Two brothers kneel together in prayer: One is a major-league baseball player leaning on his bat; the other is a Marine leaning on his rifle. This is the opening of Carlos J. Serrano’s “No Hay Mejor Amigo, Ni Peor Enemigo” (“No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy”), presented by Repertorio Español in Spanish with simultaneous English translation. The play promises to follow these two lives in an exploration of what it means to be a hero in America. The Marine, Luisito (Ricardo Hinoa), is hailed as a hero after he is killed in Iraq, while the baseball player, Pedro (Anthony Álvarez), is in danger of losing his status as an idol when, in reaction to his brother’s death, he refuses to sing the national anthem with his teammates.
Unfortunately, these provocative parallels are pushed aside for most of the 70-minute work, which is largely an unsurprising baseball drama. After those initial prayers, Pedro is shown at bat during a crucial game. If he scores, his team, the Cardinals, makes it to the playoffs. The scene ends before the final pitch, and then we get flashbacks: During Pedro’s teenage years, a sports agent (Indio Meléndez) woos his parents (Raúl Durán and Iliana Guibert); Pedro conducts press conferences after winning awards for rookie of the year and, two years later, most valuable player; Pedro buys his parents a big house. There are one or two scenes between Pedro and Luisito before he dies, and a few with Luisito as a ghost. In the last scene of the play, we are back at that crucial pitch.
Álvarez does a good job of playing confident and spoiled, Hinoa is great as a brat who matures, and Durán is amusing as Pedro’s quirky father, advising him to cover up his face when he cries, because crying is seen as a sign of weakness in the U.S. But Álvarez is not given enough time or lines to make Pedro’s transition from single-minded, selfish careerist to political protester credible. Serrano’s grasp of the ironies and rituals of the national pastime are not enough to make “No Hay Mejor Amigo” a hit, but it’s not an error.
Presented by and at Repertorio Español, 138 E. 27th St., NYC. May 11–June 30. Schedule varies. (212) 225-9999 or www.repertorio.org/friend.