'Red Speedo' by Quinnipiac University Theater - A Review

Hamden, CT - RED SPEEDO is an intense play written by Lucas Hnath. The Quinnipiac University Theater Program opens its season with a very impressive production of the play directed by Mariah Sage, an actor, writer, director and educator who is a member of the Quinnipiac theater faculty.

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.

“In this play, Lucas Hnath writes, ‘We all do things that are sorta good and sorta not so good,” to get what we want. In RED SPEEDO Hnath invites us to question our personal ambition, the advantages we may have over others, and the line over which we just might cross.’” - director Mariah Sage in her program note

This work is surprisingly funny, given the themes of the plot. The direction of Ms. Sage brought out the tension of the action, playing up the tic-like noises of the lawyer’s pen, the coach’s tapping and the girlfriend’s necklace, as well as ensuring that the rhythm of the rapid-fire dialogue was not lost. Strong blocking also added to the palpable tension on the stage. Of course, one needs to suspend their disbelief when university-aged performers cover all the required ages of the characters in a play, but it always somehow works.

F. Liam Devlin bravely donned the red Speedo for the entire 90 minutes in his debut at the university, with only a large tattoo drawn on his back and right leg and the stage lights for warmth in his role of the swimmer Ray. The actor made us believe that he was the often-confused swimmer with a past. Mr. Devlin is a theater major at Quinnipiac University.

Joseph Powell (Francis Flute in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Legacy Theatre and a slew of credits at Quinnipiac) rose to the challenge of the role of Peter, Ray’s older brother and a (shark) lawyer who plans to serve as the swimmer’s representative. Mr. Powell is a Theater and Game Design double major at the university.

Julia Brignano did very well with the part of Ray’s long-time swim coach who does not want Ray to switch to another trainer. Ms. Brignano (NO EXIT at QU) is a theater minor at Quinnipiac. Betts Miller played the former girlfriend of Ray. The character of Lydia is a sports therapist that has lost her license after being arrested on a drug charge. Ms. Miller (Dorothy in OZ THE MUSICAL at Center Stage Theatre) is a Health Science major with a Theater minor at the university.

The scenic design by Abigail Copeland was so professional that one easily forgot this was a university production and even more that it was sized to fit into a black box theater. It featured a red, white and (light and dark) blue theme, with authentic looking cinder block walls “surrounding” a real (albeit thin) swimming pool, as well as a large analog competition clock that dominates one wall. I studied the set as the (mostly) students found their seats at the sold out performance, and I imagined the pool water to be a mirage, but we soon learned that it was most definitely real. After the performance, I heard some Quinnipiac students chastising Mr. Devlin (now dressed in street clothes) for urging them to sit in the front row on the pool side of the stage. You have been warned.

The lighting design by Ted Boyce-Smith, a New York City based lighting and projection designer for theater, dance, opera and events, made the set look even better, if that is even possible. It worked extremely well with the sound design of Kevin Copeland; the actors did not need to wear microphones, but the effects of a ticking clock and a swim meet horn were most effective. Mr. Boyce-Smith will be working on the upcoming BALTIMORE at the university.

Costumes designed by Katya Vetrov included a period business suit for the lawyer, a uniform for the female coach, street clothes for the girlfriend and a red Speedo and a large dragon tattoo for the swimmer. Kudos to the flight choreographer Michael Rossmy (A TALE OF TWO CITIES on Broadway) for authentic-looking fighting that kept the actors safe; Mr. Rossmy is in his fourteenth year as a Faculty Lecturer in Acting at the Yale School of Drama. Technical direction was done by Rosalie Bochansky. Camille Manley was the stage manager, with Juliana Daddio was the assistant stage manager in her Quinnipiac debut. Ian Berkey is credited with the poster design.

I was blown away by the state of the art design of this new black box theater on the Quinnipiac campus, with comfortable studio seating and a modern lobby for waiting. The actors used the middle aisle of the bleacher seating, as well as some reserved seats in the house; the fun curtain speech warned that if audience members tried to leave their seat during the performance, they would be on the stage, so again, you have been warned.The recorded curtain speech also requested cell phones to be turned off in a fun, but effective manner.

RED SPEEDO, which runs without an intermission, runs through a matinee on October 13. I found the action of the play to be engrossing and it definitely builds to an intense conclusion. The show’s program is available online, with some printed versions available from an usher. Know that the dialogue includes slightly more than a handful of four-letter words and there is definitely some strong stage violence.

The mission of the Quinnipiac University Theater Program is to produce four main-stage productions each year, offering students opportunities for hands-on learning in all areas of theater production, including acting, stage management, design, assistant directing, playwriting, administration, and technical support. The 2019-2020 mainstage season will continue with BALTIMORE by Kirsten Greenidge, RAGE by Stephen King and the 2020 NEW PLAY FESTIVAL in New York City. The Fourth Wall Theater will present BAD JEWS by Joshua Harmen in November in the easy-to-find theater at 515 Sherman Avenue in Hamden that boasts many convenient parking spaces. Very affordable tickets are available online. Thank you to Professor Kevin Daly for allowing me to attend; I hope to be invited to the upcoming productions on campus for a review.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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