Since the early part of 2010, my recommendations for theater to see in Los Angeles have been non-existent. It was not that I had ceased seeing shows in Los Angeles, there simply was nothing I saw that was worth recommending. That drought is finally over, as I can heartily recommend the excellent production of "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" by the incredibly funny and talented Irish playwright Martin McDonagh.
I loved the 2006 Broadway production of "Inishmore" that shared the same director as the Taper mounting - Wilson Milam. While the LA show he has mounted does not quite reach the giddy heights of the Broadway production, it is nevertheless a winning version of the play. Yes, I miss the career making performance of Alison Pill as Mairead (Zoe Perry in this role at the Taper is just okay). But this deficiency is happily compensated by the outstanding male lead performance that Chris Pine turns in as the crazy terrorist, Padraic. Forgive me for dreaming of my imaginary perfect production of this show starring Pine and Pill,
"Inishmore" is the bloodiest and most violent stage drama I have seen, and normally those attributes would turn me off to a show. But McDonagh is a genius for writing a bloody, violent work that is also one of the funniest plays I have seen, and for encoding a powerful anti-violence, anti-terrorism message amidst the crazy carnage. Those are extremely difficult things to do, but the writer and director acquit their duties quite well in doing so here.
I should note there were a fair number of patrons walking out of "Inishmore" at the Taper, particularly in the midst of the second act. Note to those patrons who walked out- do you have any idea how rude it is to walk out mid-performance? It is rude to the other patrons and the actors, many of whom could be making much more money making movies that would not suffer much if you walked out on them mid-exhibiton. Next time, leave at intermission (an act that I have no problem with, and often do it myself if a show is not my cup of tea), or better yet, stay home altogether. Sorry for the rant, but I dislike having my theater experience diminished by the bad and inexcusable behavior of other patrons, even when such behavior does not involve a device that rings, bleeps, glows or vibrates!
