THE ALLEY THEATRE
www.alleytheatre.org
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Terrence Dwyer, Managing Director
 

PRESENTS

THE PILLOWMAN
January 27 - February 26, 2006

Alley Theatre Produces Resident Theatre Premiere of Martin McDonagh's Extraordinary New Play

YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS THIS MONSTER CREATION BY MARTIN MCDONAGH AS SOFT AND CUDDLY AS A PILLOW DOWN BY THE ALLEY THEATRE

by Theresa Pisula
February 1, 2006
theresa@houstontheatre.com

HOUSTON, TEXAS… I caught myself intently staring at the huge, sharp nail that is sticking right through the little girl's hand.  I found myself putting my hands up to my ears to muffle the high-pitched, piercing sound of a whirring, buzz saw being used by the abusive parents to torture their child.  This is what you'll find yourself doing as you sit through watching THE PILLOWMAN show written by Martin McDonagh.  The Alley Theatre is the first resident theatre to produce Martin McDonagh's Tony-nominated play and 2005 Broadway sensation, THE PILLOWMAN this February, 2006.  A viciously funny and horrific new drama about a fiction writer who is questioned by police about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of bizarre incidents occurring in his town, THE PILLOWMAN received rave reviews during its recently concluded Broadway run.  The New York Times tagged it as, "the season's most exciting and original new play" and USA Today exclaimed that, "Those who skip it will miss the best play of the season."  You simply can't miss this monster creation - as soft and cuddly and as deadly as a pillow.  Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd directed the Alley's resident theatre premiere of this extraordinary new play.  THE PILLOWMAN opened Wednesday February 1, 2006 and runs through Sunday, February 26, 2006.

You must heed the Alley Theatre's persistent warnings before you see the show.  "Please note: This play contains scenes and language that some may find disturbing.  Not suitable for children or those who may be easily offended."  Not suitable for children?  That's because it's the children that is constantly abused, tortured and murdered, that's why!  You know why they call it THE PILLOWMAN?  Because of Katurian's use of the pillow to snuff out his father, his mother and brother.  First his father right as his mother watches on as she is laying in bed right next to him.  Then his mother and then his brother after Katurian finds out he's re-created his imagination from his wild and demented stories.  Who comes up with this shit?  Martin McDonagh, of course.  Martin McDonagh is born in London in 1971 to expatriate Irish parents.  His first major success, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE (1996), was produced by the Alley Theatre as a resident theatre premiere in 1999.  The Beauty Queen of Leenane was the beginning in McDonagh's Connemara Trilogy, which also includes A Skull in Connemara (1997) and The Lonesome West (1997).  He has been resident playwright at the Royal National Theatre in London, and has won numerous awards, including the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, and the Tony Award for The Beauty Queen of Leenane when it opened on Broadway.  McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore opens Off-Broadway this February, 2006.

The cast of THE PILLOWMAN features Alley Theatre's Resident Company Actors Jeffrey Bean as Michal, who plays the slow retarded brother quite brilliantly.  I sat horrified as I watched the cops, played by David Rainey as Ariel and John Tyson as Tupolski beat the crap out of Katurian..  Tupolski is labeled as the "good" cop and Ariel as the "bad" cop because he does  most of the beatings.  They beat and torture him during the interrogation scene.  But then, as you watch on, as the demented mind of Katurian is revealed, you realize the "bad" labeled cop is not so bad after all.  You realize that the evil of Katurian makes everyone else look pretty good.  The very handsome Rick Stear, who performed in the Alley's production of Long Day's Journey Into Night opposite Ellen Burstyn and more recently performed opposite Helen Hunt in Lincoln Center's production of Twelfth Night, plays the role of Katurian.  In the beginning, you start to feel compassionate toward Katurian as you are introduced to his like-ability.  But as you discover his demonic consciousness and intellectual insanity, your feelings turn into disgust and you build a strong aversion against the Pillowman.

Set in an unnamed totalitarian state, THE PILLOWMAN opens with the fiction writer Katurian being interrogated about crimes in his community that mirror the crimes in his short stories.  As the detectives perfect their good cop / bad cop routine, all the while holding Katurian's brother in custody, they and the audience enter into the darkly funny and brutal world of the writer's imagination.  With black humor and an ironic bite that masks a deeply serious sense of purpose, THE PILLOWMAN takes on some of modern society's most intriguing issues - from what defines art, to censorship, to the importance of individual rights.  Winner of the 2004 Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Award nomination for Best New Play after its world premiere at London's National Theatre, THE PILLOWMAN recently ended its widely praised run at Broadway's Booth Theatre, which culminated in a Tony nomination for Best Play.

It gave new meaning to the word MORBID.  In fact, THE PILLOWMAN succeeds in elevating the definition of MORBID.  Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it gets really, really bad.  You'll never see anything sicker and more demented.  At the end of Act 1, the crowd applauds with hesitation as they are clouded with feelings of disgust, but subconsciously knowing and thinking that the creative mind of Martin McDonagh and brilliant direction of Gregory Boyd are what generated these feelings.  You are introduced to these feelings of repulsion in a slow, creepy way.  At the end of every Act, my associate and I would have this horrid look on our face asking each other this question quietly with our eyes, "What is this abomination?"

The only way this show can be related to Valentine's month of February - is when you're sitting right next to your significant other, and you begin to need them for comfort after you experience the evil within the show.  You start to see your partner in a much better light compared to the disgusting and vicious scenes you've just been exposed to as you watch THE PILLOWMAN.  This is definitely more of a Halloween scare than anything.  Blasphemy, as one grows up having to learn to avoid it as it is taught in the Bible, is fully explored in THE PILLOWMAN.  One of Katurian's stories is about a girl that wanted to be just like Jesus Christ.  So, she goes around town with a beard, blessing people.  Her abusive parents, who at first are quite puzzled by their daughter's fascination with the Lord, will start to flagellate and scourge her like the Christ Jesus.  And then, they crucify her like Jesus was crucified.  I caught myself staring at the huge, sharp nail that's sticking right through the little girl's hand.  It looked so realistic.  I mean, it's what's holding the little girl up on the cross.  I can understand Mel Gibson being able to make it look real for Jesus Christ in The Passion of the Christ, but that was Hollywood and he had millions of dollars to make this "special effect" happen in the big screen.  But this is "LIVE" at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas.  How can they make it look so believable?  After you are consumed with feelings of repugnance, the realization sets in of how brilliant director Gregory Boyd really is. 

The production design team includes scenic and lighting designer Kevin Rigdon (Alley's production of Glengarry Glen Ross), costume designer Linda Ross (Alley's production of Hapgood) and original music and sound design by John Gromada (Alley's production of Hapgood).  THE PILLOWMAN is generously sponsored by Randall Jamail.  Additional funding it provided by the Alley's 2205-2006 season sponsor Continental Airlines, the official airline of the Alley Theatre.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

TALK-BACKS.  The 7:30pm Tuesday, February 7, 2006 performance of THE PILLOWMAN will be followed by post-performance Talk - Backs with the cast, led by a member of the Alley staff.  The audience is encouraged to stay for this discussion, which occur immediately following the performance.

CAPTIONING.  There will be an open-captioned performance of THE PILLOWMAN at 2:30pm on Sunday February 26, 2006.  Funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

TICKET INFORMATION.  Tickets to THE PILLOWMAN can be purchased at www.alleytheatre.org at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue or by calling 713-228-8421.  Tickets to preview performances are $29; tickets to performances after the Wednesday, February 1, 2006 opening range from $41 - $46.  Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 713-228-9341, ext. 346.  The added convenience of reservatioins by phone or Internet is available for a nominal fee. 

The Alley Theatre is funded in part by the City of Houston and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

(L-R) John Tyson is Tupolski, Rick Stear is Katurian and David Rainey is Ariel in THE PILLOWMAN.  The Pillowman runs at the Alley Theatre January 27th through February 26th, 2006.  For ticket information, visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

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THE PILLOWMAN

CAST

TUPOLSKI…………………….JOHN TYSON
KATURIAN……..................…….RICK STEAR
ARIEL……................................………..DAVID RAINEY
MICHAL……............................………….JEFFREY BEAN
FATHER…………..........…………….CHRIS HUTCHISON
MOTHER…............................…………..MELISSA PRITCHETT
BOY…………............................………..KIRK VAN SICKLE
 

SCENES

ACT 1…………………….Approximately 45 minutes
Intermission………….10 minutes
ACT 2……………..............Approximately 60 minutes
Intermission………….10 minutes
ACT 3……….............……..Approximately 51 minutes
 

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Congratulations to Martin McDonagh who won the 2006 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for SIX SHOOTER. Martin McDonagh wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film as well as having written this year's play THE PILLOWMAN at the Alley Theatre.