ONCE UPON A TIME // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "THE PILLOWMAN"
To enter the world of Irish writer Martin McDonagh, one must have to have a very open mind going in. His worlds are dark, frightening, and very truthful, asking a lot of questions we’re often afraid to ask ourselves. They are also typically very, very funny. Not in your typical "funny ha ha" way, but brutally funny. The darkness of man with off the cuff honesty ringing so true that you have to laugh. McDonagh's 2003 play THE PILLOWMAN hits the darkness of man square in the eye, and never looks back. It hits the ground running full steam ahead and tells the audience to jump on, or be left behind. It's a stellar play exploring morality and justice from a fascinating playwright. The dialogue is crisp, clear, precise, and requires actors to really be able to nail every nuance of the piece. Luckily, the latest revival comes from Variations Theatre and hits it out of the park.
Kirk Gostkowski plays Katurian, a writer of some twisted horror stories, almost all involving gruesome deaths of children. We open with him at a police station and a bag over his head. He's genuinely surprised by his arrest. The two detectives questioning him, Tupolski and Ariel (Deven Anderson & Paul Terkel) play a sort of "good cop, bad cop" routine, but are both disgusted by his stories and the possibility that he has perhaps killed several children in eerily similar ways as his stories did. He maintains his innocence but they won't budge. They want him to confess before they have him killed (They have no qualms about going around the justice system) and seem to be torturing his mentally challenged brother Michal (Kyle Kirkpatrick) in the other room.
We hear some of these dark stories, told by Katurian, and they are twisted. Think The Brothers Grimm stories, with even darker endings. And one story echoes Katurian's own past, which is a key clue on why he writes them to begin with, and possibly a clue into the murders themselves. Director Greg Cicchino does sharp work here, moving the pacing at a very quick pace, often leaving you breathless. He incorporates a film design (by David Ray) to showcase some of the stories that Katurian tells to a haunting and creepy effect. And they are blessed with a very good cast indeed. As the storyteller himself, Kirk Gostkowski grounds the play with a borderline creepiness and a somewhat naïve sense of his own impact on the world. His performance allows you to go back and forth between thinking he may have done these terrible murders or he's just as surprised as anyone that they've happened. What's great about the character, and the performance, is that no matter what his guilt is, he HAS written some truly awful stories about children being murdered. So if he's innocent of the crime, is he still guilty of putting these images out in the world? It's a great question that's been posed for years by those fighting against movie and videogame violence.
Paul Terkel is great as Ariel, the "bad cop" of the two detectives sorting out this investigation. He's grounded and believable in each moment. Kyle Kirkpatrick often steals the scenes he's in with a very honest and non-caricatured performance as Michal, Katurian's "slow to get things" younger brother. A very haunted performance indeed. It's hard to choose a top standout in such a great ensemble, but Deven Anderson's simmering portrayal of the main detective in charge is explosive. His performance keeps you on the edge of your seat, truly making you afraid of what he may do. He's dark, dangerous, and very twistedly funny. The only thing that did bother me slightly was the language. Here, everyone uses American accents. Which is fine; this could take place anywhere. But there are a few language bumps that suggest it isn't in America. Having an American accent say something like "Bloody better do it" feels off. Had a few of the linguistics been changed, no one would have noticed at all. But that is such a minor quibble for a great overall production.
It's not a light evening of theatre, but one hell of a thought provoking one. Whether you saw it when it was last on Broadway or not, you should head out to Long Island City and see this truly talented ensemble displaying spectacular performances. You may be uneasy watching it, but you won't be disappointed.
MATEO'S GRADE: A-
Written by: Martin McDonagh Directed by: Greg Cicchino Starring: Kirk Gostkowski, Deven Anderson, Paul Terkel, and Kyle Kirkpatrick For Tickets: http://www.variationstheatregroup.com/
MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconscious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.