New York Review: BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY
By Toby Zinman
For the Inquirer
As a longtime fan of playwright Stephen Adley Guirgis, I'm happy to report that his latest, Between Riverside and Crazy, measures up to the funny/fierce standard set by his earlier plays (Our Lady of 121st St., Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, The Motherf***er With the Hat).
And the longtime fans of Stephen McKinley Henderson—from young men to old ladies—were out in force, roaring their approval for this (formerly supporting) actor who carries the show as Walter "Pops" Washington. Despite the "Pops," everybody calls him "Dad": his just-out-of-prison son Junior (Ray Anthony Thomas) who's stashing stolen stuff in his bedroom, Junior's friend Oswaldo (the riveting Victor Almanzar), a violent addict who suffers from "emotionalisms," and Junior's dopey girlfriend Lulu (the adorable Rosal Colon). Everybody, it turns out, has a father story—true or not--and these Pops/Dad issues are at the heart of this makeshift family and of Pops' self-enobling idea of himself.
Despite the halo of long-suffering widowerhood as the cop invalided out of the force after being shot six times by a white rookie cop, Walter turns out to be less the old, kind sweetie than he seems to be, but is filled with rage and self-loathing: "Everybody hates cops. Cops hate cops. Especially black cops."
Self-loathers are a Guirgis speciality. As is betrayal. So, it's always wise to try to resist falling for his irresistible characters, since we're bound to wind up sort of sorry but sort of not. They are all urban types, and the New York texture is thick and spicy, from their accents to the Giuliani jokes to NYPD grudges and gripes to that favorite obsession of New Yorkers: real estate. Central to the plot is a rent-controlled apartment, although the issue is complicated by money and race.
Bringing some sanity to the crowd are Detective O'Connor (Elizabeth Canavan), Walter's former police partner, and her fiancé, a police lieutenant (Michael Rispoli). The wild card is the Church Lady (Liza Colon-Zayas), a sexy scammer from Brazil. They all talk terrific street talk—colorful and clever and weird--and the entire cast does juicy justice to Guirgis' dialogue.
Austin Pendleton directs this wild bunch, crushed together in a tiny playing space, with a lingering crooked Christmas tree. Walt Spangler's revolving set gives us the much-contested apartment, putting a literal spin on the show's naturalism.
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Atlantic Theater Co. at the Linda Gross Theatre, 336 W. 20th St. Tickets $65. Information: 866-811-4111