Berkshire on Stage

Two years ago, I reviewed Harbinger Theatre’s The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis and was delighted with the heartfelt dark comedy. This weekend, I saw Harbinger’s production of another Stephen Adly Guirgis play titled Between Riverside and Crazy. I can’t say I was quite as enamored with Between Riverside and Crazy as I was with The Motherf**ker with the Hat, but Harbinger’s newest production, currently on stage at Albany Civic Theater, still has
a lot to offer.

I must admit I’m not entirely sure what to make of Between Riverside and Crazy. Whereas The
Motherf**ker with the Hat was a very contained story about personal relationships affected by
outside factors like addiction and incarceration, Between Riverside and Crazy seems to be
making some sort of big-picture point about justice and corruption; but I’m not sure what that
point is.

The play concerns an African American ex-cop embroiled in a lawsuit against New York
City after being shot by a White rookie cop. While we feel for the protagonist, it is made clear
that his conduct is–and has long been–far from that befitting an upstanding officer of the law,
and that the details of the attack against him do not make him an innocent victim of racially
motivated violence. After watching Between Riverside and Crazy, I was left with the impression
that there is no such thing as true justice, that everyone is somewhat corrupt, and that everyone
will lie, scheme, steal, and do whatever else they must to meet their own needs. It’s not a very
satisfying conclusion for a play of this sort, but it is refreshingly realistic.

The play opens on a homey and artistically cluttered set, and as the audience takes their seat
they see Hasson Harris Wilcher already on stage as the play’s protagonist, Pops. Pops sits in
his wife’s old wheelchair eating a piece of pie and reading a newspaper. Immediately the
audience is brought into the setting of Pops’ Riverside apartment, and it is immediately clear
that Wilcher has a certain comfort on the stage.

Overall, the cast of Harbinger’s Between Riverside and Crazy has a lot of potential, though at
times they seemed unhoned and underrehearsed. Wilcher plays Pops with heart, gruffness, and
some very funny delivery. A bit more practice and comfort with the dialogue could have helped
Wilcher perfect his comedic timing and deliver a truly spectacular lead performance. As it was,
Wilcher was plenty funny and charismatic, but some of his most poignant and funny moments
didn’t quite land. Marquis Heath also showed potential and brought infectious energy to his
performance as Pops’ son, Junior; unfortunately, his over-the-top mannerisms were distracting
at times. Director Patrick White would have done well to help Heath reign in his performance
and approach some of the play’s dramatic moments with more subtlety. The actors who seem
the most comfortable in their parts are Sadrina Renee as the suspiciously overzealous “Church
Lady”; Elizabeth Wellspeak, playing Pop’s former partner; and Jared Lewis-Holliday who plays
Pops and Junior’s friend, an ex-con on the path to redemption named Oswaldo. Renee is a
particular delight in her small but crucial (and absolutely hilarious) role, and her scene with Pops
brings out some of Wilcher’s best comedic stylings. In their best moments, the actors bring

Stephen Adly Guirgis’s dishearteningly realistic story to life in a way that even invites the
audience to laugh in spite of its depressing subject matter.

Harbinger’s Between Riverside and Crazy isn’t perfect, but I can still wholeheartedly
recommend it. It is a thoroughly entertaining and thoughtful play performed by a talented cast
who know well how to play deeply flawed characters. Perhaps by their second weekend the cast
will have managed to smooth out some of the rough edges of their opening weekend and
deliver a production worthy of their talent.

Harbinger Theatre presents Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis at Albany
Civic Theater, 235 Second Avenue Albany, NY. Directed by Patrick White. Runs from July 18-
27, 2025. Stage Manager: Naishaly Velez Galen Cast: Hasson Harris Wilcher as Pops, Marquis
Heath as Junior, Elizabeth Wellspeak as Detective O’Connor, Jared Lewis-Holliday as Oswaldo,
Jenny Forson as Lulu, J Hunter as Lt. Dave Caro, and Sadrina Renee as Church Lady. Sound
design by Shaya Reyes. Lighting design by Stephen Sanborn. Set construction & decoration
by Jennie Sinnott.Costumes by Siobhan Shea. Props by Joyce Reynolds.

Performance dates are Friday-Sunday. Friday, and Saturday curtains are at 7:30pm and
Sundays are matinees only at 3pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission. Runs approximately
2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Contains sexual situations, depictions of
alcoholism, and discussions of racism, violence, drugs use, and prostitution. Recommended for
ages 13+. Tickets are available online at https://harbingertheatre.ludus.com/, or at the door for
any performance. For more information visit https://www.actingclasswithpatrickwhite.net/ or
https://www.albanycivictheater.org/.