The Motherf*cker with the Hat

Former altar boy Troy Harrison is a 33-year-old man who’s on a quest for blood and glory. Well, not literally. Though he is a tenacious actor on a noble mission to bring the stories of a Puerto Rican New Yorker to life on the Sydney stage.

Harrison is both an actor and on the production team of upcomingplay The Motherf*cker With the Hat. The show delves into the mind of former addict Jackie (Harrison) and his drink-loving high school sweetheart Veronica (Zoe Trilsbach) as they navigate their rekindled relationship under the guidance of sponsor Ralph D (John Atkinson).

Harrison himself describes it a little more poetically: “In a nutshell, the play’s about real people. It’s about fidelity. It’s about trust. It’s about relationships. It’s about moving your life forward and figuring out the things that are holding you back … in a very funny, abusive way”. And, we imagine it’s also about a hat that seems to fuck everything up.

The play is fresh from a six-time Tony-nominated stint in the Big Apple and is now being revived by newly created company Workhorse Theatre Co.. Harrison points out that although this performance might not have Chris Rock or Bobby Cannavale as the leading actors, it still pulls its weight.

“Obviously when you’vegot something on Broadway and something from an independent production house in Sydney, Australia, there are going to be differences. Most of it’s going to come from budget. There’s a lot of things that they were able to do that we just can’t,” Harrison tells Vertigo.

“We’ve done what we can to create a believable world for the audience, but there’s no real difference [compared to the original production]. The people on Broadway did the same thing as what we’re doing – just trying to find the truth in the characters and go on from there.”

Run Aubie, Run…!

This first week at University has proved a real mixed bag of emotions; excitement, horror, fear, anticipation, anxiety, stress, nervousness, joy, relief etc….

So it’s something odd that I’m not sure of which category I fit in exactly… am I one of the people running away in fear from the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, or am I in fact one of those wicked beasts taking charge of the situation… brilliant metaphor, I know.

In simple terms, am I running away from the pressures of this degree, or am I taking action and being not particularly nervous about it?

Here’s a little secret for you all. I’m on the fence. So here’s hoping that I’m a bull and not someone who’s about to get rammed and end up flying across the tourist-packed Mediterranean destination that Aussie tourists have come to love…

But the [fun] isn’t all over yet. To date I’ve only had two lectures from two of my three subjects. So I can’t exactly say where I feel as if I’m sitting. Give me a few days guys. Perhaps I’ll end up regretting my decision to study Journalism at UTS. Fingers crossed I don’t!

By the way, here’s a little snap I found yesterday… was taken last Wednesday on O-Day. :]

I’m hardly posing at all.

Keep it real kids.
Your future-journalist-to-be,
Ryan

I want a bite of the Big Apple. [#4]

Today’s Song: Paloma Faith - New York

I know I’ve mentioned I’d love to do Paris, and I’ve already been to London, but NYC is the other big one that every tourist dreams of flocking to when given the chance… I admit it… I don’t stray too far from that same group of lunatic snap-happy people. :]

New York, New York is on my list.

If it isn’t the shiny new york lights, the raw rumble of sporting games in Madison Square Garden or the great expanse of Central Park, New York’s more famous for its forbidden fruits than its fashion… and that’s something I’ve dreamed of tasting for a rather long time. ;]

Clubbing downtown, budgeting with food in Chinatown or getting into the glitz and glamour of New York Fashion Week… I’m up for all of it. :] And there’s a reason why.
It’s not the bright yellow taxis or the amazing old-world architecture… it’s quite simply the atmosphere and the character of a city that truly never sleeps. A cultural melting pot of the old and new worlds combined… What a masterpiece.

Of course there’s sights such as these below that I’ll be basking in the glory of, but it’s certainly not everything. :]