“The Devil is in the Details”
This LIVE, dark
comedy production, is written by Conor McPherson, directed by Jerry
Mouawad and produced by Carol
Triffle. It plays through March 26that
Imago’s space, 17 SE 8th Ave. (off E. Burnside). Parking can be an issue, so come early. (Covid protocols in place…with masks
required). Recommended for 16 and
up. For more information, contact them
at www.imagotheatre.com
or call 503-231-9581.
This Master
Manipulator, King of Liars, Lord of the Flies has been around since the
beginning of time. He’s invaded our
world, in one form or another, in many incarnations,through all of civilization,
especially for our consideration in literature, plays and films. He appeared in the early Silents and has been
portrayed by many fine actors, among them Walter Huston (The Devil & Daniel
Webster), Vincent Price (The Story of Mankind), Jeff Goldblum (Mr. Frost), et.
al.; on TV by Burgess Meredith and Thomas Gomez, et. al.; and even by super
stars, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. So,
to say the least, this sly, shape-shifter is embedded, quite firmly, in our very
psyche.
(A personal note, upstaged
by the Grand Architect himself, God, based on a Mexican tale: The Devil (or Evil) is the proof that God (or
Good) exists, because there would be no need for one, unless its counterpart
was in attendance, too!).
When the Devil comes a-callin’
And the East wind be blowin’,
No prayin’ on yer knees now.
Jest go with the flow
And see how it goes.
Miracles abound
To those True of Heart,
For it’s never too late
For a purposeful, new start!
The play is about
four ole seafarers (commercials fishermen) who love to gab and gossip; nag and
nitpick; booze and bamboozle; and raise holy hell in the neighborhood and in each
other’s lives. Richard (Tory Mitchell) is the blind owner of the house where
the action takes place. He is a
cantankerous ole sot, who runs his brother, Sharky (Jeff Giberson), ragged with
demands. They have a great friend in Ivan
(Sean D Lujan), who is an occasional guest, usually sleeping off a hangover,
but an accommodating fellow, nevertheless.
It is Christmas Eve
in this seaside town and it is a tradition to play a hot game of poker on this
usually holy night. Nicky (Chris
Brantley),, the youngest of the brood, a natty dresser and loud in demeaner,
too, is the fourth member of this motley crew.
But everybody know you need at least five for a decent poker game. So he has brought along a relative stranger,
Lockhart (Danny Bruno), who he met in a bar, to join them. A sly ole gent this, as he seems to have a
hidden agenda. He is looking for a lost
soul…the one that got away…and he means to have his revenge before the night is
over for, you see, he is the King of Hades, himself, and hates to be slighted
in such a way. And so, there will be hell to pay, before the light of the new
dawn!
Obviously, I can’t
tell you more or it would ruin this folk tale.
But, to say the least, this deliberately, slow-moving, runaway train,
weaves its way along the dusty tracks, bouncing off both kith and kin alike,
detouring into dark recesses and endless valleys, to come to a screeching halt
when it reaches the its destination, only to find out, there is one more gasp
left in this old engine after all.
Mouawad is a genius
at manipulation, himself, as he allows the characters and story to develop
seemingly haphazardly, and letting the tension build to a boiling point, then
releasing the “kill shot” with a last little twist to bring a tear to one’s
eye. And he has able support from his
scenic designer, Alex Meyer, as well as lighting, Jon Farley and sound, Myrrh
Larsen, et. al. A splendid team of
artists!
And the cast is a
true ensemble, working off and with each other with precision. Giberson plays Sharky as a good-hearted but
ailing soul, who broods his way gently into your hearts (I’ve reviewed Giberson
before and he is always an asset to a production). Mitchell carries off the blindness with ease
and he is one of those loveable, old curmudgeons, who you sneakily like. Lujan is the needed cement to the
relationships and does his best to keep the peace, while having his own
problems at home. Brantley is one of
those folks who everyone knows in their lives, who is tolerated but not
well-liked and he pulls it off smoothly.
And Bruno has the unenviable task of playing Old Scratch in the flesh
and he does it with oily abandon. A
marvelous crew!
I highly recommend
this show. If you do choose to see it,
please tell them Dennis sent you.
--DJS