It’s 1997: Micheal Jordan is back playing with the Chicago Bulls and is doing better than ever, thousands of people flock to watch College Ball in person, “Space Jam” had just come out the summer before, and the WNBA was brand new. Basketball was on the brain, particularly for the Lady Train basketball team from Arkansas, who are vying for the State Championship. FLEX, written by Candrice Jones and directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, is about the drive, passion, and most of all trust, which not only goes into being part of a team, but also into being a good friend.

Ken Mackenzie’s incredible set design defies expectations – taking the gymnasium we know and giving it a larger-than-life theatrical treatment. The court is split in half, with one key on the floor while the other comprises the back wall of the playing space. Mats line the lower portion of that wall with gym bags on the benches below. A tricolour net hangs from a dirty backboard, embodying the outdoor dirt court and standard gym courts the team plays on. Combined with Radha Javanfar’s lighting design, the Guloien Theatre becomes full of life, light, and the excitement that can only come from a great basketball game.

The starting five of the Lady Trains are in their final year of high school and they’ve got their eyes on the State Championship this year. However, their coach has a very steadfast rule that any girls who get pregnant aren’t allowed on the floor, and one of the starting five has recently gotten pregnant. Feeling devastated at the loss of their teammate, the girls try to do everything they can to convince their coach to change her mind. But brewing within the team are rivalries, jealousy, and perhaps even romance. When the selfish actions of their point guard finally come to light, the team is fully divided, and even baptism isn’t fully enough to bring them back together. But when it’s the final quarter and the clock is winding down, can they work together or is the damage already done?

FLEX is an ingeniously structured text: from how the games are played to how and when information is revealed, to the embodiment of the mentality around sports and particularly basketball, this is a formidable play. The actors narrate what’s happening while they enact the few games which are played live on stage (keep your hands at the ready, audience!). It’s like listening to play by play commentary but from the players themselves. The off-court drama between the players is artfully revealed, allowing for dramatic irony while never fully revealing the entirety of the situation until just the right moment and elicits visceral reactions from the audience. From gasps to sighs to cheering on the team while they play in State Finals, the immediacy and thrill of the text is keenly felt.

Point Guard Starra Jones is played by Shauna Thompson and she embodies all of the swag and confidence typical of that position. The moments where she’s speaking to her mother (who’s passed away) are gut wrenchingly vulnerable. Jasmine Case plays Starra’s nemesis Sidney Brown. Case likewise has Sidney put up a very tough front, but you can tell how much she’s trying to fit in with this new team. Trinity Lloyd’s Cherise Howard has one of the more interesting internal struggles of the cast as she’s devoutly Christian yet develops feelings for one of her teammates. Lloyd gives Cherise a genuine tenderness which is a stark contrast to her bold teammates. Jewell Bowry gives a stand-out performance as April Jenkins: the range of emotion her character experiences is so great, yet Bowry deftly navigates it all. Asha James rounds out the starting five as Donna Cunningham. Donna’s desire for peace and unity amongst the team, yet being so sure about herself and her future make her a fascinating character. The conductor of the Lady Trains, their coach Francine Pace is beautifully portrayed by Sophia Walker. Softly maternal in one moment and fierce in the next, Walker gives yet another impressive performance at Crow’s this year.

These actors absolutely must be commended on their skills on the court, as well! Alex Johnson is their basketball coach and you can tell that the time they spent with him was put to great use. They hardly missed a shot (unless they were meant to) and certainly were doing all of the drills you usually see pre-game. With their game-day shoes and tucked in uniforms they look like a real basketball team.

I’ve spent more than my fair share in school gyms and larger arenas, usually behind a score table, watching basketball. In small towns like where these girls grew up, and where I did as well, sports are a sort of social currency; I am NOT athletically inclined, but I learned to keep score instead, allowing me to officially be part of the team. I’ve actually kept score for the NBL team that Alex Johnson used to play for in my home city of Windsor. FLEX was like coming home: the familiar squeak of clean shoes on a hardwood floor, the drum-like dribbling, the swoosh of the net.

FLEX is an absolute slam dunk of a play. Full of intrigue, excitement, and an ending which leaves open a world of possibilities, FLEX grabs you from start to finish. “A train is only as strong as its weakest link” and like Coach Pace, I see no weak links here.

FLEX runs at the Guloien Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest until May 18. For more information and tickets visit: https://www.crowstheatre.com/whats-on/view-all/flex

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Cover Photo: (L to R) Trinity Lloyd, Asha James, Jewell Bowry, and Jasmine Case. Photo by Elana Emer.

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