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'The Weir' to harness all-star cast
By Diana Matusewic
Published:
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Pioneer Place on 5th brings St. Patrick's Day to St. Cloud a month early. From Feb. 20-22 it will present, "The Weir" by Irish playwright Conor McPherson nightly at 7:30 p.m.
The play is about three friends swapping stories, all of which takes place in a pub. The men each tell tales that get more and more disturbing as time progresses in order to gain the attention of a woman (Valerie). The mood of the pub changes from lighthearted to haunting.
"Throughout the course of the play the defenses are dropped and the characters become more open," said Dan Barth, co-founder of Pioneer Place.
"What I like about it is it starts out comical with people reminiscing in a bar and then it spins on you. It turns a little more haunting, a little more sinister," Barth said.
The play is named after a dam in Ireland. The purpose of the dam is to block off the water allowing only small amounts to seep through. This is a metaphor for how much people hide from others.
"The weir is a dam and it's a big metaphor for all of these people. As they tell their stories you can tell how much is going on underneath," said Bill Collins, managing director for Actors Theater of Minnesota. They brought such works as "Woman in Black," "Mom's the Word" and "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying," to Pioneer Place.
As the characters tell their stories they become more open. They end up with a choice to either face up to their situation in life or leave the "dam" where it is.
"The play takes place in a very rural, desolate place in Ireland. The structure (of the play) is so unlike most plays; it doesn't have a clear beginning and end," Collins said. "Each story builds off and heightens the previous one. It's a regular drama with elements of comedy."
The play is directed by Peter Moore and its cast includes, Mark Benninghofen (Finbar), who attended New York University's Tisch School for the Performing Arts and has appeared in productions at the Guthrie Theater as well as several theatres in New York.
Michael Tezla (Jack) has appeared in such theaters as the Guthrie, Mixed Blood Theater, The Jungle Theater and Park Square Theater.
Virginia Burke (Valerie) has appeared at the Guthrie, American Players Theatre, Great America History Theatre and New Classic Theatre.
Terry Hempleman (Jim) has appeared in the films, "Drop Dead Gorgeous," "Mall Rats," and the short film "Baby."
Michael Egan (Brendan) has done over 1,500 performances of "Tony 'n Tina's Wedding," at Hey City Theaters in Minneapolis, Portland, Ore. and Salt Lake City, Utah. He's also been in such productions as, "Julius Caesar," and "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest."
"This cast is truly an all-star regional cast," Barth said. "We're real blessed to have this caliber of talent on the stage."
"The Weir" debuted in London in 1997 and won two 1998 Oliver Awards including best play. It also has been performed on Broadway.
Collins discovered the workshop version (the play before the final version) five years ago in London.
"Its not often that you see a play that's written with such great dialogue," he said. "It all happens in real time, real-life."
This week's premiere will be the first in Minnesota. After St. Cloud, it will be playing at the Fitzgerald in St. Paul Feb. 27-March 16.
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