Shows & Tickets
Joe Dowling Directs Noted Irish and American Actors in Season Opener
October 20-November 22, 1998
Opening Night is Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA .... The Cripple of Inishmaan, Martin McDonagh's eagerly awaited raucous black comedy about a young man who yearns for a life in the movies, will open the Geffen Playhouse's third season on Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 PM. Among the notable cast are Irish actors Rosaleen Linehan and Dearbhla Molloy, both Tony Award nominees for Brian Friel' s Dancing at Lughnasa; LA based actors J.D. Cullum, Thomas MacGreevy, Paul O'Brien, Barbara Tarbuck and Max Wright; and newcomers Fred Koehler and Derdriu Ring. Directed by Guthrie Theater Artistic Director Joe Dowling, The Cripple of Inishmaan begins previews Tuesday, October 20 and will run through Sunday, November 22, 1998.
The Cripple of Inishmaan marks the West Coast premiere for writer Martin McDonagh who was hailed by Benedict Nightingale in The New York Times as "the most wickedly funny, brilliantly abrasive young dramatist on either side of the Irish Sea ... he is a born storyteller who creates remarkably lively, original characters." Set in 1934 on one of the three Aran Islands off the West Coast of Ireland, The Cripple of Inishmaan is a quirky comic tale that recounts the effect upon the islanders of the nearby filming of Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran, a "docudrama" about nobly heroic fishermen. As word spreads that the director is coming from "Hollywood, California in America," the young Cripple Billy spots his chance to break free from the tedium of his drab daily existence and impress the local girl on whom he has a major crush.
"Martin McDonagh is one of the freshest voices in theater today," said Geffen Playhouse Producing Director Gilbert Cates. "We are delighted to bring him together with our colleague from the Guthrie Theater, Joe Dowling, who has assembled an amazingly adept group of Irish and American actors. It's the perfect beginning to our third season at the Geffen Playhouse."
Matt Wolf said in Variety "The Cripple of Inishmaan prompts the gratifying shiver of excitement one feels at encountering a true original. This play will last." In Newsweek, Jack Kroll said "McDonagh is a startling new voice in the great theatrical tradition of Synge, Yeats, O'Casey, Shaw, Friel and others." Martin McDonagh received the 1998 Drama Desk Award for Best Play for The Beauty Queen of Leenane and a recent Tony Award nomination for Best Play as well. He received the London Evening Standard's Most Promising Playwright award in 1996 and had the distinction of having four of his plays ru~g simultaneously in London's West End in 1997.
The director of The Cripple of lnishmaan is Joe Dowling, former artistic director at Dublin's Abbey Theatre and current head of The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Mr. Dowling' s extensive theater credits include work on Broadway (London Assurance, Juno and the Paycock), Off-Broadway (Translations) and at virtually every major theater across the country. He was named artistic director at the Guthrie in 1996 where he directed Blithe Spirit, Playboy of the Western World, Much Ado About Nothing and the recent production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Newcomer Fred Koehler will play Billy, a clever young lad who seeks to escape the bleakness of the life around him. In August, Mr. Koehler was hailed by The New York Times for his "canny, effortlessly honest performance ... :flawless" in When I was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout. Max Wright received a 1997 Tony nomination for his work in Ivanov and recently drew raves for his portrayal of Sir Andrew Agtiecheek in the Nicholas Hytner production of Twelfth Night starring Helen Hunt at New York's Lincoln Center. Paul O'Brien also appeared in that production.
Dearbhla Molloy and Rosaleen Linehan are two distinguished Irish actors whose work is renowned in Ireland. Ms. Molloy previously appeared in The Cripple of Inishmaan under Nicholas Hytner' s direction at the Royal National Theatre in London. She received a 1993 Tony Award and Drama Desk nomination for her role in Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, the same-production for which Rosaleen Linehan also received a Tony nomination. Ms. Linehan, well known for her work on the English and Irish stage, appeared in Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy, The Matchmaker and Stephen Frear's upcoming film The Hi-Lo Country opposite Woody Harrelson. J.D. Cullum is a member of the Matrix Theatre Company where he was last seen in The Water Children.
Barbara Tarbuck is well known to television audiences from her over 150 guest starring roles on television. She starred on Broadway, and toured throughout the country in Broadway Bound. Thomas MacGreevy started his career on the stage of the Abbey Theatre and has worked throughout the United States. A LA resident, he worked for years in daytime television and recently had a recurring role on "Babylon 5." Derdriu Ring is an award-winning young actress from Dublin who recently worked with Mr. Dowling in The Playboy of the Western World at the Guthrie Theater. Designers for The Cripple of Inishmaan include Scenic Designer Frank Hallinan Flood, Costume Designer Mathew LeFebvre and Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Chris Parry.
The Cripple of Inishmaan is the first play of the 1998-99 season at the Geffen Playhouse. Following Martin McDonagh's dazzling Irish tale, the Geffen Playhouse will present an extraordinary repertory of two David Mamet plays: The Cryptogram and The Old Neighborhood; Ibsen's classic Hedda Gabler that marks Annette Bening' s return to the stage; Donald Margulies' Pulitzer Prize finalist play Collected Stories directed by Gilbert Cates; and George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly's love letter to the silent film era Merton of the Movies.
Built in 1929, the Geffen Playhouse's distinctive Mediterranean architecture is recognizable as an enduring landmark to theatergoers throughout Southern California. Originally built on the edge of Westwood to serve as UCLA's Masonic Clubhouse, the Geffen Playhouse housed everything from concerts and tea dances to a U.S. army barrack during WWII. In the mid 1970's, it was transformed into the Westwood Playhouse and was known as one of the area's most distinguished venues. The theater was bought by UCLA in 1995 and renamed the Geffen Playhouse. Today, the Geffen Playhouse continues the building's rich history by presenting the finest in contemporary and classical theater to over 80,000 annual attendees.
Subscriptions for the new season are currently on sale. Five-piay subscription prices range from $113 to $182. Single ticket prices for The Cripple of Inishmaan range from $30.00 for weekday mezzanine seats to $40.00 for Friday and Saturday evenings. $25.00 preview tickets are available through October 27. Student rush tickets are available for $10.00 fifteen minutes prior to curtain. Performance times are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 4:00 PM and 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. There is a special 2:00 PM matinee of The Cripple of Inishmaan on Wednesday, November 11, 1998 with special $25.00 mezzanine seats available. The Geffen Playhouse is located at 10886 Le Conte Avenue in Westwood.
For ticket information please call the Geffen Playhouse Box Office at 310/208-5454 or Ticketmaster at 213/365-3500.
