"The Lieutenant of Inishmore" Deserves Strong Salute

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

By Martin McDonagh

Directed by David R. Gammons

Janie E. Howland, Scenic Design; Gail Astrid Buckley, Costume Design; Karen Perlow, Lighting Design; Rick Lombardo, Sound Design; Stephen Tolin, Special Effects Design; Ted Hewlett & Robert Najarian, Fight Direction; Joshua Butkiewicz, Properties Design; Jennifer Braun, Stage Manager

CAST (in alphabetical order) Andrew Dufresne, Christy; Lynn R. Guerra, Mairead; Colin Hamell, Padraic; Rory James Kelly, Donny; Curt Klump, Joey/James; Ross MacDonald, Brendan; Karl Baker Olson, Davey

Performances through November 16 @ New Repertory Theatre

Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org

Let me be clear at the outset that, although I do not personally care for cats, I had NOTHING to do with the death of Wee Thomas, the mangled black feline belonging to "Mad" Padraic Osbourne, Lieutenant of the Irish National Liberation Army. You don't want to get on the bad side of this man, especially if you value your life...and your toenails. Deemed too mad for the IRA, he runs rampant in Northern Ireland, torturing and bombing in the name of freeing Erin, while his father Donny cares for his beloved cat on the island of Inishmore, County Galway. When Padraic learns that Thomas, his best friend in the world, is doing "poorly," he interrupts the fiendish pedicure he is performing on a drug dealer and hurries home to be at his pet's side. What he finds when he gets there is, uh, distressing and sets off a nasty chain of bloody events.

This may not sound like a recipe for humor, but Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the New Repertory Theatre at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown is a very funny, albeit dark, comedy of the absurdist variety. While body parts are being shot at and sliced up, blood splatter covering the walls like a Hermann Nitsch canvas, and human life seems of little value to these thugs, they share an overarching concern for the welfare of two cats. As one of the great writers of his generation, McDonagh hits us over the head with an outrageous blunt instrument, even as he employs a finer point to script an underlying message about guns, violence, and humanity. Although the characters he creates are cartoonish, especially in the latter scenes of the second act, it is precisely their ridiculous animated qualities that draw attention to their conflict with the world around them and their belief that all's wrong with the world, except them.

Starting with the title character, Colin Hamell portrays Padraic as a psychopath who is feared for his lunatic short fuse and blazing guns, yet shows a softer, loving side where it concerns Thomas and Mairead, his teenage crush and sharpshooting INLA-wannabe. When Padraic arrives home to check on his cat, Hamell switches emotions on a dime from hopeful glee to horror and sorrow, then malevolent rage when he discovers the ruse attempted by Donny and Mairead's brother Davey. As the only woman in the cast, Lynn R. Guerra (Mairead) does an amazing job of injecting a dose of sexuality and passion into the mix. She evolves from an adolescent girl in combat boots who shoots out the eyes of cows as an econo-political statement to a take-charge young woman in love and second to the lieutenant. Her chemistry with Hamell is highly toxic, especially when she clings to him in a series of ballet-like poses during the critical gunfight.

Rory James Kelly (Donny) and Karl Baker Olson (Davey) provide much of the comic relief as the often drunken, whimpering simps at the mercy of Padraic and Mairead. Donny's bluster, somewhat reminiscent of Archie Bunker, belies his paternalistic feelings of affection for Davey and Kelly handles both sides of the man with aplomb. Olson displays an array of feelings from fear to bravado, annoyance, compassion, and respect, as well as a talent for reactive timing. Andrew Dufresne (Christy) is sufficiently smooth and menacing as the leader of the splinter group targeting Padraic and the mastermind behind the cat-bashing. Ross MacDonald (Brendan) and Curt Klump (Joey/James) are his flighty underlings, brothers with not much more than a single mind between them, and the three form a laughable gang who couldn't shoot straight.

David R. Gammons seamlessly directs this troupe and augments them with outstanding technical components. Gunfights and blood play a large and visceral role in the realism of the play, thanks to Stephen Tolin's special effects and the fight direction by Ted Hewlett and Robert Najarian. Janie E. Howland's set with numerous upright oddly shapEd Stones mimics a graveyard, Karen Perlow's lighting heightens the fear factor in several scenes, and Gail Astrid Buckley clothes the terrorists in suitable combat fatigues. Every gun pop, blood splatter, and cat meow happens on cue, so kudos to sound design by Rick Lombardo and Stage Manager Jennifer Braun. 

While McDonagh's play is well-written and well-constructed and the New Rep production is strong and vibrant, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, to quote Artistic Director Lombardo, may not be everyone's "cup of tea." As a public service, I suggest you decide for yourself based upon your tolerance for the violence in movies such as Bonnie and Clyde or The Godfather, although they were about bank robbers and mobsters. As for the terrorists in Inishmore, violence is simply their stock in trade even in their dealings with their comrades-in-arms, but their justification is achieving the greater good for their country, as well as self-anointed honor. They really do love Ireland...and their cats.

  

  

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