Nine out of 10 critics seem to love Stephen Adly Guirgis' "The Motherf**ker With the Hat."
"Poetic, profane and hilarious, this whip-smart look at love and addiction finds light even in the darkest corners of New York City," one wrote.
FAQ
‘The Motherf**ker
With the Hat’
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. today through Sunday
WHERE — Global Campus Theater on the Fayetteville square
COST — $3-$10
INFO — 575-4752
Another describes it as "a high-octane verbal cage match about love, fidelity and misplaced haberdashery."
The ones who don't love the story of a former drug dealer trying to go straight are either put off by the title -- or put off by using asterisks in the title.
"I feel like we're pushing appropriate boundaries in doing the play," says Michael Landman, a University of Arkansas theater professor and the director of the UA Studio Series production. "The word is secondary. We want to be able to invite those who want to see it. If they find it offensive, they just won't come. If they're adventurous, intrigued or delighted, they should be there. It's a terrific piece of writing."
Landman was fortunate to be able to cast the show with ethnic diversity.
"Three of the characters are meant to be Puerto Rican or Latino, and we have a graduate student population that meant we didn't have to compromise. Four of the five actors have a Latino background. Four of the five are third-year [MFA] students. We have a wonderfully diverse and wonderfully talented cast."
The premise of the play is that Jackie has been released from prison. His girlfriend, Veronica, is still using drugs -- and, as it turns out, has been cheating on him, revealed by the presence of a hat that is not his. The surprise is not that she has cheated, but with whom.
"I see Jackie as a child," says actor Chris Hecke. "The roots of his addiction are in his childhood fears and insecurities. Throughout the play he must grow up and take responsibility for his shortcomings and flaws. He's smart but not intelligent. Weaving all of those characteristics into a guy who is also lovable, creative, and caring was one of the hardest parts of the process."
"It's funnier than one would imagine given the plot," Landman says. "It kind of reminds of me of Quentin Tarantino's work, that combination of sexy and violent with a social message, and it's really funny. You can't help but laugh at Tatantino's movies. This is not as violent as his films, but it is sexy and explosive. The writer's grasp of language and contemporary characters is extraordinary."
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 02/05/2016