Red Speedo NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Red Speedo moves at a lightning pace through a series of confrontations spiked with stiletto-sharp dialogue reminiscent of David Mamet at his best...Under Lileana Blain-Cruz's tightly coiled direction, the entire cast delivers...Hnath has thoroughly dismantled the media-spun clichés that inform modern sports culture, the winning-is-the-only-thing philosophy that has produced a pantheon of sports heroes who are indistinguishable from felons. This young playwright continues to impress."
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"It's a bit of a jumble of content, and neither Hnath nor his director quite make it cohere...Aside from a pitch-perfect physical production, what you get instead are moments of intensity and insight separated by literal and figurative splashes that douse what sparks are generated...You get a lot of broad strokes that verge dangerously on caricature and shock-driven staging from Blain-Cruz that imparts an unconvincing urgency."
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"The play is made up of a series of six confrontations in which the dialogue is delivered like bullets flying back and forth. While the story is engrossing, the individual conversations all go on a bit too long, and get tiresome before they are each over. Then the next one takes us by surprise all over again."
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"As impressively directed by newcomer to New York Lileana Blain-Cruz, strikingly designed and powerfully performed, the plot moves forward with a series of scenes, each of which focuses on one character's rationale for the moral compromises made...'Red Speedo' isn't quite as unique as 'The Christians' but it once again confirms Mr. Hnath as a distinctive new voice in the theater."
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"A sharp-edged production…Playwright Lucas Hnath and director Lileana Blain-Cruz have taken a decidedly Brechtian approach to the story...Hnath’s script is full of wonderful little plot twists, and keen observations. But the actors are intentionally stilted in their delivery, consciously pausing just a beat too long in picking up their cues...However, it provides the pleasantly unexpected result of making you replay each line in your head as they are fired off."
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"Hnath is a vital force in today’s theater scene, in part because of his commitment to experimenting with language. In 'Red Speedo', the players deliver their lines in staccato bursts as if they are, dare I say it, gasping for breath. Unfortunately, sometimes it feels like the play is built upon unfinished sentences in more than just styling. For all of its intellect and careful, heartfelt acting, 'Red Speedo' tries to tackle so much, the plot becomes convoluted."
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"Lileana Blain-Cruz directs this piece with some guts and a lot of testosterone...Hnath gives us a few dazzling and fast-paced scenes in this 80-minute debate on ethical challenges in the competitive world of swimming. And all four actors handle their roles with amazing sincerity and emotional truthiness...The play does falter as it moves along towards the ending, losing its momentum and speed...Overall though, it’s a good solid stroke of work, and worth the visit."
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"The wonderful grit of 'Red Speedo' results from the playwright’s ability to develop rounded characters with intriguing conflicts that drive 80 minutes of multilayered plots with enough twist and turns to keep the audience on their toes and on the edge of their seats throughout...Under Lileana Blain-Cruz’ animated and resolute direction, the ensemble cast maintains a rigorous and energetic pace right up until the surprising, shocking, and somewhat disturbing ending."
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