A Behanding In Spokane (The SOB Review) – Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York City, New York
** (out of ****)What was
Martin McDonagh thinking?
No.
Seriously.
What could have possessed this acclaimed playwright/screenwriter I admire so much for such masterful works as
The Pillowman,
The Cripple Of Inishmaan and "
In Bruges" to write a play as vile and dull-edged as
A Behanding In Spokane?
It's one thing to construct an offbeat comedy about a bigot in search of his hand that's been missing for decades, especially if you're fortunate enough to have the eternally creepy
Christopher Walken portraying him. Sure it's Walken playing a racist version of all the other eerie roles we've seen him do, but at least he's reliable.
However, it's quite another for an Irish playwright to have his characters incessantly and gratuitously spewing the n-word. I couldn't help but think, “Spokane, we have a problem.” Are there some unresolved racial issues McDonagh must resolve? He may very well wish to enroll in joint therapy with
David Mamet so they may resolve them together.
Aside from Walken, there are few other saving graces.
Scott Pask's set design of a rundown hotel is appropriately evocative and
Brian MacDevitt's lighting design lends to the play's macabre vibe. And
Sam Rockwell adds his own slightly off-kiltered performance as Mervyn, the hotel's twisted front desk receptionist.
But with few real laughs and little else to enjoy, I was left sitting on my hands. Fortunately, they're still fully intact.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Behanding In Spokane, Brian MacDevitt, Broadway, Christopher Walken, Martin McDonagh, Play, Sam Rockwell, Scott Pask, The SOB Review
Behanding Begins On BroadwayIf no applause is heard this evening at Broadway's
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, perhaps it's just the first preview audience's way of honoring playwright
Martin McDonagh's macabre title:
A Behanding In Spokane.
Directed by
John Crowley, who previously brought McDonagh's acclaimed
The Pillowman to the Great White Way five years ago,
A Behanding In Spokane is officially described as follows:
Carmichael (Christopher Walken) has been searching for his missing left hand for over a quarter of a century. Enter two bickering lovebirds (Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan) with a hand to sell, and a hotel clerk (Sam Rockwell) with an aversion to gunfire, and we're set for a hilarious rollercoaster of love, hate, desperation and hope.
A Behanding In Spokane marks Christopher Walken's first Broadway show since his Tony-nominated turn in
James Joyce's The Dead ten years ago. No stranger to the Great White Way, Walken made his Main Stem debut as "Ken" Walken in 1952's
The Climate of Eden with
Rosemary Harris and was later featured in
The Visit (1958) with
Lynn Fontanne and
Alfred Lunt. He then performed as "Ronnie" Walken in
J.B. (1959) and
High Spirits (1964) before adopting his Christopher moniker for 1965's
Baker Street.In
Behanding, Walken is teamed with Zoe Kazan (
Come Back, Little Sheba and
The Seagull) and Anthony Mackie (
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and
Drowning Crow), both of whom have already tread Broadway's boards over the last decade, as well as with indie film star Sam Rockwell, who apart from his participation in four of
The 24 Hour Plays benefits is making his
real Rialto debut here.
Regular readers will know of my deep appreciation for Kazan's work. I've been a fan since her "stunning, breakthrough performance" in
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (Off-Broadway, 2006). After seeing her in
100 Saints You Should Know (Off-Broadway, 2007), I remarked, "Kazan once again demonstrates that no young stage actress delivers sassy adolescent insolence quite the way she can."
Fans of "
The Hurt Locker," which has been nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, will recognize Mackie as the tough Sgt. J.T. Sanborn, who is anxiously awaiting the end of his tour of duty. But Shakespeare in the Park aficionados will recognize this distinguished actor from his work this past summer in
The Bacchae in Central Park.
As for McDonagh himself, count me among the admirers of his, er, body of work, ranging from his
Cripple Of Inishmaan to "
In Bruges." The man is a genius. While many of his characters get bloodied, the playwright is also known for arming many of them with his wicked, biting wit.
That's why the world premiere of his latest work -- a four-hander, if you will -- is particularly intriguing to me. If it receives anything like the praise for McDonagh's four other plays that have been produced on Broadway, expect to see lots of Tony nods for the show. The limited run of
A Behanding In Spokane opens March 4 and is currently slated to close June 6, allowing just enough time for all Tony voters to see this dark comedy.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Behanding In Spokane, Anthony Mackie, Broadway, Christopher Walken, John Crowley, Martin McDonagh, Play, Sam Rockwell, World Premiere, Zoe Kazan
The Cripple Of Inishmaan (The SOB Review) - Linda Gross Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, New York, New York
***1/2 (out of ****)Who would have thought that a play so politically incorrectly named would pack such a powerfully funny, yet emotional punch?
As currently revived as a joint project by New York's
Atlantic Theater Company and Ireland's
Druid Theatre Company of Galway,
Martin McDonagh's
The Cripple Of Inishmaan gives new meaning to the term "break leg." This show is crackling with wit and pathos.
With frequent McDonagh collaborator
Garry Hynes at the helm, the two have spun an exceptional yarn. Set in the Depression-era on a remote Irish island, a physically challenged reject nicknamed "Cripple" Billy -- an exceptional
Aaron Monaghan in a breakthrough role -- finds fame, if not necessarily good fortune, when he's defied all odds in being cast in a documentary being filmed on the nearby isle of Inishmore.
With his trademark black humor, McDonagh infuses each character with remarkable shadings that reveal themselves with his characteristic complexity. Chief among them is the extraordinary
David Pearce as Inishmaan gossip JohnnyPateenMike, who never met a rumor he didn't like to exploit, yet who ultimately maintains a secret that proves he has a heart.
Despite all the violence for which McDonagh is known, and
Cripple Of Inishmaan certainly has its share, the playwright intrigues with his compassion for humanity. It certainly bubbles to the surface in this great work. Along with his rich humor, outstanding cast and Hynes' loving direction, this able play easily ranks among the year's better revivals.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Aaron Monaghan, Atlantic Theater Company, David Pearce, Garry Hynes, Martin McDonagh, Off-Broadway, Play, Revival, The Cripple Of Inishmaan
