Stage Write

When I first saw the Phoenix Theatre’s production of " The Lieutenant of Inishmore " in 2008 I loved the unique feel of the Irish black comedy. The theatre’s current show “The Cripple of Inishmaan” is by the same playwright, Martin McDonagh, and has a similar tone. Set on the Aran Islands in 1934, we see the chaos caused when a Hollywood director visits to make a film. There’s a cruelty in small towns. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. They’ve all grown up together, so there’s a comfort level that tends to ignore privacy. No one flinches in calling someone a degrading nickname or referring to an embarrassing moment in their past, because it’s all common knowledge. It’s that very familiarity that can be so claustrophobic to residents. Nathan Robbins is our title character, Cripple Billy, and he feels more suffocated than anyone. Each member of the excellent cast adds their own eccentric layer to the rich fabric of the community. Ryan O’Shea is the bras...

  This season the Phoenix Theatre is presenting the various ways we laugh. Humor is how we manage to get through the tragedies and absurdities of life. They've put together a lineup of stories featuring a rich variety of comedic styles. All of the shows have their fair share of substance, but the Phoenix has found a balance of humor to go with that drama. As they say- comedy equals tragedy plus time.   Clark Gable Slept Here by Michael McKeever September 18 – October 19, 2014 As one of the silver screen's brightest stars charms his way through the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, his staff tries to figure out what to do with the dead male prostitute in his hotel room at the famed Chateau Marmont. This glamorously dark satire explores the make-believe world of Hollywood, where nothing is ever what it seems and closets are used for so much more than hanging up your tuxedo. Old Jews Telling Jokes by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent October 23 – Nove...