←Recommendations of The Detective

"The Detective" is an Edward Albee-esque look at the lengths we go to maintain secrets and what happens when we are pushed against the wall. The tension between the two leads is palpable and kicks the play into gear with force.

Do we ever truly know one another? Do we really want to? What are the consequences of knowing the truth? That's the fulcrum of this play. A thrilling prize fight between a (barely) married couple that briefly turns into a three-way dance and then returns to the couple for a cathartic conclusion. The sly commentary on the monotony of a medium that's sprinkled throughout only serves to heighten the fact that one perhaps doesn't quite know how this is going to end. Sometimes, perhaps, it's better not to know. Intriguing deduction awaits. An impressive play, to be sure.

The shows are always the same. The performances. The protagonists.

Usually. Soltero-Brown's play, however, pulses with an enthralling, caustic energy. Lies and secrets can certainly push a marriage to the brink of extinction, but less is mentioned how they morph the participants. They change us over time, rob us of the people we were or might've been, to the point where nothing feels real except the exasperation. How do you save that? Can you? There's echoes of George and Martha in Otto and Casey's strained relationship. And it's delicious fun. I would love to see (and hear) this live.

Otto can't settle down. He needs things to be exactly right. He has something building inside him and it has to come out. Does he need to confess? To prove his love? Or is it something much more sinister?

Key to the play is a standout monologue about halfway through from Casey. She tells him he can't fight for her. That any version of her he wants to fight with is gone. He took it. Whatever "she" was to him is no longer what she is. It's a thriller hidden as a divorce play — and a tight one.

Ricardo Soltero-Brown has a knack for use of staccato patterns, and he puts it to effective use in THE DETECTIVE. The story presents itself initially as a typical couples-crisis drama, but then comes the twist in the form of an admission by Otto. Things really pick up though upon the entrance of Sam, providing the first reveal of several. Interesting premise, plausible characters with wonderful dialogue and a great ending create an enjoyable play. Would love to see this staged. Well done.

RSB delivers punchy, offbeat vitriol actors love. THE DETECTIVE surprises with how freshly it pegs a marriage past the point of no return. It’s clear this relationship once had a real connection and strong sense of play. Casey's bubbling resignation is spot on, while Otto's stilted attempts to reconcile never become cliché. Rather than relying on Otto’s confession to drive the absurdity, Casey provides it. Good move. Once Sam appears, it becomes more than dialogue volleys fired across a table. It gets *good.* Surprisingly sincere. Then comes the best ending of any living room play in recent memory.

There is clearly tension between Casey and Otto, a married couple headed for divorce. That tension only increases with the intrusive introduction of Sam, who works with Otto. But unlike the detective shows that Casey watches even though they are so predictable, “The Detective” is anything but predictable. I felt as if I were the detective trying to decipher characters’ motives and sort out fact from fiction. This is a piece that could make a terrific impact for a theater up to the challenge.

There are times in reading "The Detective" that I had that illicit thrill of eavesdropping, knowing I shouldn't be, but drawn inexorably toward the conversation(s) between Otto and Casey. It's the same kind of sensation I get with the plays of Harold Pinter and Sam Shepard: implications and innuendo abound along with the suspense that kept my attention riveted even as I try to decipher their coded language that only those with deep connections and stark differences understand. Soltero-Brown's deft use of language and construction will make this a great play for actors.

This is a fun, fast-paced read, propelled by quick dialogue and an intriguing, ever elusive plot that zigs each time you expect it to zag. I’d love to see it staged, and I’m confident collaborators will be drawn to its complex characterizations and inviting thematic provocations.