[NEohioPAL]Berko review: THE PILLOWMAN (Dobama)

[Roy Berko]

DOBAMA’s ‘THE PILLOWMAN’--another memorable theatrical
experience 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

Dobama may not have a permanent home, but it is surely
reestablishing itself as the place to search out to
see well-honed, thought-provoking important new plays.
 No theatre in the area can match the performance
center which was Don Bianchi’s dream and is now Joyce
Casey’s life work.  Their latest works, ‘A NUMBER,’
‘NIGHT BLOOMERS,’ and “GOAT OR, WHO IS SYLVIA’ have
all been superlative.  That streak continues with
Martin McDonagh’s  ‘THE PILLOWMAN.’

After a 2003 opening in London, the show moved to
Broadway in 2005.  It starred Jeff Goldblum and Billy
Crudup.  It won the Drama Critics Circle Award for
Best Foreign Play, and was nominated for a Tony as
best play.

A serious drama with ironic overtones, it tells the
tale of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police
state who is interrogated about the gruesome content
of his short stories, and their similarities to a
number of bizarre incidents occurring in his town. 
Before it’s over we are exposed to four lives that
have all been subjected to abuse and the effect it has
on their existence.

Big Apple critics called the play, "the season's most
exciting and original new play" and stated that "Those
who skip it will miss the best play of the season."

It is interesting that the two strongest plays on
Broadway in 2005, ‘DOUBT’ and “THE PILLOWMAN’ both
concerned child predators.  These plays are art
reflecting life.  ‘DOUBT’ examines priest pedophilia
and McDonagh presents a series of parables of what
happens when the human brain conceives a concept and
through a series of ironic twists, the parables become
realities.

Those who know McDonagh as the author of ‘THE BEAUTY
QUEEN OF LEENANE’ will not be surprised by the
script’s strong, metallic voice that has established
him as one of today’s  theatre wunderkinds.   As with
his other writing, there is a Kafka-like examination
of bureaucratic violence.  Even Katurian's name (his
first and middle names are also Katurian) makes him a
linguistic kin to Humbert Humbert of Nabokov's
‘LOLITA’ and Major Major of Heller's ‘CATCH-22,’ two
other Kafkaesque writers.

Dobama’s production, under the able guidance of Sonya
Robbins, holds the audience’s attention during the
long show.  The cast is strong, yet uneven.  

Todd Krispinsky as Katurian, the writer, is
outstanding.  He is totally believable in both his
confusion and suffering.  His final speech is
emotionally and visually wrenching.

Joel Hammer as the chief detective, is properly harsh
and cunning.  Daniel McElhaney is compelling as
Katurian’s child-like older brother.  John Kolibab
fails to develop any texture to his role as the “bad”
cop.  He yells from his initial speech, giving his
character no place to go when emotional changes are
needed.   Laura Stitt (mother), Michael Regnier
(father) and Jessica Gill (child) are acceptable in
their character development.

The meaning of the title?  Can’t give that away. 
You’ll have to see the show.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  As a line in the play states,
“There are no happy endings in real life.”  So, too,
is the case with this disturbing play.  You don’t go
to see ‘THE PILLOWMAN’ to be entertained, you go to be
fascinated and disturbed.  Keep it up Dobama!

‘THE PILLOWMAN’ continues at Dobama, presently housed
in the Cleveland Play House’s Studio Theatre.  The
show runs through November 5.  For information and
tickets call 216-932-3396.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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