The History of Bowling

Victory Gardens Theatre presents a revival of Mike Ervin’s The History of Bowling. Chuck, a 30-something quadriplegic, has watched TV in his mother’s attic for 15 years and has now gathered the courage to attend college. Chuck is basking in the new-found
joy of coming out of the disability closet, while Lou, an attractive, 22-year-old coed who has similarly tried to hide her own disability, epilepsy, is still emotionally trapped by her physical condition. Chuck and Lou meet when Barnes, the satanic coach, forces them to write a term paper
together about a popular sport in lieu of participating in P.E. While they collaborate on their project, friendship becomes love, and lovers’ quarrels ensue, comically spurred on by Chuck’s deaf, blind and lusty roommate Cornelius. In the end, what Barnes gets is a term paper not about bowling,
but a political diatribe about Chuck and Lou’s shared, hair-raising experiences from being disabled.