Review: "The Cripple of Inishmaan"

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BY JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star

Here’s hoping the Nebraska Repertory Theatre schedules the other two plays from Martin McDonagh’s Aran Islands trilogy sometime soon.

If it does, it also would be a good move to bring back Theodore Swetz to direct one or both of them.

Having the cast members return from the current production of McDonagh’s “The Cripple of Inishmaan” would bode well, too.

 The Swetz-guided ensemble piece about a 1930s crippled Irish lad chasing his dreams is that good.

I had trouble finding much fault with the opening night performance Wednesday beyond some of the cast members tripping over their words while delivering them in the difficult Irish dialect.

(I also was upset by folks spilling in late from intermission and rudely interrupting the first minutes of the second act. C’mon people! You had plenty of time to return to your seats.) 

Running at 2 hours and 30 minutes in front of a packed Howell Theatre, McDonagh’s play is absurd, charming, funny, sad and heartwarming all at once. It was a rollercoaster ride of adjectives.

Theater-goers will have much to take away from it, particularly  the actors’ portrayals of their colorful characters.

Diane Dorsey and Judith K. Hart were wonderful as Billy’s doddering adoptive aunts. Hart, in particular, had a knack for delivering her lines, which often brought laughter from the audience.

“Don’t be big-wording me when you know you’re wrong,” she tells Billy at one point.

Trent Stork, as the title character, showed a maturity on stage that belies his lack of experience. He’ll be only a sophomore next year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Also look for Logan Pietz stealing his first scene as Billy’s friend Bartley, and Ryan Kathman’s emotional turn as the proud boatman Babbybobby. Kathman finds the most depth in his character, which make Babbybobby’s actions late in the play all the more surprising.

The other cast members were memorable as well. They included Stephanie Dodd, Jason Francis, Jeanne Kern and veteran local actor Joel Story, who was able to make his town gossip character annoying and lovable at the same time.

McDonagh’s play was quite enjoyable. The Rep would be wise to program his other pieces.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.