The best things in life are free, but sometimes you have to take a risk to find that out. At least that's what the Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMC) says with its latest production, "Damn Yankees"

"Damn Yankees" is the story of a 50-something couch potato baseball fan, Joe, who is approached by a mysterious man named Mr. Applegate (who unabashedly reveals his demonic nature) who offers Joe a chance to lead his full of heart but not so full of wins favorite team, the Washington Senators, to victory in the World Series in exchange for his soul.

Unfortunately for Mr. Applegate, Joe negotiates an escape clause in the contract; and when he begins to feel nostalgic for his old life, the wily Devil and his sinfully seductive assistant Lola attempt to trick Joe into forfeiting his soul.

"Damn Yankees" director, senior Ryan Cunningham, has been involved in student theatre since middle school. He has moved from working on the stage crew to directing. Cunningham has been involved in four PEMC shows, one for each year he has attended Notre Dame. Further, he wrote and produced his own musical, "Chance at Love," last year.

Cunningham thinks that his previous experience in student-run theatre has helped him direct "Damn Yankees." The PEMC president and vice president, seniors Sean Griffin and Tommy Curtain, selected Cunningham to direct the 2002 show at the end of last school year because of his familiarity with the PEMC and musical theatre.

The PEMC, in its fifth year of existence, has established itself as one of the highest quality theatre productions on campus. The group has sold out all its shows for the last two years and Cunningham anticipates a repeat performance this year. The group relies almost solely on its ticket sales to fund their elaborate shows.

But, the show isn't the only goal of the PEMC. Each year, after the company pays for the $7,000 to $8,000 production costs, it donates its few thousand dollars in profit to Second and Third World countires and domestic organizations that promote the development of the arts.

PEMC also performs service locally. This year the cast sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home in December. Cunningham thinks that part of the PEMC's mission is service as well as entertainment.

"[Service is] a really nice experience to give back what we're learning at PEMC," Cunningham said.

The cast of "Damn Yankees" has come together in other ways outside the theater and working environments. Because the show was cast in September, the ensemble had many nights in dance rehearsals to get to know each other. They also got together causally at least once a week as well as took a weekend trip to Canada together. The cast even attended a special Mass together last Sunday night when they were in Washington Hall for 12 consecutive hours during their move into the theater.

Teamwork has been a hallmark of the PEMC and "Damn Yankees."

"Part of the charm [of PEMC] is that we come in Sunday, never having been in the theater, we go up Thursday with a show that I feel a lot of times you would think have been in this theater already doing performances for a month or two," Cunningham said.

In fact, the cast often doubles as the tech crew. They can often be seen sewing together costumes or painting the set before rehearsal.

"This cast has really taken unnecessary strides as far as doing things that their job does not call for," Cunningham said.

Service is a thing that Cunningham sees as fitting because "Damn Yankees" is a show about values.

"It's really interesting about where your priorities lay and when you realize what's important in your life … I think it rally examines what we look at as a society and what's important," Cunningham said.

Senior Lizzie Bracken, who plays Lola, thinks the show's message is particularly important to the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's communities.

"`Damn Yankees' is probably mostly about what's important in life and having glory and success … isn't necessarily the greatest thing; it's the person you go home to or who you have the most fun with," Bracken said.

Cunningham considers the PEMC's production of "Damn Yankees" to be a revival rather than a re-do of the show; he tried to incorporate a modern sense of humor into a 40 year-old show. Cunningham added lines to modernize and tighten the script as well as combine scenes to quicken the pace.

But it is the acting to pushes this fantastic show along; it takes a lot of work to make people bursting out in song and perfectly choreographed dances seem normal.

Seniors Alan Macginn and Lizzie Bracken stand out in their roles as the antagonists, Mr. Applegate and Lola.

Macginn finds special meaning in his role because he is majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and has read many of the foundational texts on the nature of the Devil.

"It's neat being a PLS major having read Milton's `Paradise Lost' and Dante's `Inferno,' you think of things like that … [it's] always playing in the back of my mind," Macginn said.

Macginn accredits his comedic portrayal to Cunningham, a longtime close friend.

"Ryan, first, has always been a really great friend of mine. So when we get to bring [that dynamic] to a working relationship it helps incredibly," Macginn said.

Macginn's cynical and volatile version of the Prince of Darkness is sure to get some laughs with his acerbic portrayal of Mr. Applegate.

Bracken's fluid dance moves and charming personality could probably convince a few audience members to part with their souls.

While Macginn and Bracken's performances are strong, they feel that it is the entire cast that brings an individual nature to the show.

"I think this show really showcases everyone's talents … all the way through the show people's personalities are going to pop out," Macginn said.

He is more than correct. The ensemble is brimming with personality, from the muscular and suave mambo moves of Michael Riess to Claire McAulffie's precision dance spins into the splits.

Although the cast brings out even the smallest of characters, this sometimes goes too far because the cast often attempts to draw the spotlight away from the main action when its inappropriate to do so.

But although it can be distracting, the minor characters are fun to watch, especially the Miller sisters and baseball players.

"Damn Yankees" is a show that audiences will enjoy. The amount of hard work the PEMC cast put into this show pays off in spades. It is not a surprise that they sell out every year and one would expect no less this year.

"Damn Yankees" opens tomorrow and runs to Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in Washington Hall. Tickets cost $5 for general admission. To reserve tickets, call or visit the LaFortune Student Center Box Office (219) 631-8128.

Contact C. Spencer Beggs at beggs.3@nd.edu

• Damn Yankees