Ballpark Frank

6/18-7/25
Playwright Richard Greenberg has said that Take Me Out, his 2003 Tony Award-winning play (debuting at 8 p.m. Friday at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main), derived from “a new gigantic fact in my life — becoming a baseball fan.” The pro-Yankees Greenberg told Playbill.com that “the pairing of baseball and the idea of a gay player just coincidentally became more noteworthy because that non-story was so big.” That “non-story” was two seasons back, when Mets player Mike Piazza called a press conference to announce that he wasn’t gay. That “news” serendipitously overlapped with the buzz surrounding rehearsals for the off-Broadway debut of Take Me Out, in which a major-league star of Piazza proportions declares that he is gay. But Cynthia Levin, who’s directing the Unicorn show, finds the play’s true message when one character says, “Baseball is a perfect metaphor for hope in a democratic society.”

“I never thought of it as a gay play,” Levin says. “For Darren [played in Kansas City by Edouard Fontaine], it’s just who he is. He has no desire to foist this on America. For him, it changes nothing. For the rest of the world, it changes everything. The play blends an incredible social message with commercial accessibility. It talks about things you want a play to talk about — racism, diversity, homophobia — yet it’s not heavy. Its mood is alleviated with levity. Plus, it’s about baseball. And in the summer.”

The show runs through July 25. For tickets, call 816-531-7529, ext. 10. — Steve Walker </b

Hail Caesar

6/17-7/11
If the closest you’ve come to Shakespeare lately is 10 Things I Hate About You, then you owe it to yourself to see the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival‘s production of Julius Caesar. Along with spending quality time outdoors at Southmoreland Park (47th Street and Oak), it’s a chance to find out what comes after “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears … ” in Marc Antony’s notable soliloquy. For a challenge, try counting the number of times Caesar gets stabbed by the senators. This season’s show runs through July 11, with an 8 p.m. performance every day except Mondays and the Fourth of July. The gates open at 6, and admission is free; donations are welcome. For more information, call 816-531-7728.— Sarah Steele

Iron Mic

FRI 6/18
While scores of festivalgoers battle mosquitoes at the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, a different but equally pitched battle unfolds onstage at The Bottleneck (737 New Hampshire in Lawrence, 785-841-5483) Friday evening. Project Groove’s all-ages Mic Mechanics MC Battle turns rhymes into swords as participants joust for verbal victory. Guest DJs switch up the beats, so MCs must be prepared to impress the special guest judges. Potential mike gladiators should contact the organizers at projectgroove@hot mail.com or find them before the show to register. The winning MC gets $600, which should buy at least one round of $1 well drinks for the losers.— Michael Vennard

Bang the Drum

SAT 6/19
Esoke, a West African dance and drum ensemble, is slated to perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Paseo Performing Arts Academy (4747 Flora). The group can boast not only of its invitation to perform at National Geographic‘s national convention but also that it received a standing ovation at Mayor Kay Barnes’ International Ball — but we won’t hold that against it. The event, an annual youth-scholarship fund-raiser for the academy, costs $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors in advance; tickets are available from Streetside Records or Into Hair Naturally. Admission at the door is $25. Call Yaminah at 816-822-1834 for more information.— Annie Fischer