Criminal Genius, a one act play, is the third play in George F. Walker's six part "Suburban Motel Series," which follows the events that take place within a seedy motel room. This play follows the excursions of the low life thug Rolly and his son Stevie. Rolly and Stevie have been hired by a Mafioso Boss to burn down a restaurant. Instead of torching the restaurant the two criminals kidnap the head chef who turns out to be the daughter of the man who hired them. The daughter then attempts to persuade the two criminals to raid her father's mansion before he finds and kills the three of them. On top of this, the manager of the hotel where the two criminals are planning their excursions is demanding another nights payment which they don't have. The group continues to plot different crimes that will enable them to save themselves. As the plans become more and more complex their failure becomes more and more inevitable.

George F. Walker

George F. Walker was born on August 23, 1947 and raised in Toronto's East End working district.

George's career started in 1972 while he was working as a cab driver. George noticed that Toronto's Factory Theatre was looking for new, original works. George sent them his first play, The Prince of Naples and the company performed it in the same year. George's success as a playwright has flourished and made him one of Canada's most prominent playwrights. George has twice won the Governor General's Award and has eight Chalmers Awards (an award presented by the Ontario Arts Council in recognition of lifetime achievement or work presented in the previous year) and five Dora Awards (an award given annually to Theatre productions and artists whose works have been presented in Toronto during the previous year).

George F. Walker's writing style is what separates him from his peers. George consistently offends Theatre goers and critics by using controversial topics and language. He does this in order to stimulate "an emotional connection" between the audience and the play. Walker has also been described as "one of the savviest writers in the land, [he] walks a tightrope between pure artistic achievement and commerciality". (Canadian Theatre).Walker often uses language in characters that would not normally be associated with their social status in order to create strange concepts within his plays. His experimentation with language is a trademark of his many successful plays.

His plays have been performed across Canada and the United States in over 100 productions, in English as well as in German, French, Hebrew, Turkish, Polish and Czech. He often directs his own plays; he says, "I want to make sure they have a pulse. I don't want the intellectual approach to my work that I think is a big deal in Canadian Theatre."

Some reviews of other productions

The Calendar Review:

"It's competent, amusing theater, but if you're looking for meaning, look elsewhere."

"Walker pushes the edge of the comic envelope with nonstop expletives and relationships that will offend the politically correct. Even in the midst of total farce, complete with slamming doors and pratfalls, Walker keeps his audience from sinking into complacency."

"For sheer, high-flying audacity, it's tough to imagine anything that could top George F. Walker's Criminal Genius. "

"It is just that the overlay of horror and hilarity seems so natural in the course of these lives that we begin to question whether perhaps these quirky figures may not be closer to 1990s reality than we are."

"What do you get when you cross Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and the Three Stooges? George F. Walker's hip comedy Criminal Genius."

"Here is an offbeat, gritty play that includes an unbalanced slice of life. Expect to be grossed out and to get a little dirty, but more than anything, expect to laugh."

Where Criminal Genius was first produced

Unlike most of Walker’s plays, it opened first in New York, at Rattlestick Productions (a rattlestick was used by American Indians as part of their dances and rituals).  They say:

“Rattlestick Productions believes that the theater has its own positive role to play in this future: confronting and bringing these issues to attention, allowing alternative voices to be heard, seeking to embody values that lead to better, more thoughtful lives. Their goal is to provide a platform for the diverse views of today's most exciting playwrights, known and unknown, young and old, and to provide a place where the creative spirit of artists can thrive and endure.”
 

"What is wonderful about Rattlestick is that they are not doing plays by people like me, they are doing work by really young writers. There's nothing like having your play done. What happens in those two hours can never be taught in a classroom or discussed around a table."

      -- Terrence McNally