Red Speedo 

Reviewed by Lovell Estell III 
The Road Theatre Company 
Through July 1 

RECOMMENDED 

The legendary Vince Lombardi once declared that, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” (Actually the slogan was first voiced by UCLA Bruins football coach Henry Russell “Red” Sanders in 1950; Lombardi probably got it from him). It has now become a venerated mantra, a toxic call to action willingly embraced by far too many people who just can’t tolerate the possibility of losing. “Americans love a winner, and will not tolerate a loser,” says George C. Scott in the opening scene of Patton. The attitude may have its virtues, but what is the toll — moral, psychological and spiritual — for adapting this hyper-competitive, win-at-all-cost mindset?

In his Obie Award winning play, now in its Southern California premiere, Lucas Hnath concisely explores the issue via the familiar backdrop of competitive sports. Ray (Adam Peltier), is a swimming sensation who has been “living in the water since he was four,” and is now preparing to compete in the upcoming Olympic trials. But the dream of Olympic glory is dimmed because a cooler stocked with performance-enhancing drugs has been found in the refrigerator of the club where he trains.

Ray has informed his coach (Jason E. Kelly), that the drugs are not his but belong to another swimmer.  The coach, however, is determined out of moral rectitude to do the right thing and report the contraband to the authorities. In the play’s comical opening scene, Ray, dressed in a red Speedo, sits on a bench poolside munching on carrots; meanwhile his brother Peter (Coronado Romero), who is also his de facto “agent” and a lawyer, delivers a long-winded speech extolling Ray’s numerous merits, and desperately trying to convince the coach to forget about the drugs. “We don’t need to make a big deal about it,” he says in a slick, matter of fact tone. The hard sell is ratcheted up when Peter implies that the scandal could ruin Ray’s career as well as the coach’s.

But it soon becomes apparent that Ray’s future isn’t all that Peter is worried about. He’s been in talks with the Speedo Corporation about an endorsement deal that could mean big bucks and an opportunity for him to move into the lucrative field of sports management. As he tells Ray, it would be a “very good deal for us.”

For Ray, who has no skills or economic future (and comes across as a likable dimwit with an inarticulate, childlike manner), the Olympics are his only ticket to the good life — even if getting there means tossing under the bus people he supposedly cares about, like his former sports therapist. lover and drug supplier, Lydia (Kimberly Alexander). It all heats up in an often humorous but increasingly dark and ugly battle royale of tangled self-interests, with a surprising stash of Machiavellian twists and revelations and an ending that you didn’t see coming.

This all briskly unfolds in Stephen Gifford’s sleekly designed gym, complete with a small pool whose blue water is cleverly accentuated by Derrick McDaniel’s lighting. The actors turn in first-rate performances under Joe Banno’s direction.

The Road Theatre on Magnolia, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through July 1. (818) 761-8838(818) 761-8838(818) 761-8838761-8838 or www.RoadTheatre.org Running time: Ninety minutes with no intermission.