Shining City
Conor McPherson is an Irish writer who is considered one of the finest playwrights being performed today. He came onto the theatrical scene with his hauntingly poetic The Weir that is the telling of a ghost story in an Irish pub. Ben Brantley of the New York Times said he felt like a five -year old child sitting by his grandfather listening raptly to a marvelous story being told. The Weir has been a hit world- over. Another of his plays, The Seafarer is a far funnier play featuring a bunch of Irish drunks, and had a respectable run recently on Broadway and at the Geffen here in Los Angeles. The Shining City is a return to the ghost story and was written in 2004. When it played on Broadway it was nominated for two Tony Awards including best play. The Shining City is having its Los Angeles premiere at the Fountain Theatre. The Fountain is an award winning theatre that has garnered more awards than almost any other small theatre in town. They are known for their premieres and edgy thoughtful plays including the Los Angeles premieres of several Athol Fugard works.
Shining City is described as a “modern day ghost story about human contact”. The play takes place in a therapist’s office where secrets are laid bare and truth confronted. Even the doctor has his own inner demons. John (the incomparable Morlan Higgins) is haunted by his dead wife’s ghost and he goes to see a young psychologist (William Dennis Hurley) to try to find out why. The doctor is visited by the mother of his child who is nagging him to come home but he wants it over. We find out later that the good doctor has his own extrarelationship adventure going on. The play is a gripping meditation on regret, guilt, and confusion told through the poetical and lyrical lens of Conor McPherson.
Director Stephen Saks does a masterful job of getting the most out of this beautiful and riveting play> He has some terrific actors to help him achieve that end. Higgins is a study in nerves and guilt tempered by love of his dead wife and his need to break out of the relationship. Hurly and his wife (Kerrie Blaisdell) have smashing scene of domestic wrangling. Benjamin Keepers is very good as the street hustler. The set is by Shaun Motley with lights by Ken Booth and a good sound design by Peter Bayne. Shining City will play at the Fountain until Dec 19th with a possible extension.