Theater Review - The Weir

The Weir

Written by Conor McPherson

Directed by Leslie Reidel

Where: Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)

When: Saturday, September 29, 7:30pm

Photo credit from the REP

It'd be easy to say that Conor McPherson's The Weir is just a tale of Irish men trying to impress an engaging and attractive woman who wanders into their bar by telling her increasingly more intense supernatural tales.  However, there is quite a bit more than just simple ghost stories on display (meaning, don't go into this expecting to be "freaked out" or scared, by any means).  What starts as simple pub talk shifts into a surprisingly emotionally wrenching story filled with grief and melancholic nostalgia.

And, I mean this with the highest bit of respect and admiration, the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players are just the people to put on such a sad show that's peppered with moments of genuine humor.  Most of the cast of five are onstage for nearly the entirety of the intermissionless play's 100-minute run time and they have no problems holding our attention in the slightest.

While there isn't the glitz of fantastically intricate sets or costumes (even though what is presented by Stefanie Hansen and Andrea Barrier, respectively, is perfect in creating the necessary atmosphere), where The Weir excels is through some great performances, notably Ms. Kathleen Pirkl Tague and Mr. Stephen Pelinski both of whom balance the superfluous pub talk with heavy emotional monologues that manage to hit you deep down.

Tague (nominated earlier this year for a Barrymore Award [Philly's "Tony equivalent"] for her role in last season's The Skin of Our Teeth) has always impressed in her ability to so easily transition from comedy to drama and I'm still unable to tell which genre I prefer when it comes to her talent.  When she's required to reach deep down for moments of pathos as she is in this production in her role as Valerie, the new girl in town, she does so with such ease that it always elicits some awe from this theatergoer.  The Weir is a play filled with monologues and I'd often find myself staring at the rest of the cast during a character's story-telling speeches simply to see their reactions -- and Tague (and the ensemble as a whole) even impressed in these moments by naturally and effortlessly "listening" onstage.

Similarly, Pelinski shines here in what may be his best performance I've seen from him to date (and that includes his stellar work in Death of a Salesman).  Thanks to an unexpected and heartstring-tugging arc towards the play's end, Pelinski's Jack -- a curmudgeonly fellow with a softer side -- managed to resonate with me in a way that I didn't expect as the play progressed.  Like Tague, Pelinski brings a believable naturalness that never once made me feel as if I was watching an actor onstage.

With some nice performances from Michael Gotch and Mic Matarrese, the cast (for the most part) continues the excellent streak of performances that we've come to expect from the REP.  Also, it's always refreshing when the company does a more modern play (even one like The Weir that is steeped in ages-old folklore).  Although the play gets off to a little bit of a shaky start in terms of pacing, by the end, I didn't really want to leave these five characters we'd grown to know which is a testament to the playwright, the director, and the great troupe of actors.

Side Note:  Conor McPherson's film The Eclipse is streaming on Netflix and definitely worth checking out.