Actor’s Express is opening their season with Lucas Hnath’s comedy/drama/thriller “Red Speedo,” directed by Freddie Ashley, running through September 5.
This is the third collaboration between Mr. Hnath and the Express; you may remember “The Christians” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” which enjoyed a well-reviewed run on Broadway with Laurie Metcalf, among others.
This play enjoys some excellent timing: The Tokyo Olympics have just ended and the plot here concerns itself with the power that gold medal victory endows the winner, especially if the sport is a “popular” one like track and field, gymnastics, or swimming. To the victor belongs the spoils, as they say, and it’s the spoils—fame, power, and especially money—that “Red Speedo”concerns itself with.
Each of the four characters in the play is somewhat obsessed with the spoils that such a triumph would bring, starting with Ray (Marlon Andrew Burnley), a champion swimmer on the eve of the Olympic Trials. Incidentally, for most sports in the United States, the Trials are all important; you must finish in the top three to make the Olympic team. It’s sort of a brutal process, but there you are.
Ray seems positioned to make the team; he’s been finishing first in the most recent meets. Also interested in Ray’s future is Peter (Brian Ashton Smith), Ray’s older brother and an attorney. If Ray wins in the trials and the Games, it seems certain that a very lucrative contract with Speedo (and probably other big sponsors) will be his. Peter would love to manage Ray’s finances; he’s counting on it.
Then there is Ray’s coach (Rob Cleveland); he has meticulously guided Ray’s progress for years; he would benefit as well.
However, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. It appears that a cooler stocked with performance-enhancing drugs was found in the club refrigerator; and any scandal at the swim club where Ray trains has the potential to derail his Olympic dreams.
Peter urges the coach to just push this entire disclosure under the table—just say nothing about it. However, the coach seems morally bound (sort of) to disclose this to the authorities.
As it happens, a sports therapist named Lydia (Alexandra Ficken), who was also Ray’s girlfriend, had suggested to Ray that boosting his testosterone levels—artificially–would improve his swim times.
So you probably want to know—did he do it? Did he pull a Lance Armstrong? Perhaps you can guess, but I shall not reveal that here. You must see the show.
Everybody has a stake in whether Ray wins at the Olympics or not. You can easily deduce that playwright Hnath has bigger fish to fry here: materialism mania, the obsession to win at any cost, the desperation of an athlete as he realizes that the whole world is watching and judging him (think Simone Biles). Ray says to Peter, “This is my one last shot.” Ray understands something about the Olympics that drives me crazy: Either you win gold or you’re nothing.
I will never forget that during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a TV sportscaster stuck a microphone in an athlete’s face and said, “How does it feel to settle for the silver (second place medal)?” Think about that.
The actors here do a very fine job with the play. Mr. Burnley plays a young man who is certainly not sophisticated in the worldly matters of fame and high finance, yet reveals a keen intelligence and even has a welcome sense of humor. Mr. Smith, Mr. Cleveland, and Ms. Ficken bring all their talent and experience to the table. As usual, Mr. Ashley gets lovely work from his actors.
Hats off to Seamus M. Bourne’s scenic design, complete with pool and locker room.
“Red Speedo” is a promising start to the theatre’s 2021-2022 season.
By the way, Actor’s Express follows COVID-19 protocol to the letter, including proof of vaccination. Check their website for the details.
For tickets and information, visit actors-express.com.
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