Georgetown’s Nomadic Theater has been described as the most socially conscious of the University’s co-curricular theater troupes. Admirable as such sentiments may be, when overbearingly conveyed, they can easily obstruct the power of drama with heavy-handed sermons that serve to alienate, rather than engage, audiences.
Nomadic’s production of The Pillowman wisely avoids such yawn-worthy pontification. Audience members enter the theater through the back of the stage and pass through a wall of prison bars on their way to their seats, locking themselves into the drama along with the actors.
The plot initially finds itself in familiar territory. From their bleak childhoods, two brothers, one a writer named Katurian and the other a mentally handicapped man named Michal, both depend on each other to survive in a dark and fatalistic world.
The drama of the production centers around a police investigation into a string of sadistic child murders, each mirroring stories penned by Katurian. Hauled in for questioning, the writer faces two detectives assuming the classic, if not trite, good cop/bad cop roles. These supporting roles, played by Danny Rivera (COL’11) and Mike Mitchell (COL’10), contribute much of the dialogue that qualifies The Pillowman as a dark comedy.
Before long, the play takes an unexpected turn, plunging into the sinister and disturbing details of Katurian’s stories and the events that inspired them. The actors confront the audience with a shocking revelation and the fraternal love once thought pure reveals a sinister past.
To prevent the play from becoming overwhelmingly somber, Pillowman author Martin McDonagh sprinkles the dialogue with enough jokes and outlandish statements to make even the darkest parts bearable. The cast transitions from tragedy to comedy with ease, often in the same line. River’s good cop character, Tupolski, carries the play’s first minutes of humor like a natural. Clark Young (COL ’09), cast as Michal, delivers a high-caliber performance, often laughing and crying in the same instant.
Perhaps the most important supporting role has no name at all. The Nomadic group’s minimalist stage design complements the plot’s somber tone, though it leaves the actors with nothing to hide behind, making obvious the occasional overdone line.
Still, Nomadic’s new production makes few mistakes worthy of quibbling. The Pillowman demands that the audience strengthen their stomachs and leave their sensibilities at home. Any student with a spare $9 would do well to do just that.
