‘The Trade: A Tragedy in Four Quarters’ @ Theatre Three
Photos by Jeffrey Schmidt
—Jan Farrington
I can see this play brewing over draft beers in a bar.
The Scene opens:
MATT 1: "LUKA?" ...
MATT 2: "DUDE!!!" ....
[They groan in unison.]
MATT 1: "It's a TRAGEDY!" ...
MATT 2: "It's a GREEK TRAGEDY!" ...
[Long, literary pause. Then, with one voice:]
MATTS 1&2: "I think I smell a play."
And lo, they wrote it.
And lo, Theatre Three opens its season with the work thereof: The Trade: A Tragedy in Four Quarters, their comic, bombastic take-apart of a city’s grief at the loss of its basketball god, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić.
We aren’t over it.
The Trade lands with all the bells and whistles (and a few buzzers) in T3’s arena stage. A regulation-height hoop hangs from Luka’s lower lip; classical columns flank the portal where the players enter, vendors hawk beer and peanuts, gods and monsters drop in to fuel the fiery rage…and the lingering ghost of Dallas Mavs original darling, Dirk Nowitski, appears at center stage to remind us all, hauntingly, of former glory.
Written at speed by the “two Matts” (Matt Lyle, who also directs, and Matt Coleman) who gave T3 a hit a few years ago with Raptured!, the saga of a small Texas Baptist church, The Trade is even more timely, playing out a version of events that began in Dallas only months ago, in early 2025—when Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison traded “generational superstar” Luka to the Los Angeles Lakers. “Boo!” was the mildest response from the fans, as a shivering Mavs customer-service lady (Elizabeth Evans) tells us. [I believe trauma is a word from the Greek.]
The staging is great fun: there’s a Greek Chorus (big-voiced Brian Gonzales has the gravitas to lead the pack, with Chad Cline, Davian Jackson, Jeff Swearingen, and Elizabeth Evans playing multiple parts), plus arena-loud music, flashy lights, a roving Kiss Cam, and more. Salute the creatives with upraised palms: Jeffrey Schmidt’s scenic/projection designs (clever stuff on the jumbo screens); Amanda West’s and Noah Heller’s pump-us-up lighting and sound. Jessie Wallace’s costumes mix sports gear with classical capes and such; Nico Harrison’s swingy little shoulder capes—he tosses them like a blonde flipping her hair—are kind of adorable. And as always, David Saldivar’s fight direction adds hugely to the energy, along with Austin Roy Beck’s manly choreography (featuring a delightful dance with giant “No. 1” foam fingers).
Cline is a standout as the unhappily traded, sweet-hearted Luka, a cuddly beloved of the Dallas fans—but dinged mercilessly by the Matts (as is everyone onstage) for his everlasting search for the next sandwich. Such a mensch—the kind of guy who leads not just in scoring, but in assists (he’ll frequently pass the ball to an open teammate to help the game and the other guy’s stats).
Jackson has great comic timing, and among other roles, plays a distraught beer vendor and an Angels In America-style Kobe Bryant (yes, with wings) come back to argue with his former Nike colleague Nico. Swearingen plays the vendor nobody likes, and a half-mad, prophecy-spouting Mark Cuban, who isn’t quite over not being the Mavs leader any more. Gonzalez is leather-clad and supremely full of it as a Laker’s exec named Rob. And Evans plays a jokey peanut vendor, the customer-service lady, and (in a can’t be described role) new Mavs player Anthony Davis—who came to Dallas in the infamous trade.
At the center of all is the epic Villain—Mavs general manager Nico Harrison (brilliantly Bad in Quintin Jones Jr’s fierce and eerily smooth performance). How could he? Why would he? Nico sneers at us: “The gods don’t care if your best player is lovable!” He has bigger, better plans—but doesn’t care (he says) if we keep making those “FIRE NICO” signs.
The more you know about the Mavericks, the more you’ll get the jokes—though there’s plenty for even casual fans to hang onto. The Trade isn’t perfect: it feels heartfelt but a bit home-made, and could use some polishing up of scene structure and humor (though not the kind that sands off the edges of the comedy). I’d recommend taking a small group of sport-minded friends and sitting up front, where you’re likely to be asked for some “thoughts” on this mess. Feel free to break the fourth wall right back—and of course, to snark at Nico all you want!
It’s a cathartic experience—another Greek-derived word for this classical, woe-is-us tragedy in four quarters. And, as an announcer noted along the way, T3’s tickets are cheaper than the Mavs—and the view of the action is close up and in your face!
See a trailer (highlight reel?) for THE TRADE here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1149458036598009
WHEN: October 9-November 2, 2025
WHERE: Theatre Three, 2688 Laclede Street, Dallas
WEB: theatre3dallas.com
