Small town Ireland is the setting for Tony Award winning playwright Martin McDonagh's comic drama, The Cripple of Inishmaan, making its Northern California debut with TheatreWorks April 12-May 7. Robert Kelly directs. On the rural island of Inishmaan, the young “Cripple Billy” is dying of boredom in his eccentric community, where the local gossip-monger feeds his 90- year-old mother whiskey for breakfast (while whittling away at her savings), and his best friend talks to rocks when he’s not around. When Billy finds out a Hollywood director is shooting on a nearby island, Billy seeks fame out, landing a screen test and a possible escape from his existence. McDonagh is also the author of the Tony Award winner, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and The Lonesome West.

19-year-old Travis Engle, most recently TheatreWorks' Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, stars as Cripple Billy. Also in the cast are Sarah Overman (Helen), Phoebe Moyer (Aunt Kate), Elizabeth Benedict (Aunt Eileen), Mark Philips (Babbybobby), Edward Sarafin (Johnnypateenmike), Barbara Richmond (Mammy), Mark Messersmith (Dr. McSharry) and Zane Allen (Bartley).

Tickets are $37-$20. The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts is located at the corner of Castro and Mercy Streets. For tickets and information, call (650) 903-6000. TheatreWorks is on the web at http://www.theaterworks.org.

-- By Christine Ehren