Beware strange men in dark suits and red ties.
Such a man dropped into a gathering of old buddies in Conor McPhersonβs brilliant βThe Seafarer,β now on stage at the Rogue Theatre.
Just in case the red tie isnβt a giveaway, that stranger (an impeccable Joseph McGrath) is the devil himself, coming to collect on a long-ago deal.
The story takes place on Christmas Eve in a shabby house in a rural town outside Dublin. It is the home of Richard (Matt Walley), blind after he fell into a trash container a few months before. His brother, Sharky (Aaron Shand), has just come home to help him β and because he lost his job as a chauffeur. Their friend, Ivan (Ryan Parker Knox), is there, too, too drunk to have gone home the night before. Sharky is trying to stay away from alcohol, but the other two have no such desire. They drink and drink and drink. When old friend Nicky (Robert Anthony Peters) shows up with the red-tied stranger (they drink, too, of course) a friendly game of poker ensues. Turns out, that stranger, who goes by the name of Mr. Lockhart, intends to claim what was promised to him so many years before β Sharkyβs soul. He gave it to the devil in exchange for getting out of prison after killing a man. He declares he is going to beat Sharky in the poker game, and when he wins, he will take possession of what is his.
Christopher Johnson directed this production with an obvious reference for the material, and rightfully so β McPherson is one of Irelandβs greatest living playwrights, and βThe Seafarerβ is among his best works.
With great humor and terrifying moments, McPherson gives us a story about forgiveness of oneself as well as others, despair and hope. And this cast embraced the story and all its nuances with fervor.
As Richard, Walley, in a full beard and stumbling around thanks to booze and blindness, is mean, really mean, to his brother Sharky. But there is a moment toward the end when his love and concern for him bursts through. Walley was seamless.
Richardβs internal despair and ultimate glimpse of redemption glistened in Shandβs hands. Knox made Ivanβs sadness, loneliness and fear palpable.
The whole cast committed deeply to this powerful play, a piece of work that pulls you in, at times repels you, oftentimes makes you laugh, and always fascinates.
The Rogue Theatreβs production of βThe Seafarerβ runs through March 19 at 300 E. University Blvd.
Tickets are $42; $15 for students. For reservations or more information, visit theroguetheatre.org or call 520-551-2053.
If you ever wondered what the green dress from "The Wiz" looked like up close, the colorful look of the Ziegfeld Follies costumes, or wanted an extensive view on the elements that make a groundbreaking musical, then the newly opened Museum of Broadway is for you. Broadway's first museum opened this week and provides fans with a combination of history, memorabilia and education. "Showboat," Rent," "Company," and "A Chorus Line" are but a few of the shows that have elaborate displays that let fans get up close and personal. Museum Co-Founder Julie Boardman says one of the hardest parts of setting up the museum was figuring out the story they wanted to tell. "There's so much history. So how are we going to organize it and make it in a way the people you know, really with the guest experience in mind? So we've landed on this idea that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. So had all these people not pioneered, broken ground, taken risks along the way, we would never have the art form and the art that is created today."
