The Pillowman
Rating: 5/5
Written by: Martin McDonagh
Directed By: Steven Woolf
Performance Dates: Sept. 20-Oct. 8
Now playing at: The Grandel Theater
Martin McDonagh’s “The Pillowman” is a story of stories, as touching as it is grotesque and as humorous as it is dark.
From the very beginning, our attention is drawn to a small, nearly-empty interrogation room from which most of the play occurs. Katurian Katurian Katurian (no, those are not misprints), butcher by day and writer by night, has been brought in for interrogation in light of recent child murders which closely resemble those in his stories. Also in the room are two interrogators from the unnamed totalitarian state and, in the adjacent cell, Katurian’s mentally retarded brother. From this minimal space and mere four characters springs a story of art, the artist, love, death, deception and the thin line between reality and fantasy.
Katurian’s stories are scattered throughout the play and presented in rotating sets resembling 50’s suburbia, in which the characters seem like moving wax dolls. In front of these scenes sits Katurian, the narrator, alone under dimmed lights. The mood is perfect, a mixture of nostalgia, horror and loveliness.
This play is not for the faint of heart, with scenes ranging from torture to creative methods for manslaughter, not to mention the profanity that permeates almost every line (“I am f*cking Jesus!”). Katurian’s stories are told or acted out in explicit detail, each with its own share of gore and shock. He takes us from the innocence of childhood to premeditated murder within seconds. T hese grotesque elements do not detract from the play or overwhelm the actors and storyline. Rather, they add to the psychological disarray and dark humor, ultimately blurring the line between truth and fiction around which the play centers.
At its heart, “The Pillowman” is a celebration of storytelling itself. As the layers of the story build on top of one another, everything connects and yet nothing seems to fit together perfectly. We are left wondering what was real and what was just a part of Katurian’s storytelling. Thus, the audience becomes a vital part of the play, each person putting together the pieces of a puzzle to create his own unique story. In his script, McDonagh introduces many themes concerning the role of the artist in society and the value of art. He offers no definitive conclusions but rather things to ponder over. As Katurian cries in exasperation at his brother, “It’s not about being, or being dead-it’s about what you leave behind,” we wonder how art can be worth more than life itself.
The jewel of this play is the acting. Joseph Collins plays Katurian with breathtaking intensity, stuttering in frustration during the interrogation and barely able to contain his boyish excitement each time his stories are mentioned. The scenes between him and his brother are some of the most poignant of the play, a blend of tenderness and anger. Similarly, Timothy McCracken offers a flawless portrayal of the brother, Michal, whose innocence makes him as endearing as it makes him dangerous. Paul Deboy and Anderson Matthews give dynamism to the two interrogators, separating them from the clich‚d portrayal of police in a totalitarian state.
“The Pillowman” takes us back to the basics. Its minimal use of set decoration and music complements its strong actors and storyline. It is a clash of extremes, taking the audience from laughter to disgust to utter shock. “It stretches people,” says Steven Woolf, artistic director of the Repertory theatre, when asked why he had chosen to open the season with this play.
“The Pillowman” should be at the top of the list for any lover of a stirring, provocative story. Performances run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 8 at the Grandel Theatre.