Review: Keith Huff's GARBAGEMAN Hits Chain Theatre

Recently making its debut in New York City's Chain Theatre, Garbageman is a dark comedy from Emmy-nominated Keith Huff (A Steady Rain) about two down on their luck guys who are about to embark on a wild life-changing journey.

Dan Bandana (KIRK GOSTKOWSKI) and Buddy Maple (Deven Anderson) haven't seen each other since high school until one needs a favor and there's no one left to turn to but the other. Buddy Maple is a local garbageman who had an accident with dire consequences leaving him with a broken back and a vision of a little boy he'll never be able to get out of his head. When his family is threatened, he turns to his old pal Dan Bandana for a gun to protect himself and his family. Dan Bandana is no stranger to guns and offers Buddy Maple one from in his collection but not without a wager. The two plot a scheme to murder each other's nemesis providing the audience with plenty of comedic struggles along the way. These men are anything but vindictive murderers and clearly don't know what they are doing as they stake out in the park in obvious disguises while talking too loudly for all to hear.

During all the plotting, we learn more about these men and the difficulties they have faced over the years since the last time they were together. Dan Bandana suffers from his time in Afghanistan and dealing (or not dealing) with a failed marriage while Buddy Maple can't shake the accident he was in that caused devastating consequences.

The story effortlessly weaves in many of today's themes of mental health, gun violence, and the pandemic, and even brilliantly incorporates the January 6th attack on the Capital. However, the acting felt forced at times with some jokes failing to land, and the scenarios sometimes felt almost too impossible to be relatable.

Garbageman runs from now until April 16th at chain Theatre.

(Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre)