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Gordon Joseph Weiss, David Adkins, Allyn Burrows, Jim Frangione, and Mark Zeisler (L-R)

Photos by Meghan Moore.

The Seafarer, by Conor McPherson
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Directed by Charles Towers

October 15 – November 8
132 Warrren St.
Lowell, MA 01852

The Seafarer, by Conor McPherson, opens in a dingy row-house basement, outside of Dublin, where we meet two brothers, Rich (Gordon Joseph Weiss) and Sharky (David Adkins), and their hung-over friend, Ivan (Jim Frangione). The darkly funny first act hardly seems like the fable that the play is supposed to be, where the characters snipe at each other in a pre-Christmas, alcoholic binge, but it is a set-up for the real story which comes to life in the second act. At first we don’t know the character’s motivations or their stories, and without reading the publicity first, I wouldn’t have known that Richard had recently become blind. He stumbles with what seems to be a gimp leg, or which could have been partly due to his drunkenness. Sharky, who is his younger brother and now his caretaker, takes a lot of verbal abuse that seems uncalled for.

The second act reveals all when two new guests arrive, one a reminder of Sharky’s dark side. Still, Sharky is trying to stop drinking and it’s not easy with liquor flowing freely, each character exhibiting his particular flavor of drunk. When Mr. Lockhart (Mark Zeisler) one of the guests threatens to take Sharky’s soul if he loses the poker game, it appears that all is lost. But it is Christmas after all, and Sharky , “the one with potential.” has the audience rooting for him. The story ends in redemption, a tale of inner strength and second chances.

Each character is totally believable and I am transported to Ireland, no question, but Rich, the blind brother lights the stage with his character’s effervescent yet mecurican personality. As usual at the MRT, great attention is given to detail in the set design, and the on-stage flat is perfect from the unfinished stucco and panelled walls to a real staircase, to the wood stove that glows when Sharky adds logs to the fire. A must see, but remember that the second act is where it’s at.

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Zainab Jah and Mark Zeisler in Bob Climan\'s Tranced at the Merrimack Theatre, Lowell, MA

Tranced
By Bob Climan
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell, MA
February 12 – March 8, 2009

From Philip’s (Mark Zeisler) opening soliloquy where he explains his multinational upbringing, to its dramatic ironic ending, Tranced rivets the audience. The complex characters are skillfully drawn by Bob Climan and as the convoluted plot unfolds on the spare yet elegant set of two offices, he gives us just enough to keep us intrigued, but something doesn’t quite add up.

Philip, a prominent hypnotherapist, reluctantly takes on a new patient, Azmera (Zainab Jah), an African graduate student whose volunteer trip to Africa involved her in the ongoing Kanguya Dam Project, now suffers from panic attacks. Philip thinks that he can help her. He tapes her sessions, and when hypnotized, Azmera eventually reveals a shocking story. Phillip calls in Beth (Kimber Riddle), a journalist. I question the ethics of sharing a patient’s information with a journalist, but of course his dilemma is the treatment of his patient versus the prevention of deaths. Beth in turn, takes the story to Logan, (David Adkins) a government official.

The themes are layered and as we ponder our numbness to yet another African genocide, Beth, a Jew turned Unitarian, verbally spars with Phillip, whose Syrian roots raise questions about his possible anti-Jewish terrorist connections. He delivers some zingers like, “Just the word Unitarian makes me giddy with assumptions.” When married Logan flirts with Beth until she appears to be available, he then announces that “He loves his wife.” The story twists and turns into a brilliant and totally plausible surprise ending.

The writing, the slick use of sound and lighting, the beautiful set with hand-carved African sculptures, and Zainab Jah’s riveting portrayal of Azmera are the strongest points of the show. Perhaps it was opening night jitters, but although Kimber Riddle delivered her lines adequately, Beth’s character, the least sympathetic of the cast, was devoid of personality. Riddle could have had much more fun and played Beth with more sparkle and guile. Still, to flip a quote from Azmera, “Sometimes you only have to know a few bars to know you won’t like the tune”, but in the case of Tranced, the audience knows from the first bars that they like the production.
The Merrimack Repertory Theater is a gem, offering extremely high quality productions at a reasonable price.
Don’t miss it.

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