Review: THE CARPENTER Hilariously Hammers Its Way into Houstonian's Hearts at the Alley Theatre

Houstonian's own Robert Askins brings to The Alley Theatre the life of THE CARPENTER, which after seeing its performance reminds those seeing it that there is more to Houston than oil and NASA.

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Askins writes a story about two estranged half brothers reuniting after being hidden from each other from their families. With Dan from Houston getting married to his Highland Park Dallas fiancé in a few days, the brothers get into some switching around lives scenarios, and chaos pursues (as it would from a switcheroo).

THE CARPENTER proves that Askins, known for his Tony Award winning play HAND TO GOD, is an exceptional writer. His ability to keep the audience constantly laughing is really a true talent, because getting people to laugh in the South is definitely not an easy task. But he does it effortlessly.

This show's aesthetics are as wonderfully over the top as the play, while at the same time being oh-so realistic. The gigantic, extravagant set that represents the fiancée's home could not be more accurate of what one thinks when picturing a Highland Park home. Helpful hint for viewers: purchase a seat in the center section of the theatre. The Hubbard theatre is a thrust style stage, meaning there are seats on both the left and right side of the stage. So for the audience member who's watching it on the side seats, some of the action that happens on stage is missed due to the gargantuan aspects of the set.

Good actors can relate to many situations and use technique e.g. emotional recall to put on a fantastic performance. The actors in this show do that outstandingly. But Buddy Haardt (Steve) stands out to me. Although his character is considered to be a comic relief, Haardt has a detailed understanding of the world that his character lives in. Also, having a Texas native like Haardt in the cast is beneficial. He makes everything just a little more authentic. Definitely something for The Alley Theatre to continue doing, especially when creating plays so relevant to the Texas community.

There are so many wonderful aspects to fall in love with for this show, but the ending is truly unforgettable. The audience walks into this theatre, watches act one, and expects to experience a fun happy comedy. And, yes, it's a comedy, but it's a comedy that makes the audience think. A lot of theatre nowadays tends to fall into two categories: 1) good fluff that makes you happy and 2) artistic theatre that aggressively forces an idea down one's throat until there's no other choice but to swallow it, treating the audience like a kid who won't take his medicine. This show makes the audience laugh and then says, "Hey before you leave, here's something for you to think about. You don't have to, but maybe it'll help you in the future." It has a dialogue with the audience. And that's how theatre can impact lives. It can be subtle, but impactful all at once.

Theatre often takes the opportunity to speak out and respond to a variety of heavy topics: Race, LGBT issues, politics, assault, corruption, these are all juicy topics for playwrights and theatres are eager to produce. However, one of the biggest forms of discrimination that everyone seems to forget, but we all face everyday, is class. THE CARPENTER perfectly exposes the class discrimination that happens all around Texas.

When watching an evening of Theatre at the Hubbard, one will notice something about the audience: same age, same color. The theatre world says it is accepting, and it is-- to those who work in the industry. It is less accepting to those who view it. There are a whole group of people who aren't fortunate enough to go see a riveting piece of theatre on a Saturday evening. But THE CARPENTER has the perfect set up as far as targeted audiences go, because the people who can afford it, are the ones who need to see it.

Walking out of the theatre, I heard a lot of comments about to the ending being strange, specifically the fourth wall break. It wasn't strange. It was powerful. If the play had not broken the fourth wall, viewers may not get the message they need. We all live in our own little bubbles. Robert Askins doesn't want to burst yours, but he does want to remind you that there is another world beyond it.

THE CARPENTER opened at The Alley Theatre on January 18, 2019 and will continue to run through February 10, 2019. Performances are in the Hubbard Theatre at The Alley Theatre 615 Texas Avenue. Showtime's are Tuesdays- Thursdays and Sunday evenings at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30pm. Please visit alleytheatre.org or call the Box Office 713-220-5700.

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