Actors shine in Dreamwell's Playboy

by James Trainor

In the county of Mayo on the western coast of Ireland, there's not much to talk about. Once in a while there's a wedding or a wake, but for the most part the simple folk of Mayo are thirsty for a good story. So it's fortunate for Christy Mahon, who arrives unannounced one dark night, that he has a whopper.

Though Christy affects reticence at first, it doesn't take long for the Michael James Flaherty (the owner of the tavern) to draw the story out. Christy is on the run because he killed his father with a shovel. He's afraid of being turned over to the police, but instead Flaherty applauds his bravery and asks him to stay on as a servant and keep his daughter, Pegeen Mike, safe from harm.

Pegeen Mike and Christy quickly fall in love. Meanwhile, Christy is the talk of the town, praised again and again for his bravery and eloquence. Everyone but the moralizing Shawn Keogh (who's supposed to marry Pegeen Mike) wants to hear Christy's story. It's all going better than he could have hoped...until his father shows up at the door to the tavern.

Dreamwell's production of Playboy, directed by Rich Riggleman, is well-executed. The story is clear and the accent work is quite good. Several performances stand out, most notably Ottavia DeLuca as Pegeen Mike, who is as charming in her cautious flirtation with Christy as she is funny in her fiery rejection of Shawn. K. Michael Moore also gives an energetic performance as Christy. John Crosheck and Gary Tyrrell make a great comic duo as Philly and Jimmy, Flaherty's drinking buddies.

The only shortcoming of this production is that the stage seemed to small to hold this play, which has eleven characters and all the elements of a good farce. Dreamwell's playing space at the Unitarian Universalist Society works extremely well for most of their productions, but this one seemed a bit static, and a lot of opportunities for fun physical business were missed. Director Rich Riggleman used the space well, though, and the last scene of the play was hectic, exciting and quite funny.

Playboy of the Western World is presented November 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 7:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society. Tickets are $12 regular, $10 senior, and $8 student. Call 319-541-0140 for tickets or go to www.dreamwell.com


James recently graduated from Cornell College with a Bachelor of Special Studies in English and Theater. He has also acted and directed for Stage Left Theater in Cedar Rapids.