Go! review

Life is good for Harmond Wilks and his circle. Not only is he on the verge of becoming Pittsbugh’s first black mayor, but a development deal he’s working on will make him rich AND be a boost for the Hill District where he grew up. And there’s more: His wife, Mame, is about to land a prestigious job in the governor’s office and his partner Roosevelt Hicks has been promoted to vice president of the bank where he’s worked his way up the ladder.

So it’s no wonder that everybody seems to be going around humming “Nothing but blue skies from now on.” Indeed, when “Radio Golf” opens, Wilks and his partner are preparing to tear down the last house that stands in the way of their development, which would include prestigious and trendy tenants like Starbuck’s and Barnes & Noble. But on his way to work, Hicks sees an old man painting the house. Known around the neighborhood as “Old Joe,” the man says he’s getting the house ready for his daughter to move in, and as it turns out, he just might have a legal claim to the property because of the way it was purchased even though Hicks and Wilks currently have the deed.

The situation puts everything in jeopardy: The development, the mayoral race and even his wife’s job, and Harmond Wilks has to make a moral decision whether to back out of the deal and let justice prevail, or to bully ahead no matter what the consequences.

Although there were a few rough moments on opening night, the Ensemble Theatre’s production of “Radio Golf” seems to hit all the right notes with a cast of actors all new to the Cincinnati area. It’s a beautiful and thought-provoking production of a play that explores an aspect of Murphy’s Law (what can go wrong, will go wrong).

• WHAT: “Radio Golf”
  WHERE: Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Cincinnati
  WHEN: Through April 6
  COST: $27-$35
  MORE INFO: (513) 421-3555; www.cincyetc.com
  

photo by Sandy Underwood