The Weir By Conor McPherson
It Was a Stormy Night in the Pub
By: Charles Giuliano - Sep 29, 2024
The Weir
By Conor McPherson
Directed by Eric Hill
Scenic designer, Randall Parsons; Costumes, Amy Avila; Lighting, Matthew E. Adelson, Composer and sound, Scott Killian; Resident dialect coach, Jennifer Scapetis; Movement support, Isadora Wolfe.
Cast: Jack (Sean Bridgers), Jim (Joey Collins), Valerie (Stephanie Jean Lane), Finbar (Harry Smith), Brendan (Philip Themio Stoddard).
Berkshire Theatre Group
Unicorn Theatre
September 26 to October 27
Stockbridge, Mass.
A weir is a fence or enclosure set in a waterway for taking fish, or a dam in a stream or river to raise the water level or divert its flow.
The Weir is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999.
Regarded as the most popular of the Irish playwright’s works, a generation on it is being given an intimate, lively production, directed by Eric Hill. Its trope, locals gathered in a small pub in a remote village verges on a cliché of Irish culture. The one act play conflates copious amounts of “small” shots of whiskey accompanied by pints of Harp or Guinness. As we snidely learn the real men drink stout.
It’s the fuel that stokes the engine of the gift of gab and the telling of tall tales, gossip, folklore, in this case, several roiling versions of ghost stories. The dialogue of American actors is conveyed with such rich brogue too often rendered unintelligible to a non native ear. The director and dialect coach, Jennifer Scapitis, have opted for authenticity rather than clarity.
That verisimilitude is richly conveyed in the meticulously detailed small pub designed by Randall Parsons. It has been appropriately lit by Matthew E Adelson while the sound design by Scott Killian conveys a stormy night. That makes the pub all the more cozy and inviting.
The long monologue with thick accent of Finbar (Harry Smith) was largely lost on me. Something about ghosts it seems. Without a script I haven’t a clue what he was running on about.
The popular play brings together the largely taciturn barkeep Brendan (Philip Themio Stoddard), the boisterous and feisty Jack (Sean Bridgers) a mechanic, and Jim (Joey Collins) a gimpy, puckish odd-jobber. They are all bachelors who, now middle-aged, have seen the prospect of romance pass them by. The one that got away is the subject of a poignant tale told by Jack.
The fulcrum of this small play is focused on the brief return, just a day’s visit, by Finbar who escaped to pursue a successful career as a realtor in Dublin. His elevated social status (costumes by Amy Avila) is conveyed by a white suit. It contrasts with the dark drab one of Jack, the scruffy attire of Jim, and the generic appearance of Brendan. Fueled by jealousy there is no love lost between Jack and Finbar. They barely managed to keep their interaction grudgingly civil.
The buzz is that Finbar will be swinging by with a young lady on his arm. There is discussion of this as appropriate to a married man. Valerie (Stephanie Jean Lane) has escaped the hurly burly of Dublin, and for reasons we learn gradually, has opted for the quietude of village life.
The presence of a lady in a lion’s den has changed the dynamic of the drama. That’s accented when she requests a glass of white wine. That sends Brendan scrambling about his attached living quarters to come up with a bottle left from some holiday.
In an Irish pub there is a lot of significance attached to what you drink. In the onset of the play Jack is perturbed that he can’t get a draft of stout. It seems the line is out while the one for Harp is working. Why not switch kegs Jack inquires? That would disappoint those who order Harp Brendan replies. That social distinction is underscored when Finbar orders Harp, a lager which aptly conveys his uppiteness. Jack settles for a bottle of Guiness which, when poured, is far less than a pint; the pint being the norm of proper pub culture.
The men are intent on making Valerie feel welcome. The local tales are told inspired by vintage photos and reminiscences. It seems that there is a faeries trail that runs through her new home. What inspired McPherson were tales told by his elders. My own Irish family is full of that legacy. I readily connected with that as stories were revealed. It’s the commonality and comfort zone of Irish culture.
The ghost and faerie stories were well told by gifted actors. Jim with twists and turns was particularly engaging and hilarious. It seems he dug the wrong grave as the ghost/ dead man standing behind informed him. That called for another round of whiskey.
When Finbar and Jim left Valerie opted to stay. It was now after hours and Brendan offered a final round next to the pot bellied stove. It was a dark and windy night. Jack told yet another tale. It felt like an anticlimax with the play ending when the pub closed for the night.