by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
The newest theater group in the North Florida opened their second show of the season last weekend presenting Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman. This play was nominated for a Tony and won The Olivier Award for best play, which is the British equivalent to the Tony.
The Orpheus Theater Group website orpheustheatergroup.com has a succinct plot summary of this play: “This intense dramatic thriller tells the story of a writer in a totalitarian state who is investigated for murder when a number of children are gruesomely murdered in a way that mirrors his mostly unpublished short stories.”
The subject of prisoner interrogation is very timely considering recent headlines questioning our own government about erasing tapes of interrogating prisoners in connection with the war on Iraq.
The play opens with the writer Katurian being questioned by detectives. Ariel, played powerfully by Jennifer Gagnon, at first sight looks like the kind of woman I would want to have question me. She is an attractive blonde, wearing a tight white T-shirt. Wow, police heaven! Wrong! Ariel, is no-nonsense, a very physical cop, who seems to delight to beating up and intimidating prisoners. Playing what appears to be the good cop in the team is Wesley Nielsen as Tulolski. He appears to be easy-going and rather folksy with a sense of humor, but before the night is over he proves he can be as cold and callous as Ariel. You may actually start to like him, but beware! In other scenes of this play, Katurian recites some of the stories and others are acted out. This is where the other members of the cast contribute to the black humor that unfolds.
Erin Thursby, Entertaining U Staff Writer and food critic, makes her stage debut in this area and bites off three roles, two as women and one as a man. She experiences what must be a theater first for her as she is smothered to death with a pillow. I am sure you will be seeing more of Erin on local stages in the future.
Newcomer to the local theater scene, Justin Bell, also plays multiple roles with great flair. Do any of you remember Tiny Tim? Bell has what I would consider the ultimate Tiny Tim hair do, and it defies description. He performed quite well in these smaller roles.
The last time I saw Jeff Wells on stage was at Jacksonville University as Mr. Mushnik. Since then he has been busy in theater and recently directed A Party to Murder at ABET. He plays Michal, Katurian’s brain damaged brother. Is he the one that perpetrated the child murders? Wells give a convincing portrayal of this character
A.J. Pratt as Katurian probably has over fifty percent of the lines in this 2 ˝ hour show. Pratt keeps topping himself as an actor, and this may be his tour de force performance, as he balances humor and horror in mesmerizing monologues that keep us guessing on the outcome of this play.
Jennie Jarvis is one of the founding members of this group (along with Mr. Pratt and Steven Anderson Jr.) and she has selected an outstanding cast. Her deft stage direction explores the many nuances of this complex and intriguing script.
The set is minimalist but just enough props are used to make things very interesting, and I especially was moved by the crucifixion scene. (I did mention this is black humor, didn’t I?) The costumes were appropriate to the action, and Erin Thursby did the makeup. (She does great black eyes and bruises, in case you ever need any).
The play is performed at The Body Gallery, a commercial business that has tanning, spa services and yoga glasses. It is located at l360 Beach Blvd, two doors down from the Powerhouse Gym. This is a neat place, very clean and comfortable. A back exercise room is used that has about thirty five folding chairs creating what amounts to very intimate in-your-face theatre that is perfect for this play.
I want The Orpheus Theater Group to be successful. They are filling a void left by the Riverside group, First Coast Theatre Arts, when they shut down last year. I like the Theater of the Absurd material, and The Pillowman certainly has many aspects of this genre. First Coast had a very loyal following and I hope they will discover Orpheus and make the trip to Jacksonville Beach.
The Pillowman is not for everyone. It has violence and adult language but in the end provides a very thought-provoking evening of theater that the full house audience enjoyed opening night. If good acting is your thing, then make plans to see this show. It continues December l4, l5, 2l, and 22 at 8PM. Call 296-3292. Make reservations since seating is limited.
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