Jesse Williams to star in the TV series adaptation of Take Me Out, the Tony-winning play about baseball and homophobia

Deadline

Playwright Richard Greenberg will adapt his play Take Me Out, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2003, for the small screen. Williams, who's been starring in the role on stage, will play Darren Lemming, a mixed-race star center fielder for the fictional Empires in the early 2000s. "Darren’s decision to come out of the closet sparks controversy and soul searching for American’s favorite pastime, revealing long-held, unspoken prejudices both on and off the field," per Deadline. "Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to confront the reality of being a gay person of color within the framework of a classic American institution. As the Empires rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties and the price of victory."