BRAINERD — Sometimes, a theater company likes to take a chance on a new play or one that may have a darker theme than an audience is accustomed to.
The Central Lakes College Performing Arts Center is doing that with Martin McDonagh’s black comedy The Pillowman at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.
The Pillowman is about a writer living in an unnamed totalitarian state who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories covering a series of murders happening in the town.
Performing Arts Center Director Joey Yow told Area Voices on the KAXE Morning Show that the play is both chilling and funny.
“Martin McDonagh is just famous for being able to tell these sometimes very bleak stories, but in such a way that is just electric to watch and funny," Yow said. "And the comedy and humor allows you to sit with the awful stuff a little bit more easily.”
Yow said he believes the show won't appeal to the usual crowd, but a niche audience in the community will gravitate toward it.
This is a unique production as a stripped-down stage reading of the show. The actors will have scripts during the performance.
Musicals or comedies — shows with large cast sizes — are more common for the center. However, it's been featuring more stage readings recently. Yow said this gives a chance for actors to work with scripts they must grapple with. The challenging roles can be fun for an actor, and there’s an audience who appreciates the effort.
“Our mission is not just presenting artworks to the community, but it's growing practitioners and lovers of the performing arts," Yow said. "This is one of those tools that we use to do that."
Production Director Rebecca Timmins said the cast, which includes Yow as Katurian, is talented and doing an excellent job adapting to a stage-reading style. She said this style allows them to move quickly in the preparation.
“It really works well, because we don't have to spend a lot of time with memorization and learning all about the characters," Timmins said. "The people in this cast have come prepared. ... They know how to interpret these characters.”
The performance is one-night only. Yow said they think of it as an event instead of a typical show. Yow said this sets it apart from main stage theater productions.
Yow and Timmins said they're both excited to possibly introduce this show to an audience. Yow said as an actor, it can be intimidating because you hope the standard you set for the show is a good one and "that they walk away saying, ‘I would see this show again,’ not, ‘I never want to touch this playwright ever again."
Timmins added it’s exciting to tackle a complex and multilayered show. It can be a challenge to understand the layers, she said, but that’s part of the fun.
“I always want to leave the audience thinking," she said.
Timmins said she hopes people will realize some things that happen in the show can happen in our real world. It’s not as farfetched as it seems.
Yow said he hopes audiences take away the idea that there is a space for challenging shows like The Pillowman in the Brainerd lakes area. Timmins directed a show called The Exonerated last year, which focused on death row inmates who were later exonerated for their crimes. It was another challenging show, but she said the audience who came appreciated it.
The Pillowman is a free show at the Dryden Theater, but seating is limited. Audiences can reserve tickets by calling the box office at 218-855-8199.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
