Red Speedo

Ethical dilemmas with sky-high stakes are at the heart of Lucas Hnath’s Obie Award-winning Red Speedo. 25-year-old Ray isn’t the smartest and has no real skills except for one: he’s a swimming prodigy. On the eve of the Olympic qualifying trials, he’s on the verge of stardom and the financial windfalls that come with it. His brother, lawyer, and self-appointed agent, Peter, stands to reap the benefits, too, if only they can keep Ray’s use of performance-enhancing drugs under wraps. With a major sponsorship deal on the line, Ray can’t afford to lose. But what’s the cost of winning? In five scenes played out with rapid-fire dialogue, Hnath takes an unflinching look at the obsession with winning, no matter what.