Ray's swum his way to the eve of the Olympic trials. If he makes the team, he'll get a deal with Speedo. If he gets a deal with Speedo, he'll never need a real job. So when someone's stash of performance-enhancing drugs is found in the locker room fridge, threatening the entire team's Olympic fate, Ray has to crush the rumors or risk losing everything. A sharp and stylish play about swimming, survival of the fittest, and the American dream of a level playing field—or of leveling the field yourself.
Red Speedo
Reviews
“The Red Speedo” is really excellent theatre, no holds barred, adrenaline-infused, thought-provoking and powerful…and I highly recommend it. The writing is effortless, quick and smart and a bit nerve-wracking at times and very, very funny.
Obie-winning Tony-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath (The Christians, A Doll's House, Part 2) takes on Sex, Drugs, and Olympic Sports in Red Speedo, the theatrical equivalent of a Raging Waters thrill ride now getting a gold-medal Southern California Premiere at the Road on Magnolia.
Hnath's characters hurl his Mamet-tinged dialog like weapons. But mere words won't suffice. Belligerent testosterone rages throughout the play, culminating in a shocking scene of bloody violence. Doping may be the context, but the conflict is more primal. Winning is all. And achieving that win makes everyone's morals more malleable.
...This all briskly unfolds in Stephen Gifford's sleekly designed gym, complete with a small pool whose blue water is cleverly accentuated by Derrick McDaniel's lighting. The actors turn in first-rate performances under Joe Banno's direction. - RECOMMENDED
Unfortunately, the fine direction by Joe Banno, good perrformances by a group of actors, and the neat scenic design with a pool by Stephen Gilford, is wasted on an unworthy play.
Director Joe Banno's direction never eases up through the 90-minute intermission-less play which contains multiple scenes. The action never flags and the right-on dialogue flows easily from Banno's talented quartet of actors.
“The Red Speedo” is really excellent theatre, no holds barred, adrenaline-infused, thought-provoking and powerful…and I highly recommend it. The writing is effortless, quick and smart and a bit nerve-wracking at times and very, very funny.
Obie-winning Tony-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath (The Christians, A Doll's House, Part 2) takes on Sex, Drugs, and Olympic Sports in Red Speedo, the theatrical equivalent of a Raging Waters thrill ride now getting a gold-medal Southern California Premiere at the Road on Magnolia.
Hnath's characters hurl his Mamet-tinged dialog like weapons. But mere words won't suffice. Belligerent testosterone rages throughout the play, culminating in a shocking scene of bloody violence. Doping may be the context, but the conflict is more primal. Winning is all. And achieving that win makes everyone's morals more malleable.
...This all briskly unfolds in Stephen Gifford's sleekly designed gym, complete with a small pool whose blue water is cleverly accentuated by Derrick McDaniel's lighting. The actors turn in first-rate performances under Joe Banno's direction. - RECOMMENDED
Unfortunately, the fine direction by Joe Banno, good perrformances by a group of actors, and the neat scenic design with a pool by Stephen Gilford, is wasted on an unworthy play.
Director Joe Banno's direction never eases up through the 90-minute intermission-less play which contains multiple scenes. The action never flags and the right-on dialogue flows easily from Banno's talented quartet of actors.