I’m no prude. Nor am I easily offended. I can embrace salty language, controversial themes, even simulated sex on the stage, as long as I feel it is not gratuitous.
The Motherf**ker With The Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis is a badass play. Hands down, it is one of the most assaultive experiences I have ever had in a theatre. I loved it. As I said in the title, I know that guy. In my brief experience with the world of recovery from substance abuse, I met men just like him. Women, too.
We often assume that people in recovery have achieved some spiritual enlightenment. That’s a dangerous assumption. The truth is, to attain spiritual enlightenment, a person must make significant changes in outlook and behavior. It is not enough to simply stop “using” and change nothing else. The Motherf**ker With The Hat brought that point home with a knockout punch. It was hard-hitting, sometimes uncomfortable to watch, but excruciatingly honest.
It would have been easy for the playwright to change the title so as not to offend some theatregoers. I’m glad he didn’t. The title is just right.
