It's going to be like a Quentin Tarantino film onstage every night, says actor Brett Gentile, the crazed IRA torturer. Two dead cats, nearly three gallons of blood, and 29 rounds of ammo fired off at every performance says Actor's Theatre of Charlotte artistic director Chip Decker, the guy responsible for sweating the SFX all summer long.
And though he must hang upside-down for a full 12 minutes portraying the tortured drug dealer, David Blamy insists he's not insane for accepting his role in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore. The Irish playwright's fiercest, funniest work opens for previews at 650 E. Stonewall St. on Sept. 19 and continues to detonate through Oct. 11.
"When I read this script," says Blamy, "I knew I wanted to be a part of it in any way, shape or form."
Obviously! When we spoke with the sturdy actor on Aug. 1, he was bracing himself for rehearsing the full 12-minute torture scene for the first time. Using a special inversion table, purchased especially for this project, Blamy has gradually built up his endurance.
"This is far and away the most physically demanding thing that I've had to even think about doing," he attests. "It's kind of like training for a marathon."
Wild and crazy as it is -- with dead cats, dismembered corpses, and Frosted Flakes on its props list -- Inishmore is a logical sequel for Actor's Theatre, which snagged CL's 2007 Show of the Year honors with their production of McDonagh's The Pillowman last fall.
"Pillowman had that nice dark timbre to it," says Decker. "This has that, but it's got so much humor. You catch yourself laughing and going, 'Oh, shit! What am I laughing at here? You got to be kidding me!' So it's a great opening piece for us, marvelously written, incredibly gruesome, and just laugh-out-loud, pee-in-your-pants funny."
Dispensing a mere crocodile tear for Blamy's upside-down ordeal, Decker freely admits that normal rehearsal protocol must be tossed aside. Analysis and discussion are reserved for before or after that strenuous scene is run. You can't stop in the middle to mull over a moment while Dave is turning purple and his eyes begin bugging out.
"I start reciting lines from other plays ...!" Blamy jokes.
Over the past five seasons, Gentile has proven to be equally adept -- and hilarious -- in thuggish or patsy roles. In Inishmore, he'll be starring as Mad Padraic, who breaks away from the IRA to form his own splinter cell. While three IRA hitmen -- Robert Simmons, Caleb Moore, and Blamy in an upside-up role -- seek to track down and punish Padraic for his defection, the heartless sociopath is on the rampage because his heart has been broken.
News has reached him that Wee Thomas has fallen ill, and someone -- anyone -- must pay. Craig Spradley as Padraic's dad will be quaking in terror because Wee Thomas was entrusted to his care. The one soft spot in Padraic's heart is for his tomcat.
So, yes: Padraic figures to rank high among Gentile's repellent, buffoonish and thuggish stage exploits. Inishmore marks his fourth go-round with McDonagh, and Gentile is far from jaded.
"This is by far the most fucking ridiculous thing that I've ever read of his -- and by ridiculous, I mean brilliant," he pontificates. "My favorite is still The Pillowman, just because it has that dark edge to it. But this reminds me of a Tarantino film on stage. Just the gore and the sheer idiocy of these people! This is by far the most heinous McDonagh role that I've ever even tried to tackle. I did do The Lonesome West with the two brothers, Valene and Coleman. I played Coleman, who chopped the ears off his brother's dog when they were kids to shut the dog up and then exposes it to him in a paper bag that he keeps in the closet. But that ain't got shit on this."
Without preaching, Inishmore is a merciless deconstruct of "The Troubles" that have long plagued Ireland. From the beginning, McDonagh strips away the notion that righteous precepts inspire the storied struggles between Protestants and Catholics. "Are you out of your mind?" he seems to say. "This is Ireland! How could you begin to believe that a nation of brutes and drunkards is capable of principled religious conflict?"
"You're exactly right," says Decker of that interpretation. "He doesn't cast a good light on anybody. If you're involved in this in one way or another -- and you can apply it to the current administration -- who's the terrorist here? Is it Saddam Hussein or is it George W. Bush? It really doesn't matter who it is, it's all, in the end, pointless. We have death and destruction all around us, and what is the final outcome?"
No, we won't tell you how the Inishmore roller coaster winds up. But beware: There will be brains up the wall on the way.
Top picks for fall theater
Sept. 13: Miles & Coltrane: Blue – On Q Productions (McGlohon Theatre) – After triumphs at the Mint and the Levine, Charlotte's hottest new theater company brings their populist excitement out of museums and into Spirit Square, where writer/actor/director Quentin Talley will find his own unique way to celebrate two of jazz's most intriguing icons and the music they made together.
Sept. 26: Peter Pan – Children's Theatre of Charlotte (McColl Family Theatre @ ImaginOn) – What curmudgeonly critic would ever pan Peter Pan? Armed with the most technically advanced space in all of toddlerdom, Children's Theatre can produce the classic musical version of the James Barrie classic for the first time and deliver all the delicious trimmings. We gotta crow!
Oct. 7: Traces – Broadway Lights Series (McGlohon Theatre) – The PAC successfully opened a more intimate theater outpost for their flagship subscription series last fall with The Rat Pack Is Back. What better way to follow up that hymn to Vegas than with "a fantastical blend of circus, physical theater and music"? Runs at Spirit Square for six full weeks.
Oct. 9: Die Mommie Die – Queen City Theatre Company (Duke Energy Theatre) – Putting the queen back in their programming, QC presents Charles Busch's new send-up of Hollywood movie queen/monster Joan Crawford. Will Hank West cross-dress again in the title role? Rest assured, somebody will.
Oct. 23: Monster: The Real Story of Frankenstein – Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (1118 Clement Ave.) – Last October, CAST impresario Michael Simmons donned the fangs for Dracula, but this year, Mary Shelley's immortal creation gets the love. With all of CAST's environmental-multimedia-SFX expertise lavished on the fiendish lab, this should be one tasty treat.
Oct. 18: Faust – Opera Carolina (Belk Theatre) – The Devil's bargain is back! With soprano vixen Maureen O'Flynn opposite demigod James Valenti in the title role, this production should have chemistry to burn. Basso Chester Patton is the manipulative Mephisto.
Oct. 30: Innovative Works – N.C. Dance Theatre (Booth Playhouse) – Artistic director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and spouse Patricia McBride are justly celebrated for their affinity with Balanchine (opening 9/18 at Belk Theater), but dance aficionados reserve their deepest affections for NCDT's annual unveiling of new pieces. Up close for two weekends, Mark Diamond, Sasha Janes, and Dwight Rhoden serve up new choreographies.
Oct. 31: Symphonie Fantastique – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Belk Theatre) – CSO hasn't paid much heed to Halloween before (Olivia Newton-John in 2003?), but Berlioz' satanic hallucinations will counterbalance the sublimity of Faure's Requiem as guest conductor Thierry Fischer makes his bid in the artistic director sweepstakes. All Hallow's Eve alternatives include Turn of the Screw, presented by Actor's Scene Unseen at Duke Energy and – maybe, just maybe – CPCC Theatre's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Halton Theater if they follow the lead of the recent Broadway revival and present an all-black Cat.
Nov. 12: Rabbit Hole – Actor's Theatre of Charlotte (650 E. Stonewall) – After Inishmore, the ATC season lineup is crammed with goodies, including Evil Dead: The Musical, a glorious shower of gore next June. Meanwhile get serious with David Lindsay-Abaire's examination of a young couple's grief, winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for drama.
More theater listings
August
SLUT A rock musical inspired by South Park and bent on booty. Composer Stephen Sislen and lyricist/dramatist Ben Winters have tuned up the original script and added new songs. $25. Aug. 21-23, 8 p.m. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org.
EDUCATING RITA Two people, Frank and Rita, cross paths only to face an educational experience about life. Directed by Glenn T. Griffin. $20. Aug. 21-23, 8 p.m. Duke Energy Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
September
FOXFIRE By Hume Cronyn and Susan Cooper. Sept. 11-Oct. 4. Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. CAST, 1118 Clement Ave. 704-455-8542. www.nccast.com.
SITCOMS LIVE Collaborative Arts presents your chance to become a member of the studio audience for live productions of classic television sitcoms from the '60s and '70s. Sept. 11-27. Thurs.-Sat. performances, 8 p.m. Sept. 21, 2:30 p.m. Duke Energy Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-625-1288. www.collaborativeartstheatre.com.
GODSPELL Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, this musical features classic songs such as: "Day by Day," "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord," "Learn Your Lessons Well," "By My Side," and more parables. $10-$24. Sept. 11-28. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. 704-376-3777. www.theatrecharlotte.org.
THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE This comedy by Martin McDonagh tells the story of a ruthless Irish Liberation Army enforcer seeking to uncover the circumstances surrounding his cat, Wee Thomas. Sept. 24-Oct. 11. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM One of Broadway's greatest musicals that takes comedy back to its roots with 2,000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus. Sept. 26-Oct. 5. Halton Theater, CPCC, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534. http://halton.cpcc.edu.
PETER PAN This musical version celebrates James M. Barrie's classic story with Peter Pan, Wendy Darling and her brother and Captain Hook. Sept. 26-Oct. 26. $18-$24. Children's Theatre of Charlotte, 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. www.ctcharlotte.org.
October
REMNANTS OF DESIRE Play by Terry Roueche. This story of innocence, guilt and choice takes the audience into the lives of each character as they face consequences in their personal lives in their quest for success. Oct. 1-5. Oct. 1-4, 8 p.m.; Oct. 5, 2 p.m. Johnson Theatre, Winthrop University, 115 Johnson Hall, Rock Hill, S.C. 803-323-4014. www.winthrop.edu.
TRACES Features acrobatics, while chronicling five characters who live for the moment and tell their stories through music, song, dance, speech, illustration and acrobatics. Oct. 7-Nov. 16. McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-348-5740. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
STIGMATA By Don Cook and directed by Vito Abate, this play tells the story of Carmen Ruiz and her search for answers as to why she is in a cell-like room. Surprising facts about herself (and her scars), her family, her church are revealed. $10-$15. Oct. 8-12. Oct. 8, 9, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 10, 11, 8 p.m.; Oct. 12, 2:30 p.m. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. 704-376-3777. www.theatrecharlotte.org.
DIE MOMMIE DIE After its L.A. Premiere in 1999, a 2003 film version and a run on Broadway, this cult classic of murder, revenge and acid trips makes its way to Charlotte by the Queen City Theatre Company. Oct. 9-25. $16-$22. Duke Energy Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. www.queencitytheatre.com.
FAUST A production of Opera Carolina. Sung in French with projected English titles. Oct. 18, 23, 26. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. www.operacarolina.org.
COMMUNICATING DOORS Hilarious comedy about family ties, marriages, and time travel. Oct. 22, 23, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 24, 25, 8 p.m.; Oct. 26, 2 p.m. Duke Family Performance Hall (Davidson College), 207 Faculty Drive. 704-894-2361. www.davidson.edu.
MONSTER By Neal Bell. Oct. 23.-Nov. 15. Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. CAST, 1118 Clement Ave. 704-455-8542. www.nccast.com.
A THOUSAND CRANES Children's Theatre of Charlotte presents their production of Kathryn Schultz Miller's play, which tells the true story of Sadako Sasaki, who developed leukemia at 12 years of age after exposure to an atomic bomb destructed her city. Oct. 24-Nov. 2. $14-$18. Wachovia Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. www.ctcharlotte.org.
STEP ON A CRACK This play by Susan Zeder explores the character Ellie's delusions of imaginary friends created to help her deal with the loss of her mother and hardships with her relationship to her father. Oct. 29-31, 8 p.m.; Nov. 1, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Nov. 2, 2 p.m. Johnson Studio Theatre, Winthrop University, 115 Johnson Hall, Rock Hill, S.C. 803-323-4014. www.winthrop.edu.
November
THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO By the author of Driving Miss Daisy, this comedy/drama about Atlanta's elitist German Jews and their concern for Ballyhoo, the social event of the season. $10-$21. Nov. 6-16. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. 704-376-3777. www.theatrecharlotte.org.
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF Tennessee Williams' story tells of the journey of Big Daddy, Brick and Maggie, who try to escape from the loneliness of their lives, but are terrified by the truths they discover in the process. Nov. 7-16. Pease Auditorium, CPCC, 1201 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534. http://tix.cpcc.edu.
CHICAGO: THE MUSICAL The razzle-dazzle musical that follows characters Roxie Hart and her partners-in-crime, featuring back to back sensational acts. Nov. 11-16. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
RABBIT HOLE This play, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007, examines a young couple's pain as they struggle to cope after the loss of a child. Nov. 12-29. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org.
DOUBT, A PARABLE By John Patrick Shanley and directed by Hans Meyer, this award-winning play follows themes of faith and uncertainty. Nov. 12-23. Duke Energy Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
TARrADIDDLE TALES This preschool performance is a great introduction to a younger audience. It follows four different folk tales from four different countries. $10-$12. Nov. 22-23. Nov. 22, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Nov. 23, 2 p.m. Wachovia Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. www.ctcharlotte.org.
December
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Adapted by Doris Baizley and directed by Vito Abate, this play about Ebenezer Scrooge and the Christmas Spirits is a classic. $10-$20. Dec. 4-7. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. 704-376-3777. www.theatrecharlotte.org.
FALL ONE-ACT FESTIVAL Includes a mixture of one-act plays directed by advanced theater students. Dec. 5, 5 p.m.; Dec. 6, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Dec. 7, 3 p.m. Johnson Studio Theatre, Winthrop University, 115 Johnson Hall, Rock Hill, S.C. 803-323-4014. www.winthrop.edu.
SEVEN SANTAS Theatre 650 presents a comedy about holiday stress and Santa, who starts partying with the elves. Dec. 5-20. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER Children's Theatre of Charlotte presents a play by Barbara Robinson about mean kids who are cast in an annual Christmas pageant. Lots of mayhem and fun take the stage. Dec. 5-21. McColl Family Theatre, 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. www.ctcharlotte.org.
MISS COCO PERU Storyteller and monologist, Miss Coco Peru aka Clinton Leupp will perform her new show Ugly Coco. $34. Dec. 6, 8 p.m. McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. www.queencitytheatre.com.
A TUNA CHRISTMAS Dec. 11-21. Presented by CAST at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-455-8542. www.nccast.com.
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT Adapted by Scott Davidson from the story by Margery Williams, this play brings a stuffed bunny to life and explores his hardships and friendships with other toys in the nursery. Performed by the Tarradiddle Players. Dec. 12-22. $14-$18. Wachovia Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. www.ctcharlotte.org.
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY Adapted by Joe Landry and directed by Hans Meyer, NC Stage's uplifting show brings back memories of the Frank Capra's classic. Five hard-working radio actors of WBFR portray dozens of characters from the movie. Dec. 15-18, 8 p.m. Duke Energy Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
