The Weir
by Conor McPherson is now playing at South Coast Repertory through April 3, 2011.Proclaimed as "the most exciting evening in theatrical London" by The Guardian, this Olivier Award winner was also a New York hit, running for eight months on Broadway.
When a group of hard-drinking Irishmen get together in a local pub on a stormy night, their amazing yarns prove to be both funny and spine-tingling. Especially as they compete for the attention of a mysterious young woman. But she outdoes them, spinning her own haunting story of love and loss that keeps them -- and the audience -- simply spellbound.
The play is as simple as it is described, an atmospheric drama that finds the characters telling ghost stories. The deeper meaning of the play is held only in the title:
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Daniel Reichert, Richard Doyle, Tony Ward,
Kirsten Potter and James Lancaster in
The Weir by Conor McPherson.
Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.
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"Water surrounding a weir -- [a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream] -- may look relatively calm, but dangerous whirlpools lurk beneath," explains director Warner Shook. "You're caught between calm waters and devastating waters -- the known and the unknown -- much like the characters in the play. Are the stories they tell real or make-believe? Are they in a natural world or a supernatural one?"
One of the ghost stories genuinely gave me chills -- Jim (Daniel Reichert) tells about an experience he had while digging a grave -- and I like to believe Valerie's (Kirsten Potter) story would have also given me chills, except that I got a coughing fit and had to step out of the theatre just as she started her story.
The volunteer usher in the lobby was very nice, she offered me a glass of water and turned on the lobby monitor so I could watch the rest of the play. Once I stopped coughing, there was so much reflection on the monitor from the glass windows of the lobby that I couldn't see much, and somehow that distracted me from listening to the rest as well.
I would have liked to see the rest. If you go, let me know how you liked the ending...
The Weir by Conor McPherson
March 13 - April 3, 2011
2 comments:
I haven't been by here in ages. For that I apologize. I am currently blogging under the name of Gwen Newpenny. I put my family blog on private and have suspended it temporarily.
That looks so interesting. I admit that lately I've taken a greater interest in theatre, and this show looks like something I'd really enjoy.
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