Classes clash in Horovitz’s ‘Gloucester Blue’
by Mark Sardella
There are no role models in Israel Horovitz‘s new play, unless you count liars, philanderers, extortionists and murderers among your heroes. But if you like your humor black with a touch of Coen brothers absurdism, you’ll enjoy Gloucester Blue, currently in an extended run at Gloucester Stage through Oct. 11.
All the action in Wakefield, MA native (and 1956 Wakefield High School graduate) Horovitz’s latest play takes place in a run-down Gloucester loft owned by a wealthy young couple. Bradford Ellis IV, also known as “Bummy” (played by Lewis D. Wheeler) and his perfectly pretty blonde wife Lexi Carrington (Esme Allen) recently purchased the loft for $800,000 as a summer home.
They’ve hired a local contractor, Stumpy (Francisco Solorzano), to completely renovate the space. Stumpy’s regular helper in on his honeymoon so he has brought in an out-of-work friend of a friend to assist with the reno.
At 56, Latham (Robert Walsh) is a good 20 years older than his boss, and their tastes clash early on when Latham blasts Aerosmith on his boom box as the two spackle, prime and paint the walls of the loft, which is strewn with paint buckets and drop cloths. When Stumpy asks Latham to lower the volume and then turn off the music entirely, an irritated Latham asks Stumpy what he likes to listen to.
It seems at first a little incongruous when working stiff Stumpy says he listens to NPR, until we (and Latham) learn who has been influencing his tastes of late. The two workers discuss everything from pop culture to politics, even taking some ripped-from-the-headlines swipes at Donald Trump.
When Lexi shows up with some paint color samples, Latham immediately picks up on the fact that there seems to be more than an employer-employee relationship going on between Lexi and Stumpy. He also gathers that Lexi’s father was Judge Carrington, the very jurist who had once sentenced Latham to a stretch behind bars.
Latham’s rough-around-the-edges manner grates on Lexi’s upper crust sensibilities and after a private “meeting” between Lexi and Stumpy, Stumpy tells Latham that he has to let him go.
Latham flies into a rage, the ugly result of which presents the ever opportunistic Latham with an idea for a way to effect a major upgrade in his lifestyle.
Doing double duty as playwright and director, Horovitz has assembled a top-notch professional cast for this production.
Walsh is especially good as the Gloucester lowlife who never lets a crisis go to waste, especially one of his own making.
And Allen nails the part of the pretentious, preppy Hamilton housewife, who enjoys all the benefits of her husband’s money even as she sneaks around behind his back.
There’s plenty of Horovitz’s trademark humor, as he presents the rich and the working class and all of their respective foibles without passing judgement.
In the end, it seems, there is no high road for any of these characters – only the gutter.
—
Gloucester Blue runs through Oct. 11 at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main St. in Gloucester. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Gloucester Stage Box Office at 978-281-4433 or visit gloucesterstage.com.
[Gloucester Blue, written and Directed by Israel Horovitz. Set Design, Jenna McFarland Lord. Costume Design, Chelsea Kerl. Lighting Design, Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design, David Reiffel. Stage Manager, Robin Grady. Fight Director, Robert Walsh. Featuring Esme Allen, Francisco Solorzano, Robert Walsh and Lewis D. Wheeler.]
Filed under: Art, Columns & Essays, Feature stories, Opinion, Reviews, Wakefield | Leave a Comment
Tags: Aerosmith, Esme Allen, Francisco Solorzano, Gloucester Massachusetts, Gloucester Stage, Israel Horovitz, Lewis D. Wheeker, Mark Sardella, play theatre, Robert Walsh., theater, Wakefield Daily Item
Search this site
Categories
Flickr Photos
Archives
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Recent Comments
Dr. Ed on Why the Warrior logo vote stil… Dr. Ed on Why the Warrior logo vote stil… Dr. Ed on Why the Warrior logo vote stil… WaffleCat on Why the Warrior logo vote stil… John Breithaupt on Why the Warrior logo vote stil… Blog Stats
- 317,492 hits
LINKS
No Responses Yet to “Classes clash in Horovitz’s ‘Gloucester Blue’”