Review: The Motherf**ker With The Hat
Friday January 18th
Theatre Underground at the State Theatre Centre
An amazing display of interpersonal dynamics, this 2011 play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Adam Mitchell, challenges the viewer’s concepts of love, fidelity and friendships.
Jackie (Austin Castiglione) recently released from prison, returns to his girlfriend Veronica (Rhoda Lopez) who is a waitress and cocaine addict. Once the fire and passion of the reunion has run its course, Jackie discovers a hat on Veronica’s coffee table. This discovery, accompanied by a deep seated insecurity and jealousy in Jackie begins a series of scenes that are at times comedic, but also exhibit the often painful fragility and intensity of love, passion and jealousy.
Castiglione’s very convincing portrayal of a jealous alcoholic drug addled aggressor was well received. He actually reminded me of an acquaintance who is a jealous alcoholic drug addict.
Jackie visits his healthy, happily married fitness buff cousin Julio (Fayssal Bazzi) who after attempting to dissuade Jackie from his self destructive course, finally relents and gives him a gun. I did want for more from the character of Julio, as I felt that there could have been a greater depth to the production, rather we did get a glimpse of the inner strength and ‘goodness’ of Julio coming through.
Jackie seeks advice from his parole officer and AA sponsor Ralph (Kenneth Ransom) and discloses that he slept with his previous AA counselor, admitting that this may be the cause of Veronica’s jealousy. Ralph shows us glimpses of the guru, yet we somehow know his perfection and flawless character is a cover for his inner turmoil.
Rhonda Lopez’s portrayal of Veronica is brassy and bold; she manages to be both sleazy and seductive, whilst juggling her infidelity and her addiction to both drugs and bad men. To me she played a very convincing role, if sometimes a little over the top.
I last saw Alison van Reeken performing in Boy Gets Girl, and her brilliance and strength in that production was very well stifled in this to allow her to portray the slovenly, indifferent, long suffering house wife Victoria. Her transformation shows a real depth of character, and proves we can expect this woman to go far in theatre.
The triple room rotating set provided seamless scene changes and helped to give the feel of cramped inner city living, and the contrasts in each of the rooms was sufficient to lend differing moods to each scene, however for me it didn’t necessarily portray New York’s Puerto Rican area, It could well have been any drug riddled inner city slum.
Highly emotive, confronting and thought provoking, The Motherf**ker With The Hat provides an entertaining insight into the reactions, boundaries and thought processes of five individuals who are linked intrinsically through love and pain.
Dee O’Neill
Image: Gary Marsh
