Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven

B+

Stephen Adly Guirgis’s ambitious new play about the residents and staff of an Upper West Side halfway house for women is now at Atlantic Theater Company’s Linda Gross Theater in a coproduction with LAByrinth Theater Company. With 18 actors and a goat playing 21 roles and a running time of almost three hours, it operates on a large scale. The residents include Happy Meal Sonia (Wilemina Olivia-Garcia), a mentally unstable woman overdependent on her daughter Taina (Viviana Valeria); Wanda Wheels (Patrice Johnson Chevannes), a depressed wheelchair-bound elderly former nightclub entertainer who once dated Noam Chomsky and who takes a motherly interest in Queen Sugar (Benja Kay Thomas), who is involved in an Amway-like scam; Betty Woods (Kristina Poe), a morbidly obese woman who doesn’t bathe; Bella (Andrea Syglowski), a young recovering addict with a baby; Sarge (Liza Colon-Zayas), the female vet with PTSD with whom Bella is involved; Venus Ramirez (Esteban Andres Cruz), a trans woman resented by the other residents but lusted after by custodian Joey Fresco (Victor Almanzar); Munchies (Pernell Walker), a buxom beauty having a fling with Mr. Mobo (Neil Tyrone Pritchard), the Nigerian immigrant who is second in command to devoted director Miss Rivera (Elizabeth Rodriguez). There is also the addled Rockaway Rosie (Elizabeth Canavan) and two youngsters: Mateo (Sean Carvajal), whose mother is dying from a kidney disease and Little Melba Diaz (Kara Young), who has a knack for rap. Jennifer (Molly Collier) is a freshly minted Columbia MSW overwhelmed by her first job but eager to do good. Father Miguel (David Anzuelo) is the kindly but forceful local priest. Nicky (Greg Keller) is an abusive husband who wants to see his wife. Late in the play we meet Detective Sullivan (Keller again) and Councilwoman Golden (Syglowski again) who are investigating the disappearance of Mr. Skittles, one of the goats brought to Riverside Park to eat weeds who have become celebrities with their own FaceBook pages. Almost every character gets a moment to shine, often with a monologue that raises urban patois practically to the level of operatic aria. Some are hilarious, others are heartbreaking. The stories of the characters are linked loosely by a narrative that involves the disappearance of a resident, which gets less attention from the police than the disappearance of the goat. The set by Narelle Sissons (All My Sons) features a cross section of the house with a dilapidated meeting room. A couple of scenes take place outside the home on either side of the stage at audience level. (I would suggest not getting seats in rows B through D to avoid having sightline problems for these scenes.) The costumes by Alexis Forte (Our Lady of 121st Street) suit their characters. The direction by LAByrinth artistic director John Ortiz (Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train) is fluid. I do think that Guirgis might have trimmed a character or two and come up with a stronger ending. While I did not feel the play quite reached the level of some of his other plays (The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Between Riverside and Crazy), I did find it worthwhile. One of the pleasures was to reconnect with several marvelous actors who appeared in other Guirgis plays. If you don’t know his work, be prepared for rough language and sexual situations. Running time: 2 hours 50 minutes.

Our Lady of 121st Street

A-

Signature Theatre set the bar so high for their Stephen Adly Guirgis residency with last year’s first-rate production of his 2000 drama Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train that I was a bit apprehensive about whether they could maintain that high standard. I needn’t have worried. Their revival of this dark comedy from 2002 is every bit as good, if not better. This ensemble piece with twelve characters — and I do mean characters — is more like a series of connected sketches for pairs of actors than a plot-driven narrative, but with sketches that display Guirgis’s talent for writing inspiredly raunchy urban dialogue for a variety of damaged characters, that’s enough to keep me happy. A motley crew of past and present parishioners of a Harlem church have gathered for the wake of Sister Rose, a stern but loving nun who taught them all. The wake has been indefinitely postponed because someone has stolen Sister Rose’s body from the casket. We meet Victor (John Procaccino; Our Mother’s Brief Affair), an angry man whose pants were stolen while he slept; Balthazar (Joey Auzenne), an alcoholic cop; Rooftop (Hill Harper; Toast, Blue), an L.A. radio show host who abused his former wife Inez (Quincy Tyler Bernstine; The Amateurs); Father Lux (John Doman; The Other Thing), the priest who has to hear Rooftop’s first confession in 30 years; Flip (Jimonn Cole; X: Or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation), a closeted attorney who has brought along his less-than-butch lover Gail (Kevin Isola; Brooklyn Boy); [Why would any parent name their son Gail?] Norca (Paola Lazaro; To the Bone), a nasty woman with a short fuse; Edwin (Erick Betancourt; Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train), whose life is devoted to caring for his mentally disabled younger brother Pinky (Maki Borden; Inanimate); Marcia (Stephanie Kurtzuba; Billy Eilliot), Sister Rose’s neurotic niece; and Sonia (Dierdre Friel; Leap of Faith), whose reason for being there is hazy. As these characters engage, the ensuing dialogue is most often hilarious, although there are tender and sad moments as well. The actors are all solid. Mr. Harper and Ms. Kurtzuba are standouts in the showiest roles. Walt Spangler’s (Escape to Margaritaville) versatile set economically sets the mood. Alexis Forte’s (Between Riverside and Crazy) costumes are apt. Phylicia Rashad’s (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) direction is smooth and assured. I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I was taken aback by the play’s abrupt and rather downbeat ending. Compared to the play’s other achievements, this disappointment was a minor blemish. Running time: two hours including intermission.

Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train

B+

What a valuable service Signature Theatre’s Residency Program performs by giving us the opportunity to look back at the early works of leading contemporary playwrights to see how their talent has grown. This 2000 drama by Stephen Adly Guirgis contains the promising elements of his later plays (The Motherfucker with the Hat, Between Riverside and Crazy), but they are not yet as masterfully controlled. The black humor and marvelous urban patois are present, but are not well-blended with the long monologues and debates about morality, religion and justice. Most of the action takes place in the outdoor recreation area where prisoners under protective custody at Rikers Island are let out of their cells for an hour once a day. We meet Angel Cruz (Sean Carvajal), a 30-year-old bike messenger who is on trial for the death of the preacher of a cult-like church whom he blames for stealing his lifelong best friend. In the adjoining cage is Lucius Jenkins (Edi Gathegi), a charismatic serial killer who is awaiting extradition to Florida where he will be executed. Lucius has found God and been reborn. Although he takes responsibility for his actions, he still fears execution. We meet two guards. The first, Charlie D’Amico (Erick Betancourt), is soon fired for doing a variety of favors for Lucius. His replacement, Valdez (Ricardo Chavira), is not likely to show anyone a kindness. Angel is hostile to Mary Jane Hanrahan (Stephanie DiMaggio), the public defender who has been assigned his case. We learn enough about her background to understand why she became a public defender and why she might find Angel sympathetic despite his verbal abuse. Lucius, on the other hand, begins relentlessly haranguing Angel to take responsibility for the death he inadvertently caused. A cloud of implacability hangs overhead with no infraction, however minor, likely to go unpunished. The actors, particularly Carvajal and Gathegi, are marvelous. The set design by Riccardo Hernandez (Indecent) is appropriately bleak as are the costumes by Dede M. Ayite (The Royale). The direction by Mark Brokaw (Heisenberg, The Lyons) is assured and mostly succeeds in making the monologues flow into the rest of play. If you have a low tolerance for rough language or the description of violent events, you might be uncomfortable. Running time: two hours 10 minutes including intermission.

Between Riverside and Crazy ****

With his new play now in previews at the Atlantic Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis proves once again that he is one of our most entertaining playwrights. Walter “Pops” Washington (the superb Stephen McKinley Henderson) is a black former cop whose career was ended by a hail of bullets in a dicey bar 8 years before the play opens. He has been recently widowed, his son Junior (Ray Anthony Thomas) has been in and out of jail and consorts with criminals such as Oswaldo (Victor Almanzar) who has moved in with them. Their household is completed by Lulu (Rosal Colon), Junior’s girlfriend, who has more curves than brains. We also meet Walter’s former partner Detective O’Connor (Elizabeth Canavan) and her fiance Lieutenant Caro (Michael Rispoli), an ambitious, politically well-connected cop. Last but not least is the Church Lady (Liza Colon-Zayas), a visitor who is not what she seems. Walter’s landlord is out to evict him from his rent-controlled apartment on Riverside Drive. Lt. Caro is determined to do whatever it takes to get Walter to sign a settlement with the city that he has been fighting for 8 years to remove loose ends in an election year and enhance his career. What makes the play so exciting is Guirgis’s dialogue. The language is rough, but the humor is wonderful. The play opens with a discussion of nutrition unlike any you are likely to hear again. Guirgis skillfully softens up the audience with humor so that when he turns serious, the impact is twice as strong. The first scene of the second act features the most bizarre sex scene I have seen on a stage — and there’s no nudity involved. The remainder of the second act was less successful and I found the ending weak. Nevertheless, everything else was so enjoyable that these defects barely diminished my pleasure. Walt Spangler’s revolving set captures the look of a grand apartment that had seen better days. Alexis Forte’s costumes suit their characters well. Austin Pendelton’s direction is assured. If you enjoyed “The Motherf**ker with The Hat,” you will love this one; if you didn’t, you probably won’t. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes including intermission.

The Motherf**ker with the Hat ****

I've already gone on record as not being partial to plays about drug users and dealers, but I will gladly make an exception for Stephen Adly Guirgis's new play at the Schoenfeld. Unless you are totally averse to profanity, don't let the play's title keep you away. Guirgis is a master of using vivid dialogue to build memorable characters, a bit like early Mamet without the pauses.  Knee-slapping humor leavens the painful and the profound. The cast is superb. Bobby Cannavale as Jackie, a recent parolee with a volatile temperament, is simply riveting and, in my opinion, Tony-worthy. Elizabeth Rodriguez is fierce as his addict girlfriend Veronica. Yul Vazquez, as Cousin Julio, steals every scene he is in. Annabella Sciorra, as the unhappy wife of Jackie's AA sponsor, Ralph D., is touching. In this high-powered company, Chris Rock as Jackie's duplicitous sponsor Ralph D. is slightly disappointing, although his performance improves as the play progresses. The rotating set by Todd Rosenthal nails the milieu perfectly. Anna D. Shapiro's direction could not be better. I'm glad I didn't let the topic or the language deter me from seeing one of the season's best plays.