Stage West Presents STONES IN HIS POCKETS, Beginning 5/16

2 actors, 15 characters, unlimited entertainment. That's the short version of Irish playwright Marie Jones's Stones in His Pockets, beginning a 6-week run at Stage West on May 16.

Hollywood has long made great use of the charm and the scenery of Ireland, in films ranging from The Quiet Man to Far and Away to Waking Ned Devine. Now the movie world has descended on a village in beautiful County Kerry, to shoot a period piece called The Quiet Valley, and several of the locals are working as extras, and dreaming big. On hand from the film company are the lovely (and dialect-challenged) star Caroline, the British director Clem, the dismissive 1st AD Simon, and the ambitious 3rd AD Aisling, along with various crew members. And all these characters are played by just two actors. It may sound like an Irish version of Greater Tuna, but director Jerry Russell says "It's Tuna with more meat on its bones."

We see the filming unfold largely through the eyes of extras Charlie and Jake, and their experiences illustrate on a very personal level the collision of real life with reel life. The author takes some shots at Hollywood (in one scene, the cattle won't do because "they're not Irish enough."), and shows us how easily disillusionment can follow fascination. It's a touching and hilarious tour de force which delighted Stage West audiences when the group first presented a short run of the piece in 2007, and will certainly do so again.

Of its production in London, The Times said "The play is about rural poverty, cultural exploitation, the widening gap between winners and losers in the western world, and the damage wreaked by dreams and the dream industries... If there is a more cleverly constructed, enterprisingly acted play on offer in London right now, I cannot think of it." And the Daily Mail added, "an unalloyed source of joy, laughter, tears and delight."

Marie Jones was born in Belfast, where some of her earliest memories were of the weekly visits she made with her mother to her aunt's, listening to them reminisce, and learning early on the power of storytelling. "They would laugh, they would cry. And although they were the same stories, they were told differently every time. I couldn't get enough of them. If anything turned me into a playwright, it was those visits to my aunt." ("Bard of Belfast," Lyn Gardner, The Guardian)

Beginning her career as an actress, she later became writer-in-residence for Belfast's Charabanc Theatre Company, and was there from 1983 to 1990. She has also written plays for Replay Productions, and for DubbelJoint Theatre Company, including Stones in His Pockets. She has written for television and radio, and is the recipient of the John Hewitt Award for Contribution to Cultural Traditions. Stones in His Pockets received the 1999 Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Production, the Olivier Award for Best Play and the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, and received two Tony nominations. Ms. Jones's most recent plays are Rock Doves (2010), Dancing Shoes: The George Best Story (2010), and Fly Me to the Moon (2012). She lives in Belfast with her second husband, Ian McElhinney, and two sons.

Jerry Russell is again directing the production. Jakie Cabe, most recently seen as Michael in the Amphibian production of Fiction, returns as Jake Quinn and several others. Patrick Bynane, last seen at Stage West as Dr. Prentice in What the Butler Saw, will play Charlie Conlon et al.

The set will be designed by Jim Covault, with lighting by Michael O'Brien. Costume design will be be handled by Covault and Peggy Kruger-O'Brien.

Stones in His Pockets will preview Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 and Friday, May 17 at 8:00, and will run through Sunday, June 23. Performance times will be Thursday evenings at 7:30, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00, with Sunday matinees at 3:00. The opening night reception will be Saturday, May 18. This production is not a part of Stage West's 2012-13 season, so ticket prices will differ. All tickets are $30, with discounts for preview performances ($20,first two performances ONLY), students and seniors ($22). No other discounts will apply. Food service is available 90 minutes prior to performances (reservations are necessary), and the Friday Prix Fixe special (dinner and show for $37) will be available beginning May 23. Reservations and information are available through the Box Office (817-784-9378), or on the website,www.stagewest.org.

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