The dark humor and honest humanity broiling in Davis Robinson's production of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" will overtake Wish Theater this weekend.
Robinson, the Associate Professor of Theater at Bowdoin, is directing the contemporary Irish play as a contrast to the German play staged in the fall and the assortment of contemporary American plays Bowdoin has produced in the past.
Set on Inishmaan, an Aran Island off the Western Coast of Ireland, "The Cripple of Inishmaan" is one of English-born, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's great works.
The 1930s-period piece follows the residents of Inishmaan and the chaos that ensues upon the arrival of an American film crew on the neighboring island of Inishmore.
Specifically, the narrative focuses on island resident Cripple Billy Claven, an ostracized and crippled orphan who desperately yearns for a part in the film crew's project.
Billy's ultimate desire is to escape his sheltered and isolated existence on the island. The rowdy, painfully honest cast of characters paints the seemingly ordinary island town in a dark yet humorous light.
When elaborating on his choice to stage the play, Robinson said, "Martin McDonagh is a very exciting playwright these days. We need to get the Irish voice out at Bowdoin. 'Cripple' in many ways is the most human [of McDonagh's works]. It has his bleak humor but a lot of humanity and it has good roles for women. I love [how] McDonagh pokes fun at the Irish spirit."
McDonagh's writing style perpetuates a sort of lyrical banter, which Davis described as "a rhythm that is poetic with beautifully turned phrases." This syntax naturally lends itself to the regional Irish accent it is written for.
"There are times you would consider whether or not an accent is necessary for meaning to come across. I think we had no choice. We really had to go for it," Robinson said in reference to his decision to use accents.
"I knew the actors would pick it up with enough work," Robinson said.
Auditions for the play were held toward the end of the fall semester in anticipation for the time-consuming nature of accent coaching. Actors met with Lecturer in Theater Abigail Killeen early on and thereby learned their lines in dialect with the help of vowel substitution and other exercises.
"I have done dialect work before with Yorkshire and Scottish accents," said Ryan Holmes '13 who plays Cripple Billy Claven.
"The dialect coaching was really helpful in picking up authenticity and consistency. I really enjoy working in dialect because it gives you something to focus on so that your facial expressions and gestures come across more naturally."
Aiding Robinson as Assistant Director is senior Kathleen Lewis. This is Lewis's first time assistant directing a full-scale production, though she has worked on small projects in directing classes at Bowdoin.
"I wasn't sure what to expect when I was asked to take part in this production, but it has been an immensely rewarding experience," said Lewis in an e-mail to the Orient.
"I was able to run a few rehearsals on my own and I ran a tech rehearsal, without Davis, and that gave me a chance to really get myself invested in the work. I realized how much energy it takes to be the director. I came out of this process with a very positive outlook on what it's like to be a director, and this is in all respects due to the outstanding cast, crew, designers, and director I worked with."
Robinson's choice to appoint an assistant director was due to the fact that he had a conflict during technical rehearsal week. His choice was affirmed by his confidence in Lewis's capabilities.
"I knew how well she works with actors and how well she understands what I am going for so I wanted to give her a chance to really get hands-on time. We really worked collaboratively on this one," Robinson said.
Lewis was appreciative of the encouragement and freedom Robinson gave her. Cast members felt similarly.
"Davis is one of the most professional and creative directors I've ever had," Holmes said.
"He lets you do your own thing but he gets his own point across also," he added. "He's confident in himself and his cast."
In order to truly capture the sea-faring nature of this Irish island, Robinson and the department set designer, Judy Gailen, have designed a set that according to Robinson "is a design for an island with an irregular, rocky coast."
Creating a set design that stayed true to the essence of the setting was important to Robinson.
"Wish Theater is a very metallic and black space with bars and grids. My desire was to create an organic natural environment and take all of the metal out of it," Robinson said.
The coastal setting, intensive dialect coaching and a collaborative directing effort promise to make "The Cripple of Inishmaan" a genuine piece of Irish theater.
"[The play is about] finding some dignity and respect from the world and how you handle being slapped in the face when you think you've found some and how to move on and finding a reason to go on," Robinson said. "It has great plot twists. It's very funny. It's beautiful writing. It's strong and sentimental at the same time."
"The Cripple of Inishmaan" will run Friday night and Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Wish Theater. It is not a ticketed performance, so audiences are encouraged to arrive early as space is limited.