Review: STONES IN HIS POCKETS at Theater Latté Da

Set in Kerry, Ireland, Stones in His Pockets, tells the story of two local men who are cast as extras in a new American film that is shooting in their village. Meeting on the first day of the shoot, Charlie and Jake strike up a quick friendship but as the film shoot goes on, they begin to learn more about each other and the film industry as a whole. Discovering that there may be a darker side to the bright lights of Hollywood. As the glitz and glamor begins to wear thin, the two men are forced to face their own insecurities and the brutal truths that come with visiting film crews.

Bringing the colorful band of characters that inhabit the village of Kerry and the visiting film crew to life are two actors, that’s right, two. Tom Reed and Reed Sigmund, take on the portrayal of fifteen characters over the span of two hours and it is a wonder to witness. Creating different dialects and mannerisms for each character, Reed and Sigmund embody every character so fully that the audience is left wondering, “How do they do it so flawlessly?”.

Reed and Sigmund are giving tour-de-force performances, shining most brightly when they are required to portray characters that are so stark to the character they were playing mere seconds before. Switching from a down on his luck Irishman to a flouncy production assistant can’t be easy but Sigmund does it with such ease. Reed is no different, his artful transitions between characters is just as seamless.

Drawing the audience into the world even further is the brilliant set design by Benjamin Olsen. From the moment the audience enters the theater, they are immersed in the hills and greenery of the Irish countryside. As the audience settles in, they are further drawn into the world as lighting designer (Marcus Dillard) and projections designer (Kathy Maxwell) have utilized movie set lighting and projections, drawing from the script, it created the illusion that the audience may be on the film set along with our heroes.

Stones in His Pockets is a beautiful story about friendship, family, dreams of the future, and loss, told by two master storytellers. It is a rarity that Twin Cities audiences are treated to such vibrant performances by a cast that is so dedicated to their craft that they leave every ounce of energy on the stage. That alone is worth the price of admission, it would be a shame to miss it.

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