Lieutenant Of Inishmore
It was an exciting opening at the Mark Taper Forum this week of July 11; every seat filled; audience applauding as the house lights went out, even before the actors appeared onstage, anticipating another bizarre, surrealistic, deliciously absurdist black comedy by Martin McDonagh.
McDonagh’s credits list admirably: Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (the 2006 Six Shooter), the Oliver Award in 2003 for The Pillowman, nominated four times for Best Play Tony Award (the 1996 The Beauty Queen of Leenane, 1997’s Lonesome West, this 2001 play, and the 2003 The Pillowman).
In The Lieutenant of Inishmore, as in many of his other plays, McDonagh pokes fun at the isolated, wooden-headed, unfathomably tunnel-visioned country folk of his own Ireland. But this time the satire goes much further to include those hangers on to the splinter groups of the IRA that regularly committ senseless and ferocious acts of violence. Violence and blood letting are continuous throughout the play. The second act takes place in carnage, corpses being sawed apart in pools of blood.
Padraic, (electrifying Chris Pine) is the drama’s terrifyingly absurd protagonist described as “too mad” for the IRA. Calmly and with humor he tortures a drug dealer pushing substances to children; suddenly, informed that his cat is ailing, he becomes completely undone, suffering overwhelming feelings of anguish and loss. This sentimentality over his cat juxtaposed to his easy killing and torturing of people could very well reflect universally absurd priorities in most societies.
The actions of the play get, “worse and worse”, as one character screams to no effect. But this play, with its brilliant dialogue and superb acting and direction, goes so far over the top that by its conclusion, I am completely lost—I have become uninvolved and can no longer care what happens to anyone on the stage. With all sense of the believable gone, the play descends into slapstick and sketch comedy. Perhaps an abrupt turn toward seriousness toward the end might have allowed for some deeper thought and realization. After all, the heroine does say, although nonchalantly, that killing a lot of men wasn’t as much fun as she had thought it would be. The father’s last line, “enough killing done,” was not set up properly to have weight.
It’s a one-point play; violence is pointless, and it’s a false pretense to love animals more than people. Is that two points?
Our terrific actors are (in alphabetical order) Ian Alda, Andrew Connolly, Coby Getzug, Sean G Griffin, Kevin Kearns, Zoe Perry, Chris Pine, Brett Ryback. Each member of the cast is totally delightful. The accomplished director, Wilson Milam, was Tony-nominated for directing the Broadway production of this play. Special effects by Mathew W. Mungle and Waldo Warshaw are spectacular. Original music and sound design by Matt McKenzie and Cricket S. Myers couldn’t be better—drum beats sustaining the tension between scenes. But ultimately, the play itself does not move me. Young people will probably like it. It was great fun, but light in substance; and really not worth all the hoopla. At least, that’s what I think.
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
June 30–August 8, 2010
Performances:
Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Ticket: $20-$65
213-628-2772
www.CenterTheatreGroup.org