Sussex - Tri-State Actors Theater is presenting Rounding Third, a comic “odd couple” story by Richard Dresser, through June 25 at the historic Crescent Theater, 74 Main St., Sussex. The play is based on the relationship between two Little League coaches - a tough, win-at-any-cost veteran, and his new assistant, who has a dramatically different baseball philosophy. The new season is about to begin and Don, played by David Volin, a seasoned head coach with a reputation for winning, has lost his like-minded assistant coach to the Babe Ruth League. Enter new assistant coach Michael Johnson, played by Bill Edwards, a father who wants to spend more quality time with his son and who believes the games are meant to be fun. Volin and Edwards are both members of Actors Equity, the union of professional actors and stage managers. For Don, winning is the fun, and with the help of his son’s all-star pitching, he is determined to win despite having to field Michael’s not-so-gifted son. In Rounding Third the two coaches try to find a way to relate their different coaching styles over the course of the season. In these often hysterical struggles, the play explores what it means to win off the field as well as on it. Playwright Dresser began writing Rounding Third when his son’s Little League coach suggested that a slower player fake an injury as part of the team’s strategy for winning. “I was horrified,” Dresser wrote in an introduction to the play. “Is this how our children are being trained to deal with competition? ...What about building character and encouraging fair play? Or are such notions laughable in this country at this point in history?” The run opens with a preview performance tonight (Thursday, June 8). All tickets are $17. Regular ticket prices for Friday and Saturday evenings are $27; $25 for seniors 60 and over and students. Regular Thursday evening and Sunday matinee tickets are $25; $23 for seniors and students. Evening performances begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m. Reservations are recommended for all performances. Large print programs, wheelchair access and elevator service are available for patrons with special needs. For tickets, information, and special services, call 973 875-2950. Main Street parking is limited; patrons are encouraged to use the free municipal parking lot on Harrison Street, directly behind the theater. For information about Tri-State Actors Theater, log on to tristateactorstheater.org. Funding for the theater has been made possible in part by a grant from the N.J. State Council on the Arts/Dept.of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.