'The Seafarer:' Sympathy for the Devil

The Seafarer

Written by Conor McPherson; directed by Carmel O'Reilly; scenic design by J. Michael Griggs; costume design by Rafael Jaen; lighting design by John R. Malinowski; sound design by Benjamin Emerson

Cast:
James "Sharky" Harkin, Billy Meleady; Richard Harkin, Bob Colonna; Ivan Curry, Larry Coen; Nicky Giblin, Ciaran Crawford; Mr. Lockhart, Derry Woodhouse

Performances: Now through December 13, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Roberts Studio Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston

Box Office: 617-933-8600 or www.SpeakEasyStage.com

Conor McPherson's haunting Irish folk tale of dreams lost and redemption found appropriately takes place on a dark and stormy Christmas Eve in a dilapidated coastal town just north of Dublin. As the winds howl and the seas rage outside the dingy basement home of brothers James (Sharky) and Richard Harkin, two friends and a mysterious visitor join them in a game of poker in which the stakes, it turns out, is Sharky's soul.

The Seafarer, currently enjoying a highly entertaining Boston area premiere at the SpeakEasy Stage, is a quirky mix of quiet reality and supernatural storytelling. The initial appeal is the way in which the play's four Average Irish Joes - expertly directed by Carmel O'Reilly and unselfconsciously performed by all - go about their day-to-day, lacing the banalities of a rather Spartan holiday celebration with spurts of anger, affection, dimwittedness, and biting humor. Later, the tale twists to allegory, and what begins as a simple story of friends making due in tough times deepens into one of all-out spiritual survival. With the appearance of an impeccably dressed and manicured Lucifer who arrives on this holiest of nights with a bottomless ante and ready to play, The Seafarer becomes as dark as the Guinness Stout the men drink in great quantity.

For most of the play, the dutiful brother Sharky (a subtly pained and tightly wound Billy Meleady) holds himself and his meager household together so that he and his blind brother Richard (a wonderfully unkempt and annoying Bob Colonna) can have at least some semblance of a merry Christmas. But a nice dinner alone just isn't in the cards as their lovable if slightly softheaded lug of a friend Ivan (a comically endearing Larry Coen) can't seem to find his way home, and roguish girlfriend stealer Nicky (the swaggering Ciaran Crawford) invites himself and the well heeled Mr. Lockhart a/k/a the Devil (an enigmatic Derry Woodhouse) to the table. As pots grow bigger and the ominous visitor challenges Sharky to a last winner-take-all hand, the simmering volcano inside of the man who has been fighting for self control all evening finally blows. In a riveting disintegration of defenses, Sharky's unfortunate past comes rushing back in torrents, and his life will never be the same.

What makes this Faustian tale of lost souls found uniquely enticing is the way in which McPherson has drawn the character of the Devil. A true fallen angel who seems to envy the forgiveness that humans seek and receive from God, Lockhart, played by Woodhouse with a combination of smoldering temptation and aching torment, becomes sympathetic, himself a tortured soul. The line between good and evil is blurred in The Seafarer, with everyone, even the Devil, just trying to get by.

The entire cast handles McPherson's lilting dialog with just the right off-hand normalcy and low-key, unexpected humor. They quietly capture their characters' underlying warmth and respect for each other, as well. O'Reilly's honest direction makes it seem as if these hard-drinking but soft-skinned men have shared Christmas Eves forever. Despite the tricky balance that must be struck between the commonplace and the fantastic, there isn't a false move throughout the play.

J. Michael Griggs' dank and dirty basement living room set is a pitch-perfect blend of worn mix-and-match furniture, peeling paint and wallpaper, masculine bric-a-brac and beer signs, and faded remnants of a time when the brothers' sainted mother was still alive and occupying the home. A prominent rough-hewn upper molding of weathered dark gray clapboards suggests the constant presence of a relentless ocean whose power and mystery adds to the magic of the night.

The Seafarer is a delightful, hair-raising and entrancing tale that delivers a most unusual Christmas miracle. The SpeakEasy production is an excellent choice for those seeking non-traditional holiday cultural fare.

PHOTOS BY Mike  Lovett: Billy Meleady as Sharky and Bob Colonna as Richard; Larry Coen as Ivan; Derry Woodhouse as Lockhart; Billy Meleady as Sharky

 

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