The Lonesome West Review
By Daniel Pemberton
Local theater troupe Ad Hoc Beaumont recently premiered its latest production, an adaptation of The Lonesome West, a dark comedy by contemporary Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (Also known for his directorial/writing work for the screen with In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and his latest, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). The story takes place in the town of Leenane, a truly dismal place on the west coast of Ireland. Its occupants spend their days drowning themselves in Poteen (which, for the uninitiated, is a very, very strong traditional Irish beverage), watching their all-female football team and. . .well… that's about it. The audience is thrown into the story of two of the town’s most vile residents, the brothers Coleman and Valene Conner (played by Michael Mason and Michael Saar respectively), whose preferred form of family bonding involves instigating petty squabbles that quickly ignite into explosive acts of violence against one another. Coleman (Michael Mason) is loud, abrasive, and lazy, preferring to sit around and read an old issue of “Take A Break” rather than bring any real money into the household. Valene (Michael Saar) is obsessive and neurotic, making sure to measure his poteen reserves often to make sure his brother has not been drinking any (he has) and always bringing home new figurines of Jesus, the saints, and the Virgin Mary (under the impression that somehow the more he collects the higher his chances will be of getting into Heaven). The two’s only certifiable friend is the local priest, Father Welsh (a standout performance by Jody Reho), an alcoholic in the midst of a serious crisis of faith (“His 12th this week”!) due to a recent string of deaths in his parish. The trio is occasionally visited by Girleen (Heather Rushing), a quick witted schoolgirl who makes her money by selling poteen to Valene. The plot follows the brothers as their relationship begins to deteriorate in the wake of their father's death by way of a tragic shotgun accident. As the brother’s feud heats up, so does their appetite for self-destruction.
Ad Hoc’s production pulls out all of the stops in its rendering of McDonagh’s words. The play takes place entirely in the sad little hovel owned by the brothers and the detail put into the set design is excellent, considering how much of it is abused by Mason and Saar as they act out their character’s over-the-top quarrels. There are many clues and nuances to the brothers’ relationship that are imparted solely through the set, I won’t spoil anything but keep an eye on those figurines (speaking of which, I don’t think I have ever seen that much religious iconography coalesced outside of a Catholic church). Stage management was swift throughout the production despite a few hiccups and sound and lighting was consistent. Special props given to the soundtrack, a collection of traditional Irish songs as well as some more modern tunes that add a superb sonic variety to the play as well as a tasteful accompaniment to the more moving scenes. As for the acting, it was impressive as usual for Ad Hoc. Rushing is commendable as the irreverent Girleen, portraying her well as a young woman holding her own and bringing a much needed feminine voice to a world of depressed and violent men. Pay special attention to a moving scene between her and Father Welsh where Rushing’s acting talent is put on show. Saar’s Valene is just as he should be, manic and constantly wound up. Mason plays a pitch perfect Coleman, paranoid and animal, a time bomb with a constantly burning fuse. His body language portrays a man who appears relaxed but is always plotting his next odious move against whoever crosses him next. But it is Reho’s performance as Father Welsh that steals the show here. Reho takes his character’s gradual disillusionment with the certainty of faith and creates something both humorous and compelling. Watching the only character with any moral center in the play gradually deteriorate in the face of the utterly corrupt Coleman brothers brings home the many questions raised by the McDonagh about the place of religion in a world that seems increasingly morally bankrupt.
McDonagh’s writing is bleak, nihilistic, and cynical in all the right ways, something the talented people at Ad Hoc understand. This is easily a must-see performance and one of the most impressive the group has put on. They deftly balance the moments of violence, humor, and emotional catharsis into a production that stays with you long after you leave the theater.