“The Garbologists” at TheaterWorks Hartford by Zander Opper

“The Garbologists”

TheaterWorks Hartford

TheaterWorks Hartford is currently presenting a highly entertaining production of Lindsay Joelle’s play “The Garbologists.”  Focusing on a pair of sanitation workers, who drive together in the same garbage truck, this play shows how, at the outset, the two workers do not get along at all.  During the course of the show, however, they gradually do find a middle ground.  Though this scenario may sound rather slim, even for a show which runs ninety minutes (with no intermission), the playwright and the astute director Rob Ruggiero keep the action moving at a good pace and one does eventually get won over by the two characters and one can’t help rooting for them to connect.  It also helps that the parts are played by two terrific actors, Jeff Brooks and Bebe Nicole Simpson.  “The Garbologists” is filled with a lot of warmth and the show manages to keep getting better as it goes along.  Focusing on the unsung heroes at the center of the play, “The Garbologists” at TheaterWorks Hartford is overall a quite winning show and is certainly worth a trip to see it.

It should be mentioned that “The Garbologists” must rank as one of the most physically taxing shows for the performers because, during the show, they do literally have to throw a lot of garbage bags into the back of the truck.  The impressive scenic design (by Marcelo Martinez Garcia) does feature an authentic recreation of the rear of the garbage truck and there are dozens of bags tossed into the truck, as well as a full sized mattress.  That being mentioned, the drama of the show is definitely driven by the two characters.  Jeff Brooks, as Danny, is excellent as a somewhat hardened worker, whose language is filled with swear words and bravado, but, underneath, there is more than meets the eye.  Likewise, Bebe Nicole Simpson’s character of Marlowe can also be a bit rough around the edges, but Simpson is wonderful at bringing many different layers to her role.  Without giving too much away, Danny and Marlowe are teamed up in the garbage truck at the outset, with Danny being the experienced worker and Marlowe being the rookie.  The characters are like oil and water, but, as the play moves along, there is definitely some hope in sight for these two to find commonality.

The playwright fills this show with a great deal of engaging dialogue and she has fashioned back stories for both Danny and Marlowe that can be funny and tough, as well as being surprisingly moving.  Both Brooks and Simpson excel at digging into each of their characters and revealing them as being multi-dimensional.  In addition to working terrifically with the actors, director Rob Ruggiero does a great job with his designers, as well.  As mentioned, the scenic design of the truck is remarkably real onstage, but Marcelo Martinez Garcia also does well at having different set pieces moved in, which can transform the stage into a bar or even a park for a bench scene late in the show.  The costumes by Joseph Shrope are uncannily appropriate, with the added benefit that even the stage hands (who appear during the scene changes) are similarly clad in uniforms befitting garbage workers.  John Lasiter’s striking light design is enormously effective and the sound design, by German Martinez, is crystal clear.

“The Garbologists” shines a light into the world of sanitation workers and this play definitely gives them a voice and a chance to reveal exactly what goes into the work that they do.  But this play is about much more than that: it shows two people who present a part of themselves to the outside world, while attempting to cover up what is really going on inside.  The two performers are fantastic at bringing their characters to life and it should be mentioned that, even in the midst of the central drama, there is a great deal of humor in the play, including some genuinely hilarious scenes.  The playwright and the director and the actors truly make everything work in “The Garbologists” and don’t be surprised if you find some moments that can touch your heart or that can take your breath away.  TheaterWorks Hartford has a gem of a show in “The Garbologists” and this play can be most highly recommended.  

Photo: Bebe Nicole Simpson and Jeff Brooks

Photo by Mike Marques