THE BASICS: This three character domestic drama by Gillian Grattan was a finalist in the ICTC’s Maguire Playwriting Competition (for new works by Irish citizens). Directed by Fortunato Pezzimenti, and starring Christian Brandjes, Beth Donohue and Diane Curley, this world premiere production runs weekends at the Andrews Theatre through March 25th. A short full-length play, it runs a little under 90 minutes. There is no intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: A rural village in the southeast of Ireland, present day. When Lydia, a beautiful, unhappy “flower child” from the city, moves into her deceased grandmother’s house, she disturbs the equilibrium between her unhappily married neighbors, Tom and Mary.
ABOUT THE PLAY AND PRODUCTION: The ICTC is billing this as a comedy, but don’t be fooled. It’s a comedy in that it doesn’t ever cross the line into tragedy. No one dies. Think Chekov, on a wintry day. Even the sight of Tom, a regular guy who’s a closet lingerie fetishist, wandering about in ill-fitting women’s undergarments, fails to elicit guffaws. This is because he is chatting very seriously and philosophically to the audience, as all three principals do, continuously. The story of the play emerges from intersecting monologues, told in “fluid” time. There are no more than a couple of lines of actual dialogue, and precious little interaction among the players. While this certainly emphasizes the isolation of these unhappy figures, it does so at great cost, I believe. This round robin of monologues becomes pretty… lulling. Why write a play at all, if you are going to eschew dialogue and character interaction, and simply report the physical action that eventually is precipitated? And why the time hopping? Moving back and forth between the past and present is certainly trendy, but often it is simply annoying or confounding to the audience (one particularly dismal recent case: the screenplay for THE IRON LADY). Does the playwright not trust her material enough to tell the story “the old fashioned way”? One simply has to wonder…
The cast of three is first rate, more than capable. The Irish accents, just fine to these non-Irish ears, are not so heavy as to obscure the actual words. When the language flows in torrents, though, as it does in spots, I found myself losing the sense of what was being said. The Andrews space compounds the problem, as the speakers all must have their backs to some part of the audience at all times. Director Pezzimenti works to bring out the personal drama, to illumine the characters’ interiors. If there really is comic potential in FISH, it goes largely untapped. The word “shite” does get spoken a whole lot–a couple of dozen times, at least–but I found this less than rib-tickling. The set is standard issue ICTC minimal. The costumes, hairstyles, and lighting are all satisfactory, but no more.
The Irish Classical Theatre Company must be commended for sponsoring new playwrights, giving them the chance to see their creations come to life. The audience seemed really enthused the night I attended, giving the visiting Ms. Grattan a big hand. So perhaps I am the FISH OUT OF WATER here. It’s an occupational hazard; I must call ’em as I see ’em!
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO:This means trouble.A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both.Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS:Passable, but no great shakes.Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic.Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS:I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater.If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS:Both the production and the play are of high caliber.If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS:Truly superb–a rare rating.Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart.Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!