Review: THE WEIR at Berkshire Theatre Group

Berkshire Theatre Group’s final production this season is Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s THE WEIR.  It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London on July 4, 1997.  It opened on Broadway at The Walter Kerr Theatre on April 1, 1999.  THE WEIR received the 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. 

The play opens in a pub, deep in the countryside with Brendan, the owner, and Jack, a car mechanic and garage owner. These two begin to discuss their respective days and are soon joined by Jim. The three then discuss Valerie, a young woman from Dublin who has just rented an old house in the area.  Finbar, a businessman, arrives with Valerie, and the play revolves around reminiscences and banter. After a few drinks, the group begin telling stories with a supernatural slant, related to their own experience or those of others in the area, and which arise out of the popular preoccupations of Irish folklore: ghosts, fairies and mysterious happenings.

Yet, when Valerie unveils her own poignant tale, the mood shifts dramatically, leaving the men spellbound by her revelation. The play unfolds as a tapestry of supernatural narratives interwoven with personal tragedies, showcasing the haunting power of storytelling that binds individuals together in unexpected ways.

There is the hint that the story may lead to salvation and, eventually, a happy ending for two of the characters. Finbar and Jim leave, and in the last part of the play, Jack's final monologue is a story of personal loss which, he comments, is at least not a ghostly tale but in some ways is nonetheless about a haunting.

THE WEIR is presented as a one hour and forty-five minute sngle act with no intermission.  The cast includes Sean Bridgers as Jack; Joey Collins as Jim; Stephanie Jean Lane as Valerie; Harry Smith as Finbar and Philip Themio Stoddard as Brendan. Each member of the ensemble exhibits strength, confidence and mastery of storytelling.  The individual monologues are lengthy and painstakingly detailed.  There are times when dialogue becomes difficult to understand.  Another aspect that seems difficult to understand is how Stephanie Lane as Valerie shares her deeply personal story almost devoid of emotion.

The Larry Vaber Stage at BTG’s Unicorn Theatre is an ideal home for this production.  The creative team consists of direction by Eric Hill, movement direction by Isadora Wolfe, scenic design by Randall Parsons, costume design by Amy Avila, lighting design by Matthew E. Adelson, composition and sound design by Scott Killian, dialect coaching by Jennifer Scapetis, stage management by Caroline Ragland, assistant to the director Haas Regen, production assistant Victoria Coulter and casting direction by Kelly Gillespie, CSA and David Caparelliotis/Caparelliotis Casting.  They have created a handsome and highly appropriate setting for the action to play out within.

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