Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Articles Sections >> Arts + Words Bars + Clubs Dating Festivals Fitness Food Lifestyle Music Theater Travel + Tourism Who's Who > View All Theater Guides

Conor McPherson certainly has a knack for storytelling.

Saturday May 05, 2001.     By Bill Gorman

Theater Feed

Steppenwolf Theater Company
1650 N. Halsted St.
Tickets: 312-335-1650
Through January 20

Conor McPherson certainly has a knack for storytelling. And it is storytelling that is at the heart of The Weir, a chilling study in human nature and human relationships. And currently, you can experience the Midwest Premiere of this brilliant play in Steppenwolf's superb production.

All good plays tell a story, but McPherson takes this literally in his work. He has written five plays, three of which are one-person plays (St. Nicholas, Rum and Vodka and The Good Thief), and the fourth (This Lime Tree Bower) is a three-character play, each character telling different parts of the same story. The ghost stories told by all but one of the characters in The Weir are personal stories, made more personal by how they deal with them. Jack (the wonderful Alan Wilder), Jim (Larry Brandenburg) and Finbar (Rob Riley) are regulars in a local Irish pub owned by Brendan (John Sierros). Finbar, the local real estate magnate, has sold a house to Valerie (Amy Warren), a woman from Dublin.

The stories in The Weir are creepy and entertaining, but there is a sadness inherent in them, because the men that tell their stories seem not to believe them themselves. A Weir is a dam, something that holds something else from overflowing, and it is Valerie's story that pulls down the Weir, injecting an emotional element into these men's lives - one that has never existed before. And they are affected by her story whether they choose to admit it or not. No one leaves this play unchanged.

Director Amy Morton has handled this play with the care it deserves, and it has paid off for her in every way imaginable. There is a heightened sense of suspense from the moment Jack enters the bar and pours himself a pint. The set, by Todd Rosenthal, is highly detailed, and fits the play perfectly, as do Karin Kopishchke's costumes and Chris Binder's lighting.

In a play full of top-notch performances, Alan Wilder rises above all others with his brilliant performance as Jack, the lonely car mechanic. He is especially moving in the story he tells about his ex-girlfriend's wedding.

This is a play you will probably get the chance to see more of, but don't miss the opportunity to see it at Steppenwolf.

NOTE: If you enjoy The Weir and you want to see more of Conor McPherson's work in a more intimate setting, check out his one-man play The Good Thief, which is running Wednesdays at 8:00 and Sundays at 7:00 in January at Breadline Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice. See the listing in Centerstage for more information.