which are cleverly showcased in the production.

The second title on OKC Rep's 2022-2023 season — the first was the unusual grown-up puppet show "Bill's 44th" — "The Great Leap" brings one of the rare (but growing number of) plays with a predominantly Asian-American cast to Oklahoma City, which boasts a robust Asian-American population of its own.

The Sooner State premiere production is another victory for Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre's new artistic director Kelly Kerwin, who continues her winning streak of programming intriguing shows that aren't like anything else being done in the community.

'THE GREAT LEAP'

When: Through Nov. 20.

Where: Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center's Te Ata Theater,

Tickets: https://www.okcrep.org.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 3 takeaways from the Oklahoma premiere of the show 'The Great Leap'