'Never Swim Alone' a moralistic tale

From the first warm handshake to the last tense scene, the University Players offered a realistic and intriguing portrayal of Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor's "Never Swim Alone" this past weekend.\nIn the intimate atmosphere of the Rose Firebay in the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St, sophomore Ian Martin (Bill), junior Brendan Donaldson (Frank) and senior Lauren Sharpe (Referee Lisa) made the audience a part of the story from the beginning. The first scene had Frank and Bill walking in and shaking hands with the audience. From then on, it was obvious that this was a production that could only take place in a small theater.\nThis satirical and humorous play took the audience through 13 rounds of competition. From "Stature" to "Friendly Advice" to "Who Falls Dead the Best," Frank and Bill try to outdo each other in every aspect of life, letting their pride dictate their actions. With two men who are almost alike in every way, even the small points count.\nRolling off of each other with an almost musical rhythm, Martin and Donaldson often utter the same lines. Using this technique often in the beginning makes them seem like replicas of each other. Throughout the show they slowly show their uniqueness by diversifying their lines.\nMartin and Donaldson bring the personalities of their roles to life. More real than character-like, Bill and Frank could be the businessman down the street or the father and husband next door. What made this performance work was the directness of the actors, talking with the audience more than to each other. They spoke as if they were slowly revealing themselves to a new group of friends. The simple set and lighting arrangement added to this directness.\nWhile Frank and Bill attacked every small weakness of the other, the referee called the victors. With a green towel, a blue bathing suit and a yellow transistor, the girl was part of a secret from the past. She was a tragedy that would never have happened had the young Frank and Bill not been more concerned with competition than her life.\nSeeming both boyish and fierce at times, the blows Frank and Bill gave were superficial and painful, showing the extent to which people can be ruled by competition in every way.\nFrank and Bill were not perfect and set out to show this. Frank had a better business life. Bill had a better marriage. Frank was taller. Bill had better clothes. From the outside, with the nice houses, the small talk and the business dinners, they seem to have it all. But they are both hiding weakness, something that every person in the Rose Firebay can relate to.\nAlthough concentrating on competition, this play hinges on the friendship between the two men. Their fight strikes low blows, such as Bill telling Frank he had seen his wife in the shower with another man. Yet the climactic point involved not who would be the victor, but who would lose a friend.\nThroughout the play, the men utter the mantra that one man is the first man, and the other has a gun in his briefcase. They discover at the last scene that they both have the gun, although only one is loaded. Aiming the weapons in desperation, they realize that although they compete, they do not want to lose one another.\nMartin and Donaldson are powerful in their portrayal of maleness, while Sharpe offers insight and calls the shots. Overall the performance was entertaining and gave a slightly revealing view of society. The only dry points were the few moments when it seemed the playwright was trying to be profound that drew away from the strong flow of the performance.\nSenior Eliza Hittman achieved a resume-worthy production with her directorial debut.