Bleier makes “The Play”
Rocky Bleier may be best known for being a four-time Super Bowl champion with The Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, lesser known areas of his life, like his time in Vietnam, will be shared during his performance of the one-man show 鈥淭he Play鈥� from Dec. 20 to Jan. 7 at the O鈥橰eilly Theater in Pittsburgh.
鈥淭he play begins with him talking about growing up in Appleton, Wisconsin, so there is some information there about his grade school and high school years, a little about his time at Norte Dame, his time in Vietnam when he was drafted and wounded, and a lot about the Steelers,鈥� explained Scott Wise, the director of 鈥淭he Play.鈥�
The audience will have a personal look into the life of this famous sports figure as he addresses them while sharing stories of his life that may not be familiar to them.
鈥淚 think I didn鈥檛 realize ahead of time that he (Bleier) had been playing for The Steelers a year before he was drafted,鈥� said Wise about what the audience might not know about Bleier before coming to the performance. 鈥淗e went to Vietnam and was severally wounded. They told him he wouldn鈥檛 walk again. He fought his way back and came back to the team.鈥�
When 鈥淭he Play,鈥� written by Gene Collier a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports journalist and co-author of 鈥淭he Chief,鈥� begins the audience sees Bleier sitting in his Dad鈥檚 bar, just below where the family lived while growing up.
Transitioning to a bar in Pittsburgh for the second part of the performance, Bleier talks about being selected during the 16th round of the 1968 draft by The Pittsburgh Steelers only to be drafted again, this time by the United States Army to serve in Vietnam.
While he was overseas, Bleier was injured so terribly that medical professionals thought he would never return to professional football.
Despite their doubts, Bleier worked hard and returned to his team鈥檚 training camp in 1970 and went on to achieve much success as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
The third and final part of the performance is set in the bar of his Pittsburgh home. Here he reflects upon his legacy.
Even those who are unfamiliar with Bleier鈥檚 time as a Pittsburgh Steeler will find something interesting and captivating about his life story.
鈥淚t is a terrific story of victory and defeat and fighting against the odds and what family means,鈥� said Wise. 鈥淚t has something for everybody. It is an amazing story and it is an amazing story with a lot of heart.鈥�
Wise said that one of the aspects that makes theater so interesting is that everyone will take away something different from live performances such as 鈥淭he Play.鈥�
There will be 14 performances of 鈥淭he Play鈥� including 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 21 and 22; 1 p.m. Dec. 27; 7 p.m. Dec. 28, 29 and 30; 1 p.m. Dec. 31; 7 p.m. Jan. 3, 4,5 and 6; and 1 and 7 p.m. Jan. 7.
Tickets are $50 and $75 with student tickets for those age 26 and younger for $15.75.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 412-316-1600, online at ppt.org or at the O鈥橰eilly Theater box office.