"THE MOTHERF--KER WITH A HAT"
at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater
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In order to boost ticket sales, it's becoming more and more of a trend to cast big-name "stars" in Broadway productions, whether or not they are the ideal actors for the roles they are given. Stephen Adly Guirgis's thought-provoking, if often often profane, new drama, "The Motherf--ker with a Hat," probably would not have been produced on Broadway if its cast did not include a star; it would have been produced Off-Broadway like his previous work. The producers have hired Chris Rock to star in this play. I'm sure there are many fans of Rock (from his work as a comic on TV) who will turn out to catch his Broadway debut.
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But if the play had simply been cast on the basis of "How can we find the actor best able to serve this script," I think they would have hired someone other than Rock. He's not an experienced stage actor. And he is not quite ready for stardom in a stage drama. Don't get me wrong. He's not terrible in this play. But he's not as nuanced or as convincing--or even as comfortable on stage--as plenty of other talented (but not well-known) stage actors would be.
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Rock plays a character who's supposed to be a womanizer, with so much charm that his wife stands by her man even if she knows that he cheats on her. But Rock sometimes seems more like the wise-cracking boyish stand-up comic we know from TV than the character the script calls for. Which weakens the play. The other four actors (Bobby Carnevale, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Yul Vazquez, and Annabella Sciorra) offer more realistic, natural portrayals of their characters.
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The play is well worth seeing, despite my reservations concerning the casting of Rock. Guirgis (whose previous plays include "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" and "Our Lady of 121st Street") offers us a rather dark, bittersweet taste of urban life, as lived by some characters who are struggling to just get by. Bobby Carnevale plays a recovering alcoholic, recently released from prison, who suspects his girlfriend has been cheating on him; Rock is his A.A. sponsor.
Playwright Guirgis, director Anna D. Shapiro ("Osage: Orange County"), and company give us a thought-provoking drama with plenty of humor, as well as pain. I wish a stronger, subtler actor had been cast in the role Chris Rock now has; it would have made for a more compeling production. But without a "name" to sell tickets, this play probably would not have made it to Broadway. I don't like that situation; but that's the reality these days.
--Jimmy Jones
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