You’d Be Crazy to Miss “Between Riverside and Crazy”

Words by Joanna Palladino

Opening this weekend at Albany Civic Theater is Harbinger Theatre’s production of Stephen Adly Guigis’ play, “Between Riverside and Crazy.”  Directed skillfully by Patrick White, “Between Riverside and Crazy” explores the human condition with wit, humanity, and biting dialogue.  A collaboration between Albany Civic Theater and Harbinger Theatre, “Between Riverside and Crazy,” a Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, is a dark comedy you’d be crazy to miss. 

“Between Riverside and Crazy” is the story of ex-cop and widower Walter Pops Washington, who is grieving the loss of his wife, his profession, his identity, and possibly one of the last rent-stabilized apartments on Riverside Drive in New York City.  Pops is surrounded by a cast of characters, all facing their grim realities with hope and optimism while anchoring themselves to Pops.  Visited by his former partner from the police force, Pops is faced with an ultimatum that provides an opportunity for change.  The play will leave you with a ton to discuss since it quickly explores so many themes with very little time for reflection.  Packed with humor and f bombs, this two-hour production includes themes of resilience, class struggles, loss, connectedness, racism, police brutality, and grace (just to name a few).  

The cast of “Between Riverside and Crazy” – photo by Emmali Lanfear

The ensemble cast of “Between Riverside and Crazy” is remarkable!  Hasson Harris Wilcher (Pops) carries the play with humanity, realism, and the right amount of paternalism.  His vulnerability is authentic.  Marquis Heath plays Junior, Pops’ son, and is utterly glorious in the role (especially considering he jumped into the production only two weeks ago).  Jared Lewis-Holliday as Oswaldo is a grape soda cocktail that is equal parts heartbreaking, lovable, and menacing.  Jenny Forson as Lulu is a delight – she brings such likability to a role that could have been just a caricature. Elizabeth Wellspeak as Detective Audrey O’Connor is equal parts good-hearted, clueless, and astute, and delivers a more complex performance than one would expect from her role.  J Hunter as Lt. Dave Caro is a force!   He slowly and skillfully reveals his true intentions, and his scenes with Hasson Harris Wilcher are mesmerizing.  Sadrina Renee plays the unnamed Church Lady and has one of the most intense and intimate moments in the entire play (viewer discretion is advised- wink).  Sadrina Renee is indescribable!  There are not enough words to adequately describe the incredibly nuanced performance she delivers.  She is utterly divine – hilarious, inspirational, and a harbinger of what is to come.

The crew should also be acknowledged for their contributions.  The set was designed perfectly, and it allowed for quick transitions from scene to scene brilliantly.  Kudos to Jennie Sinnott (set designer) and the entire set construction crew: Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid, Jacob Bell, Bob Dawes, Abigail Rose Decker, Chris Foster, Cristine LaPaix, Peter Kantor, Joel Katz, John Myers, Maghen Ryan-Adair, Amanda Serafini, Quinn Solace, Aidan White, and Bud Whitney.  Props to Joyce Reynolds for the props perfectly used throughout the production.  The rest of the crew should also be commended: Stephen Sanborn (lighting designer), Constance Lopez (lighting assistant), Siobhan Shea (costume designer), Naishaly Velez Galen (stage manager), Marjorie Geiger (house manager), and Brian Starnes (sound assistant), to name a few.  Of special note was the awesome sound design by Shaya Reyes.  Shaya’s preshow and show selections included a heavy dose of Miles Davis for you jazz aficionados out there. Shaya’s entire playlist includes: 

• “Stella by Starlight” (Miles Davis ft. John Coltrane and Bill Evans)
• “It Never Entered My Mind” (Miles Davis Quintet)
• “Venus De Milo” (Miles Davis)
• “Boplicity” (Miles Davis)
• “Road Trip” (RejSende ft. Kind Puppy)
• “Moonlight in Vermont” (Stan Getz)
• “Iris” (DESH ft. c e c e l i e, jazz_rabbit, and Louk)
• “Let’s Stay Together” (Al Green)
• “Deception” (Miles Davis)
• “Echo Sax End” (Caleb Arredondo)
• “‘Round Midnight” (Miles Davis ft. John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones)
• “Viva La Vida” (EvanTSax [Jazz Cover of Coldplay])

Shaya’s intermission music borrowed heavily from the Smooth Jazz All Stars and included:

• “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (Massimo Farao, Nicola Barbon, Bobo Facchinetti)
• “Love On Top” (Smooth Jazz All Stars)
• “No Scrubs” (Smooth Jazz All Stars [Instrumental])
• “You” (Nathan Allen [Saxophone Version])
• “Diamonds” (Smooth Jazz All Stars [Instrumental])
• “The Boy Is Mine” (Smooth Jazz All Stars)

Shaya showcases an incredible jazz version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”  With lyrics like these, you can see why this was an appropriate selection for the production:

It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Aw, who would ever wanna be king?

During the play, Pops mentions that he never knew his father, but he knew that he was a boxing sparring partner.  Miles Davis had a deep love for boxing, often drawing parallels between the sport and music. His album, “A Tribute to Jack Johnson” (re-released in 1971), is heavily influenced by the shuffle of a boxer, and numerous tracks are named after boxers.  While Shaya didn’t use any tunes from “A Tribute to Jack Johnson,” the selections she did use from Miles Davis were absolute treasures.  My favorite, of course, was Miles Davis’ masterpiece “It Never Entered My Mind.”  A Rogers and Hart song from the musical “Higher and Higher,” Miles’ version is expertly crafted with emotion that teeters between gentleness and tension.  The classic quintet recording, featuring John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, delivers a recording touched with melancholy, yearning, and a reminder of days gone by.  The original lyrics speak of loss:

Once I laughed when I heard you saying
That I’d be playing solitaire
Uneasy in my easy chair
It never entered my mind

And once you told me I was mistaken
That I’d awaken with the sun
And ordered orange juice for one
It never entered my mind

Pops may find himself seemingly alone, sitting in his wife’s wheelchair, but by the end of the play, with his dog in tow, he clearly recognizes that life is full of loss and uncertainty, but we can still be free to do some good, even amidst the darkness and within systems that try to crush us.  Miles Davis said it best:

 “It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.

Don’t stand still.  Go see Harbinger Theatre’s production of “Between Riverside and Crazy” at Albany Civic Theater before it ends.  It’s one of the best pieces of theater you’ll see this summer.

Performance dates are Friday–Sunday (July 18-27). Friday and Saturday curtains are up at 7:30 pm, and Sundays are matinees that begin at 3:00 pm. All tickets are $15. Tickets are available online through the Harbinger Theatre website here: https://harbingertheatre.ludus.com/index.php. You can catch the show at Albany Civic Theater, 225 Second Avenue, Albany, NY.