Stemming the Flow of Blood, Lieutenant of Inishmore Closes Sept. 3
By Kenneth Jones
03 Sep 2006
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Peter Gerety in The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
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| photo by Monique Carboni | The blood at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre will stop flowing Sept. 3, with the closing of Martin McDonagh's Tony Award-nominated satire of terrorism, The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
The dark comedy that spills buckets of blood — scarlet rivers to rival "Evil Dead," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and Sweeney Todd combined — will have played 16 previews and 142 regular performances. It began previews on April 19 and officially opened on May 3.
Prior to Broadway, Lieutenant played a sold-out limited run Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company (Feb. 8–April 9), playing 23 previews and 48 regular performances.
The play is a swipe at terrorism and its crazed participants. In it, a psychopathically violent terrorist (dubbed Mad Padraic) learns that his cat, Wee Thomas, has been murdered — prompting his rage, and fear and desperation in those around him. Buckets of blood are spilled nightly is the gory, over-the-top comedy.
What is the secret recipe for the gallons of blood that are spilled onto the stage (and actors) in Inishmore? Producer Randall Wreghitt passed the ingredient list to Playbill.com: red food coloring, Hershey's syrup, peanut butter, light Karo syrup and dark Karo syrup. One imagines the leftovers could be used for brownies or fudge this fall.
The production, directed by Wilson Milam, received five Tony Award nominations, including Best Play and Best Director of a Play, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play and a Village Voice Obie Award. Additionally, David Wilmot won a Theatre World Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for his performance as Padraic. Christopher Denham now plays that role.
The London production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore won the Olivier Award and received an Evening Standard nomination.
The Broadway cast features David Wilson Barnes as Brendan, Jordan Bridges as James, Andrew Connolly as Christy, Christopher Denham as Padraic (the title character), Dashiell Eaves as Joey, Peter Gerety as Donny, Jerzy Gwiazdowski as Davey and Alison Pill as Mairead.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore is presented by Randall L. Wreghitt, Dede Harris, Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, artistic director, Andrew D. Hamingson, managing director), David Lehrer, Harriet Newman Leve & Ron Nicynski, the Zavelson Meyrelles Greiner Group, Mort Swinsky & Redfern Goldman Productions and Ruth Hendel.
Visit www.InishmoreOnBroadway.com.
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Original cast members Jeff Binder and David Wilmot.
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| photo by Monique Carboni |
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