There’s nothing quite like attending the world premiere of a local play that you know you won’t see anywhere else— and Yellow Tree Theatre has had the privilege of helping the Maple Grove community experience this year after year. This April, they’re premiering Fair Game by local playwright Jeremiah Gamble, and it’s one you won’t want to miss.
Fair Game explores themes that touch the heart, and the play is relevant and relatable to people everywhere. “The play explores themes like the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality, and how we judge each other,” says playwright Jeremiah Gamble. “It also looks at the increasing polarization in the United States, and the power of empathy through sharing our stories and our pain.”
The idea for the play came to him while he was on a run. He started by bouncing around ideas in his head, and he eventually vocalized his new potential plot to his wife, producer and director to explore ideas, themes and characters.
What they came up with is a hilarious tale about all walks of life. A conservative farmer, fair-trade-coffee-swilling college student, wannabe songstress, red-headed trailer trash and suburban soccer mom are pitted against each other to win a big cash prize in a contest at the State Fair. The creators say their hope is that this comedy will make you laugh at its local charm and simultaneously ponder the deeper question of what’s important in life.
The production team is excited about this new venture, because although they’ve worked together before in various plays, this is their first chance to work together on a play from the ground up.
“Collaborating with Jeremiah and Vanessa Gamble has been on my bucket list for a while now,” said artistic director Jason Peterson. “I am elated to finally be working with them on Fair Game.”
Peterson, who founded Yellow Tree Theatre with his wife in 2008, is passionate about creating opportunities for local playwrights to showcase their work. They are both thrilled to be commissioning this play.
“This show has a lot of heart and is hilarious with fresh distinctive characters,” said Peterson. “It’s definitely a Minnesota comedy with lots of hometown charm!”
