"Provocative and patchy...Mr. Hardy has essentially written two plays: a Trump-era tragedy for Trevor, about a man’s losing his place in the world, and a cheeky comedy for Alice...For a long time, this twinning gives 'Mope' the unsettling tart-sweet flavor that distinguishes Mr. Hardy’s voice and makes you eager to hear more of it. But at a certain point, he gives up on uniting the genres, lurching instead toward an abrupt ending that doesn’t feel entirely earned."
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"No one emerges unscathed from Hardy’s insightful new play—including the audience. What starts as a raunchy comedy about a pair of low-level porn-industry pals escalates into something darker and poignant...Effectively staged by Tolan...Hardy’s sly one-act seduces with raucous laughs, then slowly shifts as tension builds within this sad, scary man...'Mope’s' sex talk and nudity aren’t what shock; the way it exposes our society’s just-below-the-surface fury is what truly jolts."
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“A devastatingly relevant new play…Hardy brilliantly distills giant themes of toxic masculinity and waning privilege into the microcosm of porn…Every performer in the cast works to deepen the story…Tolan keeps all these themes flowing together through efficient staging and design…You wouldn't guess from the play's smutty exterior, but Hardy has penned a 21st-century answer to John Steinbeck's ‘Of Mice and Men,’ that classic exposé of the elusive American dream.”
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"For about two thirds of its running time, 'Mope' coasts on the skill of its talented cast, who make these inconsequential characters likable in spite of themselves...If the director, RJ Tolan, struggles a bit with the play's first half, he gets excellent work from his cast of new faces...'Mope' isn't a total success, but Hardy clearly knows how to write blistering confrontations...I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing from him again, and soon."
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"The play is never moralistic in tone. It’s also hilariously funny at times, but 'Mope' never panders to the audience with cheap jokes...All three leads...are excellent, with fully-fleshed characters and adept balances of comedic and dramatic skills...The secondary players, each of whom get their chance to shine in their own scenes, are equally superb...The dramatic effect of this hard-hitting, bold piece will stay with the audience long after the money shot."
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"A hilarious and incisive deconstruction of toxic masculinity, this new play is sidesplittingly funny, until it is decidedly not. Hardy’s brilliant script soars in the hands of director RJ Tolan. The world is rich and clear. Characters deep and tangible. The story is gripping and though at a certain point the conclusion begins to feel inevitable, it does not feel predictable...The chemistry, timing, and ensemble work is stellar...This play is definitely one to catch before its short run ends."
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