As a younger man, I tended to cluster around a small but loyal group of friends who, on any given night, would build a fire in a makeshift fire pit in one of our friend’s backyard and, after gently applying a quart or three of lightly intoxicating spirits, would delve into deep conversations about life, the universe and…well…everything. I remember one night we got on the subject of capital punishment, and one of us said something like “If killing people is wrong, why does the government kill people to show people that killing people is wrong?” Perfectly logicaland it seemed even more so under the influence. Also, being theatre folk, one of us remembered a bit of dialogue from “Fiddler on the Roof”:
“An eye for an eye!”
“Very good. That way the whole world will be blind and toothless.”
Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen,” in its West Coast premiere at San Jose Stage Company, shows the folly, of the death penalty.
Will Springhorn Jr. is fine as Harry—the Yorkshire hangman turned pub owner. As the first hanging victim of the piece, as well as the meatier role of Hennessy, Matthew Kropschot acquits himself well, but I believer there are deeper notes to be found in his character. The always great Keith Pinto was…well…great as former junior hangman Syd. As Harry’s wife Alice, Judith Miller is a strong presence, and Carley Herlihy is fine as daughter Shirley. The performances that really stood out for me were Randal King’s Arthur and Michael Storm as Charlie, Arthur’s interpreter for the hearing impaired. These two, especially Mr. King, possess impeccable comic timing and great presence. Even when they are not the focus, they remain attentive, listening, and thoughtful.
I must say that the proceedings started off a bit sluggish. The first act suffered from pacing problems, and the pace was not helped by the seemingly interminable set changes on opening night. It just seemed to stagger along sucking the energy as well as the comedy out the show—and this is a piece that needs energy and a brisker pace. The second act was much better. While I’m being a bit finicky, I have to add that when you’re doing a piece set in a particular area with regional dialects, it’s important that all of the actors agree on what the regional dialect sounds like. There were a lot of variations in the Yorkshire dialect among the cast.
James Reese directed the show well, aside from the pacing issues. Robert Pickering’s scenic designs might have been a bit more secure – there was an issue of a bed attached to a platform that moved the platform a bit too much from Mooney thrashing about on the bed, and the scene changes might have been helped by a touch more thought to design. Ashley Garlick’s costumes are mostly solid, and lighting and sound design by Maurice Vercoutere and Steve Schoenbeck are terrific.
For me, the show starts out a bit rickety, but the ride eventually smooths out. Still the unevenness provided me with only a few chuckles when I really wanted laughs. One might say it left me hanging.
“Hangmen” continues at San Jose Stage Company through April 28th. For more information, click here.
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Rating: ** (For an explanation of Theatrestorm’s rating scale, click here.)
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“Hangmen” by Martin McDonagh. Produced by San Jose Stage Company. Director: James Reese . Scenic Designer: Robert Pickering. Costume Designer: Ashley Garlick. Lighting Designer: Maurice Vercoutere. Sound Designer: Steve Schoenbeck. Properties Designer: Jenn Trampeneau. Fight Choreography: Johnny Moreno. Fight Captain: Michael Storm.
Cast:
Harry: Will Springhorn Jr. Mooney. Hennessy: Matthew Kropschot. Alice: Judith Miller. Shirley: Carley Herlihy. Syd: Keith Pinto. Bill, Doctor: Nick Mandracchia. Arthur, Governor: Randall King. Inspector Fry/Guard: Michael Champlin. Clegg/Priest: Matthew Locke. Pierrepoint: Julian Lopez Marillas.
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