Origin Theater Festival.
"Misterman" by Edna Walsh at Theater Row
A One-Man Play: Starring Daniel Marconi
Directed by: Labhaoise Magee
Sound Designer: Elliot Yokum
Lighting Designer: Shane Hennessy
Misterman is a dark and disturbing play. Thomas Magill, a very lonely and isolated man who lives
alone in a broken-down little shack in a fictional Irish town called, Inishfree.
Daniel Marconi's performance is superb as Thomas Magill with all the frantic and chaotic energy going
above and beyond human possibility on any stage.
Thomas Magill, is a deeply disturbed individual with chaotic energy and extreme religious inclinations
He believes that most of the inhabitants of the village are sinners, and he has been appointed by God to
purge them of their sins
He spends all his time running up and down and replaying tape recordings of the
village people. He mocks and ridicule them constantly and record everything constantly in his diary.
He displays real manic behavior and his religious rigidity leads to some kind of mental illness.
The character has enormous energy to bounce around, throwing things, yelling and screaming at an
invisible barking dog in a deeply disturbing manner.
We as audience members are mesmerized and hauntingly disturbed watching this young man going
through his mental and emotional trauma which he no longer can control.
There is one very emotional and grief stricken scene when Thomas goes to his father's grave with
flowers and lies down near his grave and after a stillness which lasts only a few seconds but seems
eternal says, " I miss you, dad."
That brief moment makes all his loneliness, isolation, his grief stricken existence which leads to mental
illness totally naked and visible for us to see and feel for him.
Misterman, was first produced in 1999 in Cork Ireland and Enda Walsh himself played the lead role.
Then in 2011 the play was produced in Galway with Cillian Murphy and went to National Theater of
London and St Ann's Warehouse in NY.
This brilliant play is the master work of a master playwright.
Daniel Marconi is a brilliant actor with energy of a wild tiger and total control of his fragmented soul.
It's a very tough role and he goes through it as a very slick craftsman.
Play is amazingly directed by Labhaoise Magee with incredible skill and clarity which is not easy to do.
The very best sound design is by Elliot Yokum.
The recorded voice -over talents of Una Clancy and Mabel Byrne are so real as if all the town's unseen
people were crowding the whole stage live.
This is one of the most unique and brilliantly original play I have seen in ages.
REVIEWED BY BINA SHARIF
ATCA
Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com
email:binashariff@gmail.com
Mobile: 212-260-6207
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