This show is about an Irish freedom fighter who is contemplating forming a splinter group, off of a splinter group from the IRA (who wouldn’t allow him to join due to anger management issues). His only friend in the world, his childhood cat Wee Thomas, has died under mysterious circumstances and he is going home to beat, maim and kill his way to the truth about what happened.
There was a great challenge to finding a balance between the ludicrous and the grounded in this piece that was a joy to tackle. Keeping the cast firmly invested in the world of the play, and not allowing them or myself too much outside awareness was important. Also, far crazier things: How much blood is too much when it hits a wall? How much is too little? How much blood can you pour on the stage before actors start slipping and falling all over each other. Should a cat scream when it gets shot? I now have answers to all of these questions.
I found an Irish toast that’s given prominently on New Years. “Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís.” It translates to “May we be alive at this time next year.” There is something joyfully morbid about that which sums up so brilliantly my feelings for, and my approach to this show. No production has ever kept me up later at night. No production has ever woken me up so early every morning, unable to go back to sleep for thinking about it. No production has ever had me more hopeless four days before opening. But this process has been an absolute joy and I could not be prouder of the end result. Bottoms up!
