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Edmonton Journal

Fringe Review: The Last Perfect Game: The Jerry Stephenson Story

Article content Article content Stage 38, Plaza Bowling, 10418 118 Ave NW Article content It's March 22, 1963 — the night a local legend was made in the basement of a humble bowling alley on 118 Avenue. It's easy to feel transported, since the venue, still a popular destination for a certain demographic, features all the original fixtures from 1959. This includes the leaderboard, with a name that stands alone along the bottom: Jerry Stephenson, who rolled the first and last perfect game at Plaza Bowling. The star of the evening. Article content Article content Article content The theatrical use of the bowling alley's lights was impressive, and the actors did well to manage a lack of backstage in the venue. David Widder-Varhegyi, feels perfect in the role of Jerry. He harnesses a certain Albertan charisma, and coincidentally has a very Seinfeld-esque wild-eyed stare as the pressure builds to complete his perfect game. Article content One component that felt unnecessary was the show's flipping between the present day, when another couple is bowling on a date, and that evening in 1963. I guess the modern couple is meant to represent us, the audience, and to show how bowlers still marvel at Jerry's perfect game. But for me, it took me out of the most interesting part of the story, and I could have done without it.