Review: The Lieutenant of Inishmore @ Artists Repertory Theatre
February 22, 2011 — PDXPIPELINEBy Nathalie Weinstein
WARNING: The ‘Lieutenant of Inishmore’ will make the death of a beloved pet seem hilarious.
Artists Repertory Theater has taken on Martin McDonagh’s black comedy of Irish political terrorism and, well, dead cats, ‘The Lieutenant of Inishmore’. Set in 1993 on the rocky shores of Ireland, the play centers on Padriac, a terrorist with an appetite for torture, and his best friend, a black cat named Wee Thomas.
The story begins when neighbors Donny and Davey (the play’s answer to Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob) discover Wee Thomas dead in the road. Donny, Padriac’s father, is immediately fearful of how his trigger-happy son will react, and whether he and Davey will incur Padriac’s wrath. What ensues is pure, bloody mischief.
The play’s most intense and funny moments come as the cast reacts to Padriac, whose emotions waver between heartbroken and sociopathic. Adding to the fun is Mairead, a young rebel with a knack for shooting cows’ eyes out, who is enamored with Padriac, and quick to blame her brother, Davey, for the cat’s death.
For fans of gore, the show is a feast for the eyes and ears. Dead cats and mutilated corpses, usually relegated to the horror movie screen, become stage props. Gunshots are followed by sprays of sticky blood to add to the onstage carnage. The appearance of a live cat onstage rounds out what may be the most unique theater experience I’ve ever had. Don’t worry, though; no cats were actually harmed.
‘Inishmore’ may not be for the faint of heart (or for a card-carrying PETA member), but it is a hell of a good time.
“The Lieutenant of Inishmore”
By Martin McDonagh
Directed by Jon Kretzu
Produced by Artist’s Repertory Theatre
Artist’s Repertory Theatre
1515 SW Morrison Street
Tickets: $26-42 per person, $20 per student| Buy tickets online here
When:
February 23-27
March 2-6
March 9-13
Evening showings at 7:30, Matinees available at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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Nathalie Weinstein is PDX Pipeline’s editor. She previously worked as a reporter at The Daily Journal of Commerce. Her favorite Portland activities include hiking at Oaks Bottom, buying books she doesn’t need at Powell’s and petting stray cats in her Northeast Portland neighborhood. Follow her on Twitter @storymakerupper.
