“The cycle of self-sabotage” is not only a line of dialogue from the current Studio Stage offering at the Long Beach Playhouse but is also a recurring theme that the characters cannot escape no matter how hard they may believe that they try.
“The Motherfucker with the Hat” is a hard-hitting and uncompromising look at the nightmare of addiction, recovery, betrayal and AA culture. Like slamming three shots of whiskey neat, the Tony Award winning work from Pulitzer Prize recipient playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis is sharp, concise and very witty in the face of the never-ending emotional disaster for its inhabitants.
Foul-mouthed and fast moving, this presentation is not for the easily offended, nor should it be. What it does do is entertain and enlighten, not outrage.
The play opens with a pre-recorded curtain speech peppered with so many expletives and f-bombs that at that point one can either run for the door or buckle in. Judging by the nervous laughter, all in attendance chose the latter as the play opened in a New York City apartment as Jackie (expertly essayed by Brandon Prado) enters his girlfriend Veronica’s (played with sass and bravado by Tammy Mora) apartment fresh out of jail but full of hope on the horizon; he’s clean, sober, recently employed and in love as he brings her presents and enthusiastic promises. The sexual heat of the moment prompts Veronica to jump in the shower as Jackie suddenly discovers an unfamiliar men’s hat on the table. His suspicions aroused, he sees the telltale signs of a former sexual liaison and the accusations fly.
What starts out as a scene from an atypical, mid-century play about a couple bickering in a quaint Manhattan apartment quickly degenerates into a nightmare of betrayal in several unexpected ways with plot pivots that you won’t see coming from a mile away.
What follows are scenes from an addict’s fast spiral into a situation that is entirely out of their control with no signs of slowing or fate mercilessly putting the brakes on.
The set design by Greg Fritsche is clear and solid; a split level gives way to at least four or five playing spaces in different locations and it works completely. Lighting design by Frank McKown is on point as is the incidental music. Direction and expert blocking by Carl da Silva is invisible, which is exactly what it should be when it comes to theater that pulls you right in. Kudos to the entire production team!
A stellar ensemble cast is led by Brandon Prado as Jackie in what could easily be a stereotype characterization, but he brings pathos and raw, controlled emotions to his portrayal of a tortured young man caught between the desire of love and an easy way out of his problems with bad coping skills.
Noah Wagner as Ralph D. is a Long Beach Playhouse mainstay, always great and always reliable to fill the shoes of any characters that he inhabits on the boards. Last seen in “The Clean House” on the Studio Theatre Stage, he delivers the goods with his usual aplomb in a role that is sympathetic and likable at first, then devolves into a sociopathic time bomb, ticking away…
Tammy Mora as Veronica is a calculated, controlling woman whose bombastic moments are entirely counterpart with her quiet seconds in her “Let’s go for pie” monologue. You don’t want to miss this.
Giovanni Navarro as Cousin Julio practically steals the show with his energetic conjuring of a character who, at first, is comical and supportive but ultimately becomes a force to be reckoned with as he threatens those who cross his line in the sand of “knowing him fully”. It’s not a threat to be taken lightly as he waits in the lobby……
Wysper Samone as Victoria bears the brunt of the Greek Chorus as she becomes the voice of common sense as those caught in a love triangle who will not be a doormat or a second choice any longer. Great work all the way.
You’ll definitely walk away from this piece talking about it and discussing it; who was ultimately at fault, who was “the bad guy” and who deserved redemption, but the point is that you WILL be talking about this electric and passionate story about people on a collision course with a destiny by their own hand.
Highly recommended!
