While many may think the LEAP Ambassadors can be nerdy, we pale in comparison to playwright Lary Shue’s character, Rick Steadman in The Nerd. The Ambassadors, with guests Chrissy Biello and Yajaira Gutierrez Marin, met Alums Victoria and her boyfriend Nick, and Megan O’Flaherty and her son, Declan, for a wonderful night at the theater.
With Houston traffic being variable, we were early, and thus decided to stop by Jesus Moroles’s “Houston Police Officer’s Memorial.”
Not all of us had seen Moroles’s work, and this is a great introduction!
After a great dinner at Post Market, we then made our way to the Alley for the much anticipated show!
Much like the character Axel Hammond, I was the designated drama critic for the evening.
But unlike Axel I stayed through the entirety of the play, so I think my review will be a bit more accurate (editor’s note: not necessarily).
The set brought audience members to Terre Haute Indiana in the 1980s and we were introduced to Willum, an architect; Tansy, an aspiring weather girl; and to Axel, the slightly aloof, above mentioned drama critic.
As the group gathers to celebrate Willum’s birthday, he first checks his answering machine and becomes ecstatic to hear a message from Rick Steadman, the man who saved his life in Vietnam–but who is otherwise a complete stranger. Willum vows to Rick that as long as he is alive “you will have somebody on Earth who will do anything for you.”
These words would come to haunt Willum, albeit in a way that was amusing to the audience. Rick and the crew kept us laughing for nearly the entire play, while Rick derailed the lives of the other characters with his deficient manners, his tambourine, and his utter obliviousness to social queues.
After the play and thanks to LEAP Alum Megan, we were extremely fortunate to meet one of the stars of the show, Christopher Salazar, who played Willum.
It was a great chance to learn more about the play, including some of the behind-the-scenes action.
The evening was a trifecta plus, with good food, a bit of exposure to art, a wonderful play, and a nice evening with wonderful friends.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 