Wilbury Group Opens “Lieutenant of Inishmore”
Friday, December 31, 2010
It's the closest thing to pop-up theater Rhode Island has.
And now, the Wilbury Group, a nimble collaborative of actors, directors, and theater pros, is popping up one of the darkest, sharpest plays of recent years: Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
The Wilbury ensemble (named, yes, to honor the supergroup of the late '80s) acknowledges this is its most ambitious work to date. The explosive (literally) farce about Irish terrorism was originally produced in 2003, after years of playwright McDonagh’s trying. The Lieutenant of Inishmore went on to win major awards, including the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (2003) and an Obie Award for Best Play (2006). In its 2007 Broadway run it was nominated for a Tony and a Drama Desk Award for Best Play.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTViolent and hilarious
Yes, it's violent. And yes, it's hilarious. McDonagh's tale is of a ruthless Irish Liberation Army enforcer and the one thing he loves more than anything else in the world… his little black cat, Wee Thomas. In his wildly funny and bloody Tarantino-esque black comedy, McDonagh takes a hard look at the hypocrisy of violence in society. The London Times called it “bitterly blood curdling and breathtakingly funny!”
Directed by Josh Short, and featuring performances by veteran Providence actors Joe Short, Brien Lang, Joe Ouellette, Jo-an Peralta, Jed Brainerd, Jeff Hodge, Dennis Kozee and Bonnie Griffin, the production takes stage on Providence's working waterfront at Conley's Wharf.
Recent Wilbury productions have included Rebecca Noon’s performance piece Special Happy, Edward Albee’s classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (recognized as “One of the Best Plays of 2010” by The Providence Phoenix) and Sam Shepard’s explosive True West. www.thewilburygroup.com.
The run opens Jan 6.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh, January 6-16 2011 at Conley’s Wharf, 200 Allens Ave, Providence. Thurs-Sun 7:30pm, Sun 2pm are Pay-What-You-Can. Tickets $20 general, $15 student/seniors and are available at the door. For reservations/more info e-mail [email protected] or go to www.TheWilburyGroup.com.
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