For a humpday doubleheader, I’d recommend Theatre Three’s Hooky Matinee of the world premiere comedy The Trade: A Tragedy in Four Quarters, just before the Dallas Mavericks begin their new season Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Smartly outrageous, the play and the season opening game would be an emotionally stimulating day for Mavs fans, but the T3 show was a rambunctious joyride for any theater and sportsball fan. Director Matt Lyle’s and Matt Coleman’s original play was a brilliant, comic masterpiece that captured the grief and loss felt in Dallas over the team’s controversial trade of star player and fan favorite, Luka Dončić and processed it through laughter.
Personally, I love my Mavs but I’m also not a diehard. I shed tears of joy when they won their FIRST championship. I was sad when Dirk retired. I was shocked when the Dončić news broke back in February – of this year.
But I also didn’t know all the names of those behind the scenes as the Dončić drama unfolded outside of head coach Jason Kidd, but Lyle and Coleman did a superb job of painting these real life characters onstage for any laymen to the game – particularly the show’s villain Mavs general manager Nico Harrison played with a furious star-turn by Quintin Jones Jr. who somehow managed to juggle assholery and likeability with a masterful hand. The character was a pompous jerk, but Jones made him still compelling to wonder what Nico was going to do and say next.
Presented as a Greek tragedy with a chorus of four led by Brian Gonzalez, whose versatility anchored the show, the actors juggled roles that introduced Kidd, Mark Cuban, arena vendors and Doncic himself to the audience. Davian Jackson, Jeff Swearingen and Elizabeth Evans effortlessly transitioned into their assigned characters with Red Bull energy over the 90-ish minute show. Among chorus member Chad Cline’s roles was the star player himself. With a heavy Eastern European accent and youthful buoyancy, Cline channeled a loveable Dončić-ish characterization.
The action played out on a transformed stage by Jeffrey Schmidt into American Airlines Center with Greek touches which was a stunning first impression and Amanda West’s lighting and Noah Heller’s sound amped up the energy that whipped up last Monday night’s crowd into hoots and hollers. Imbuing the audience into the show was a genius move that resulted in a contagious excitement among the range of fans.
The show was a gift that kept on giving through its special effects and multimedia, a musical number and a damn gigantic puppet. Normally, I love an intermission but here, the show would have worked better without one, however, with what the actors were putting out, a breather at halftime was probably necessary.
The star of The Trade was Lyle’s and Coleman’s incredible script. Razor-sharp writing and clever humor filled every riveting minute of the show. So entertaining was the show that I’m fairly certain the audience wouldn’t have minded going into overtime.
The show runs through Nov. 2.
–Rich Lopez
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