Quick Hit Theater Review: Bullet for Adolf

David Coomber and Nick Wyman. Photo: Carol Rosegg

Bullet for Adolf
By Woody Harrelson and Frankie Hyman
Directed by Woody Harrelson
Starring: Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brandon Coffey, David Coomber, Shamika Cotton, Shannon Garland, Lee Orsino, Tyler Jacob Rollinson and Nick Wyman
Presented by Children at Play
New Workd Stages

What's it all about?
It's a bleeping story about a bleeping bunch of bleeping people who bleeping yell at each other bleeping all the time. Somewhere in the middle of the profanity, they also come into the presence of the gun which was used in an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler, eat a disgusting meal together and tell a lot of shocking, off-color jokes. It feels like a trip down memory lane by a couple of friends (which Harrelson and Hyman are in real life) about their under-the-influence times in Houston, TX in 1983. Hyman, like Frankie (Rollinson), his counterpart in the play, went to Texas in early 1980 to find work. That's where he met Harrelson.

What are the highlights?
David Coomber is a hoot as Clint, the "Is-he-gay?" roommate of Harrelson alter-ego Zac (Coffey) and Frankie (who runs around in his underwear and has a contagious laugh). Coomber recreates the role which won him the 2011 BirdL.and Theater Young Actor Award in Toronto where this play had its world premiere.  Also fun is Cotton as plain-speaking Jackie.

Video projections (Imaginary Design) accompanied by popular music from the era (Brett Jarvis, sound design) set the otherwise sparsely trussed stage (Dane Laffrey, sets).

What are the lowlights?
Lack of a cohesive plot for starters. The main purpose seems to be to see whether the playwrights can challenge David Mamet for the most uses of the "F" word in a script (I think Mamet might still be the champ, but this work gives him a serious run for the title). In between individual couples yelling at each other or everyone yelling at each other en group (the volume is way up there), there are some jokes that seem to be thrown in for shock value, more than for having any tie to whatever is supposed to be happening on stage. It's one of those plays that gets an Off-Broadway run on the merit of a star name attached (and there did seem to be a lot of enthusiastic Harrelson fans in the audience) and the fact that the company producing it happens to be the star's.

Other information:
Bullet for Adolpf runs through Sept. 9 at New World Stages, 340 west 50th St., NYC. For information and tickets, visit www.bulletforadolf or call 212-239-6200

Christians might also like to know:
-- Strong Language
-- Derogatory Language (about women and the "N" word)
-- Drug Usage
-- Sexual Dialogue
-- God's name taken in vain