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DRAMA: A review of the play The Irish Curse
Forging past an incurable curse
by Dilshan Boange
The Irish Curse is not a stage drama for conservative Sri Lanka.
Colombo, however, to a great extent, claims a culture of its own. Still,
as Colombo's 'veins and veneers' of 'westward modernity' keeps taking
form through numerous avenues of 'urbane activity', whether, a stage
play on issues of sex and sexual frustrations that is unapologetically
'verbally explosive' as this has been staged in any Colombo theatre, is
open to question.
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The cursed full blooded Irishmen’- From L – R: Dino Corera
(Steve), Andre
Perera (Keiran), Gehan Blok (Ricky), Pasan Ranaweera (Father
Kevin), and
Dominic Keller (Joseph). |
Watching Martin Casella's The Irish Curse, a production by Identities
Inc. directed by Gehan Blok, which opened at the Lionel Wendt on August
7, I couldn't help wondering how uphill a task reviewing this drama was
going to be. For, The Irish Curse classified strictly as a play for
adults only and replete with the 'F' word is not something you can watch
as a family, and the Sunday Observer is meant for the whole family!
The Irish Curse unfolds in a catholic church in New York with five
males in a 'support group' for victims of the 'Irish curse'.
Human psychology
The 'curse' which is perceived as one that mainly affects 'full
blooded Irishmen' is the 'anatomical state' of a very small 'manhood'. A
theme for right royal uproarious laughter? Well it certainly proved to
be so at the Wendt, that doesn't mean it's completely a laughing matter
altogether.
At the very depths of this play's investigation into human psychology
is the question of what is a male's purpose on this good earth? Is it to
prove himself capable of 'fully satisfying' a woman in bed? Is it to
prove himself capable of deriving sexual pleasure for himself? This
double sided question discusses how the mental state of believing one is
'sexually competent' is significant for the human sense of self worth.
Is a male who cannot please a woman in bed, a 'man'? That interrogation
is part of the dilemma that troubles the male psyche as shown in the
play. And The Irish Curse reveals how men suffering from the type of
problem depicted in the play can face 'castration without
dismemberment'. Steve, played with projectile masculine virulence by
Dino Corera expounds how the state of being born with a very small
'member' is doubly disempowering for a homosexual. He scoffs at the
notion that 'the truth shall set you free' and asserts "the truth is
just another kick in the a**".
In his confrontation with Ricky, Steve contests that Ricky's modern
'codpiece' gimmick of placing a rolled up sock in his underwear to
create the impression to onlookers that he is 'well endowed' is a way of
deluding himself.
When the 'untruthfulness' of what that creative 'impression creation'
amounts to is pointed out by Steve, Ricky simply questions what does it
matter? I couldn't help but recall how the character of Big Daddy in
Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof counters his son Brick's
outburst against all the 'mendacity' that grips their lives. The
response is that there seems nothing else to live for but mendacity.
Casella like Williams also contests the notion of the 'American
dream' and questions how socially salutary it is to pursue it as an
'ideal'? The character of Joseph played superbly by Dominic Keller, puts
it in 'context' very wittily -"A bigger car, a bigger house, the biggest
c**k!".
Joseph discloses how cable TV and the internet caused his wife, who
led a sheltered life and was a virgin till their marriage, to want
greater sexual gratification and left him for her Yoga instructor who
was amply 'endowed'.
There is no doubt the internet boom has created an explosion of
pornography over the last decade or so that has significantly affected
perceptions, attitudes and actions of many.
And in this digital age where western hyper consumerism is
accelerated with online marketing and social media as a tool for 'competiveness
promotion' it is my belief that pornography is not just about the
commoditisation of sex but 'commoditisation of envy'.
The predicament
What connects the fate that befell Joseph due to the Irish curse is
critically connected to the predicament faced by immigrant Irishman
Kieran, who is about to get married and is in a paralysing dilemma as to
whether he will lose his lady love with whom he hasn't yet been
intimate.
It is at the point when his disclosure started and its emotive thread
gained visibility that I felt appalled over how some theatregoers simply
weren't attuned to the narrative on stage. Even as the actor's voice was
quaking, there were isolated odd burst of laughter from the audience.
Yes, at the point when Kieran who gets to his feet suddenly reveals
he is going to get 'married this Saturday' was a juncture to burst out
laughing; I too fully joined in. But soon Kieran's tone and expression
took on the vein of anguish and his fears revealed a crippled soul. It
was evident that the mood had switched. But it was not evident to all in
that auditorium.
When Kieran's tears started rolling there was absolute silence from
the audience, but it is sad that mere seconds before that not everyone
seated under that gentle darkness was sensible enough to catch on to the
emotional turmoil that was driving Kieran to consider suicide. That is
why I would like to ask- does a character have to come to the point of
breaking down on stage for all viewers to realise the shift from humour
to poignancy? It is telling in some ways of the theatre culture of
today.
The performance that evening was brilliant. The production was
praiseworthy. The acting talent that created the canvas of performance
woven by the skills of Dominic Keller, Gehan Blok, Dino Corera, Pasan
Ranaweera and Andre Perera showed symmetry of talent.
The directed must be saluted for his casting decisions.
And I believe special commendation is due to Andre Perera for
tasteful delivery of an Irish accent that had a soft lilt and wasn't
overdone with accentuation to become 'unintelligibly Irish' to Sri
Lankan ears. His overall handling of Kieran's 'position', and
performance was very well done.
The theatrical prowess of this play comes from the power of the
spoken word and the potency of the actors to perform it as a real life
situation.
And the power of the script is such that when performed by a set of
talented actors it will keep the audience hooked on every line. It is in
that sense pure dynamite. |
