(back row) Valentin México, Ed Chavez, and Marcus Ivey; (front row) Mariah Montoya, and Robyn Casper Photo by Broken Chain Photography

These new operas were usually about the "lower" classes: the poor, the peasants, the undereducated. People with strong passions that they couldn't always control. People prone to violence, willing to kill for honor or out of jealousy. (Of course, it's not only the lower classes who do these things. We're all human, after all.) I don't know if playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis is an opera fan, but his The Motherfucker with the Hat is essentially a verismo play set in New York City instead of Italy.

One of the innovations of the verismo operas was that the words were everyday speech, not literary or high-flown. Guirgis has a great ear for the dialogue of people at a certain level of contemporary American society. His characters' profanity is virtuosic, in a way. There are hundreds of times that we hear the word "fuck" and its variants, but instead of being off-putting, it's actually exhilarating to listen to. It all sounds natural (unlike, say, the dialogue in some David Mamet plays, which sounds constructed). And it's mostly very funny.

There is a plot, but it's not really as important as the dialogue. Jackie has just gotten back to the city after two years in prison for selling drugs. He's stopped drinking and has an AA sponsor named Ralph. Jackie seems to be headed in the right direction until, in his cokehead girlfriend Veronica's apartment, he sees a man's hat that isn't his. Gotta get a gun and find that motherfucker, even if it violates his parole. Watching Jackie develop from being a loose cannon into a character with self-control and a moral compass is the gratifying arc of the play.

There are only two other characters. Ralph's wife Victoria is discontented with her marriage and her life because Ralph hasn't turned out to be the man she expected him to be. Then there's Jackie's cousin Julio, who came to New York City from Puerto Rico as a child. Victoria's role is underdeveloped, but Julio's is a mini-masterpiece of comic writing. That character could carry a play all by himself.

Miguel Martinez directs the play fluidly, scene changes are quick, and he has brought together a fine cast and crew. Ed Chavez is the only cast member returning from when the Vortex did this play 13 years ago, and he's just right for the part. He's one of Albuquerque's best comic actors, but he also conveys pathos later in the play. Robyn Casper does good work as Veronica, an addict who just can't stop snorting and doesn't even want to.

Marcus Ivey gives an excellent performance as the morally compromised Ralph–one person on the surface, another inside. I've never seen Marcus give a less than optimal portrayal of whatever character he is playing. Mariah Montoya somewhat underplays the role of Victoria, but the playwright doesn't give her a lot to work with. Valentin México, on the other hand, is a complete joy to watch as Julio. It's a great role, and he's great in it.

The set design by Donavin Merritt and props by Christy Lopez set just the right atmosphere. Lighting design by Riley Lewis, sound design by Banx Tenorio, and costume design by Liz Escogné are all well done. Stage manager Eric Bodwell keeps the show moving along briskly.

When I reviewed this play 13 years ago at the old Vortex (the theatre company has moved in the interim), I gave it a rave. The dialogue and the story have not aged at all. It's still completely contemporary. I'd heartily recommend this production to anyone who can get past the word "motherfucker" in the title. And WTF, don't be a prude, see it anyway. It's what live theatre is all about: great writing and great performances.

The Motherfucker with the Hat runs through October 4, 2026, at The Vortex Theatre, Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:00. Tickets $21 to $26. For tickets and information, please visit www.vortexabq.org.