Snippitts of Illusions

The Pillowman: A Review.

Last week, Logan had a rare opportunity to see a play by the award winning playwright Martin McDonagh, whose black comedies have been making audiences laugh uncomfortably in New York and London for nearly a decade. Scenes from McDonagh's plays have been used in directing classes, and senior projects at the local university for several years now. His plays even make an appearance as reading material for a class or two. But a full on production of one of his plays hadn't been attempted till now, and it wasn't a University Production, which given the ambition in his work, one might have expected. Locally produced, including several students, and local talent in the cast and crew, this show was a solid outing of both acting, directing and design.

The Pillowman, isn't a comedy but neither is it strictly a drama. The story revolves around a writer, Katurian (played handily by Brandon Pearson), in a fictional totalitarian state, who is brought in for questioning about brutal child murders. The interrogators Topolsky (played by Kent Hadfield) and Ariel (performed by Ben Garvis) are particularly interested in the stories that Katurian has written about children, which seem to follow the theme "something bad happens to this little boy, or this little girl." Katurian, even under torture, denies having anything to do with the twisted murders, though the police tell him that his brother Michael has confessed. Placed in a holding cell with Michael (played quite impressively by Chris Thames) Katurian becomes convinced that the police can't be trusted and there must be a way out.

The script is weighty. There are expected twists, and many unexpected ones. You find yourself entranced by the stories that are told through the course of interrogation, and the more tender scene between Katurian and Michael, which includes the eponymous Pillowman story. Also between each act, as an interlude; stories that relate to Katurian's past, and one of his more gruesome tales, that is avoided in an earlier scene. The interlude scenes were handled impressively well by the director Luke Bybee, who managed to make them appropriately surreal enough and take the actor/character out of reality: Brandon Pearson as Katurian either steps off the raised staged, or literally becomes part of the story he's telling.

The acting was impressive: Type cast for the role of Ariel, Ben Garvis played it more than convincingly. He falls easily into the part, but finds ways to explore the character that many lesser actors would be hard pressed to meet. Brandon Pearson also easily slips into character, and what a character: The volumes of monologues that are given to Katurian through out the show makes one wonder if McDonagh hated (or loved) the lead he imagined in the role. Pearson handles the words effortlessly. His only weakness, relying on over the top anger in one or two spots through the play, perhaps giving too much with that one emotion. Despite this (admittedly minor, nit-picky) flaw, Pearson's performance is very moving, and probably one of the best I've seen from this young talented actor. Kent Hadfield as Topolsky was phenomenal! This veteran of the stage was playing perhaps one of the more mature parts he's been cast in. Mr Hadfield makes Topolsky an incredibly human character, whilst still portraying him in the manner very true to McDonagh's script. Far and away the best performance was Chris Thames, who was so convincing as Michael, that one easily forgets having seen him grace the stage as the overly ambitious 'spotter' in Fusion Theater's original production of Scope nine months previous.
Director Luke Bybee had a large task, undertaking this show, one that many director's might have balked at. Mr. Bybee was more than successful: with such a fantastic cast, and use of simplistic set design that put you in the scene, and costumes that fit the characters, he should be giving himself a big pat on the back before moving on to his next project. For those of you who missed it, I'm both happy, and sad, to report this is by far the best theatre I've seen in Logan Utah in quite some time.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 12:23 AM