REVIEWS: "The Motherf**ker with the Hat" by Stephen Adly Guirgis

"A wonderful wild card... a character so oddly himself he feels absolutely true... Julio, a winning Christian Barillas... ovations at full blast."

- Los Angeles Times

"A raw and urgent realism underneath all the bluster... Barillas turns out to be the scene stealer.  Julio at first seems like an effeminate comic foil, but he transforms into a steely hero.  The actor effortlessly embodies both qualities as he delivers some of the play's funniest lines."

- OC Register

"The most interesting character, and the most exciting performance, is Christian Barillas as Cousin Julio—a man who never explains or apologizes for the incongruities of his life. He is an effeminate, self-described “Maricón,” unafraid of violence but unfailingly polite, kind and loyal to Jackie even as he loathes what Jackie has become, loving and jealous of his wife while cracking jokes about having gay sex. Julio celebrates and accepts life in a way that eludes the other characters, and Barillas’ simple, smart, quick approach is exactly right. He underlines absolutely nothing, and ends up getting the biggest laughs in the show.

Barillas doesn't pause much, or turn self-contemplative; just gets on with it-- allowing Guirgis' dialogue to blossom in its own time, while quietly finding a graceful rhythm.

[A] must-see.  This is one of the best plays of the last few years and Christian Barillas' performance is a triumph."

- Stage and Cinema

"Barillas' Cousin Julio is lighter than air, seemingly disconnected from the fray that surrounds him.  He's hilarious when he pouts, he's meticulous, not a little self-righteous, and the perfect foil... we're fully invested from the first minute."

- Huffington Post

"A compelling examination of how to grow up in a world in which it's all too easy to stay trapped in a cycle of dependency and sabotage... a show-stealing Christian Barillas."

- OC Weekly

"Christian Barillas captures his every scene as Jackie's proud, strong-willed, capable, delicately effeminate cousin Julio."

- Backstage

"This homegrown production boasts superb acting, keen pacing, effective design and even credible fight scenes... Christian Barillas maintains a splendid balance in the scene-stealing part of Jackie’s superficially effeminate cousin Julio, burrowing into elements of caricature while keeping the portrayal unflaggingly human."

- The Hollywood Reporter