CHICAGO—Conor McPherson’s marvelous The Seafarer, now at Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre is a tale that uses the holiday—Christmas—to make its point. This cast of five men play with an enormous amount of energy and make this performance as solid as one can find.
Director Randall Arney takes us on a trip through the lives of these men during a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Dublin, Ireland. The story involves two brothers, Richard (a wonderful interpretation by the always-powerful John Mahoney), who has been blinded by an accident and who relies heavily on his brother Sharkey (Francis Guinan), an alcoholic who is attempting to get his life in order but is now forced to take care of his brother.
His friends Nicky (Randall Newsome) and Ivan (the hysterically funny Alan Wilder) join the brothers. Into their lives comes a stranger, one Mr. Lockhart (Tom Irwin, bringing just the right touch of mischief to this role), who might just be the Devil himself.
This is an eerie, dark comedy. Yes, there are lots of laughs, but as the story unfolds and we learn more about these men, we find that this mysterious Mr. Lockhart is not who he seems to be and that the Christmas poker game has stakes much higher than the “euros” on the table. In fact, Sharkey is playing for his soul, as well might the others in games to come.
Given the Irish setting, there is lots of drinking and swearing, but the dialog is very rich with traditions and great story-telling.
Director Randall Arney takes us on a trip through the lives of these men during a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Dublin, Ireland. The story involves two brothers, Richard (a wonderful interpretation by the always-powerful John Mahoney), who has been blinded by an accident and who relies heavily on his brother Sharkey (Francis Guinan), an alcoholic who is attempting to get his life in order but is now forced to take care of his brother.
His friends Nicky (Randall Newsome) and Ivan (the hysterically funny Alan Wilder) join the brothers. Into their lives comes a stranger, one Mr. Lockhart (Tom Irwin, bringing just the right touch of mischief to this role), who might just be the Devil himself.
This is an eerie, dark comedy. Yes, there are lots of laughs, but as the story unfolds and we learn more about these men, we find that this mysterious Mr. Lockhart is not who he seems to be and that the Christmas poker game has stakes much higher than the “euros” on the table. In fact, Sharkey is playing for his soul, as well might the others in games to come.
Given the Irish setting, there is lots of drinking and swearing, but the dialog is very rich with traditions and great story-telling.
It is always a joy to see Mahoney on stage. Wilder’s character is by far the funniest of the lot. Guinan’s character has the deepest story to tell so one must pay close attention to not only what he says, but how he moves and his facial expressions. This role shows how strong an actor he is.
The set by Takeshi Kata amply depicts a lower-income home in one of Dublin’s suburbs—not very well furnished, and surely the home of two men, in an area that is changing and where housekeeping is not a priority. The lighting by Daniel Ionazzi adds a real touch to a shabby home, and Richard Woodbury’s sound and original music complete the picture.
Nick Sandys, who has become Chicago’s expert on fight choreography, once again gives us a fight scene that looks very real. Diction coach Cecilie O'Reilly assured that all of the men keep their brogues throughout the entire production and yet, we can understand all the words clearly—which, when I was in Ireland, I found hard to do.
We all have demons in our pasts, memories that we would love to erase. And we all have had times in our lives when we wanted something so much that we might almost deal with the devil. The play deals with our past and with finding redemption for ourselves.
The Seafarer
The Steppenwolf
1650 N. Halsted, Chicago
Tickets: 312-335-1650 or online at Steppenwolf.org
Closes: Feb. 8
Alan Bresloff writes about theater in the Chicago area.
The set by Takeshi Kata amply depicts a lower-income home in one of Dublin’s suburbs—not very well furnished, and surely the home of two men, in an area that is changing and where housekeeping is not a priority. The lighting by Daniel Ionazzi adds a real touch to a shabby home, and Richard Woodbury’s sound and original music complete the picture.
Nick Sandys, who has become Chicago’s expert on fight choreography, once again gives us a fight scene that looks very real. Diction coach Cecilie O'Reilly assured that all of the men keep their brogues throughout the entire production and yet, we can understand all the words clearly—which, when I was in Ireland, I found hard to do.
We all have demons in our pasts, memories that we would love to erase. And we all have had times in our lives when we wanted something so much that we might almost deal with the devil. The play deals with our past and with finding redemption for ourselves.
The Seafarer
The Steppenwolf
1650 N. Halsted, Chicago
Tickets: 312-335-1650 or online at Steppenwolf.org
Closes: Feb. 8
Alan Bresloff writes about theater in the Chicago area.
