Stones in His Pockets ; A Deeply Political Two Hander Served Up In Different Styles By Each Actor

Richard Gélinas (Jake), Zach Counsil (Charlie). Photo: Andrew Alexander

The award winning Stones in His Pockets by Belfast-based playwright Sarah Marie Jones is set in County Kerry looking over Blasket Sound towards the beautiful Blasket Islands. Artist Merike Olo, has painted them on a flowing canvass, stretched out on a long mural along the back of an otherwise near empty stage. The romantic attraction of those islands is what brings in the Hollywood film crew. Local Irish “extras” with real accents, have been contracted as purely decorative elements, to give another “romantic” touch of authenticity to a passionate irish love story which rings false because all the principals are Americans, trying to master the local speak.

This is the context for a play that becomes a deftly drawn two hander, focussing on the reactions of two of those extras, Charlie (Zach Counsil) and Jake (Richard Gélinas). The film set becomes a microcosm of exploitation, social injustice and essentially a commentary on contemporary neo-colonialism where the Americans have replaced the British, as the manipulators of the oppressed Irish. Within the Iris gaze, the playwright tells us, the Americans are both desired and hated as a culture and this ambivalent relationship explodes into a play driven by a sense of smothered rage that erupts non-stop throughout the show. For the American film crew, the Irish are clearly Fanon’s Wretched of the Earth, looked upon as inferior, incapable, ridiculous and barely human, and it is this attitude, which triggers the tragedy and finally incites Charlie to get his own back by imagining the perfect “post-colonial” scenario. His own film script that he keeps in his back pocket will reverse the romantic image being touted by the outrageous American scenario. Beloved Irish cows will become the heroes, the Irish will lord it over the Americans, and Irish order will be restored in County Kerry. This will be the fitting homage to the young Sean whose humiliation and rage drive him to drown himself by putting stones in his pockets. .

This angry comedy makes serious demands on the two performers who must carry the show, switch roles, keep the stage energy high, and capture the painful humour underpinned by anger that is not always obvious but that simmers constantly like bubbling lava waiting to erupt.

Director John P. Kelly has shown us in the past that he can orchestrate such fast paced stagings where actors must shift seamlessly into multiple roles, change characters, rhythms and styles without the slightest loss of energy. The long line up of shoes at the back tells it all. In this instance however, the results were not quite what one would have expected given the intensity of this tragi-comedy .

The lightning nonstop shifts from the film set, to the bar, to the church, to Caroline’s hotel room, to the various spaces related to the film crew, as well as the many flash backs, helped enormously by David Magladry’s lighting, were done with great precision and made the narrative extremely clear. The actors dressed and undressed on stage, grabbing a simple prop and then swivelling around to become the next creation. The play is set up as a series of short episodes, built on the rapid reactions of each character, creating a microcosm of individuals who must seize the moment by making an immediate and strong impact. In this context, Zach Counsil and Richard Gélinas appeared to differ enormously as to their acting approach.

Counsil, as Charlie (the more poetic and playful of the two) had a bit of trouble sustaining the accent but he created some unforgettable characters, one of the best being the sexy American actress Caroline Giovanni, who tries to seduce Jake by turning on her corporeal charm and then suddenly turning off when she sees that Jake won’t bite. Counsel’s body language was delicate, evocative, suggestive and carefully chosen. given the distance between his own morphology and that of the imaginary Southern bell. He also became the blustering American director, Simon the stage manager who can’t keep his hands off Miss Ashley’s hind parts, Jock, the overpowering security guard who blows up his chest and then deflates it to become the parish priest. Counsil is truly an excellent mimic. However, the play demanded more than mimicry and Counsil never reached the inner depth of his characters to bring out the sense of underlying anger, nor did he find that frantic style of tension-creating humour. It was almost too naïve. He never really let go and never really adopted these individuals as his own. Watching Counsil was like watching an evening of stand-up comedy…but this play demanded a lot more interiorisation of his many roles.

Richard Gélinas appeared to be much more at ease in all his multiple roles. He showed to what extent he could go beyond the external mimic, the purely physical demonstration of his many characters. He was able to grab hold of something much deeper, to release the anger that was bottled up inside while sustaining the various accents with great assurance. Granted his characters are more disturbing but even when he becomes the prancingly fussy assistant Ashley who gets her/his bottom pinched, or the nostalgic old Mickey who thinks he can’t be fired because he was on the set of The Quiet Man, there is a real sense of pathos, and helplessness that comes raging through Gélinas’ portrayals that gives them a larger than life presence. Gélinas gave a near great performance and is certainly developing into an actor of much stature.

This is a show that will no doubt get better as the run continues because it has not yet settled in, but I am sure it will. There is no doubt however that the show has revealed the nature of each of these performers and I found that extremely important.

Stones in his Pockets continues at the Gladstone until September 29, 2012. Call 613-233-Glad. www.thegladstone.ca

Stones in His Pockets by Sarah Marie Jones

Directed by John P. Kelly

Scenic design: Merike Olo

Lighting design: David Magladry

Sound design: Steven Lafond

Costume design: Anna Lindgren

Multimedia design: Fiona Currie

CAST;

Jake Quinn Richard Gélinas

Charlie Conlon Zach Counsil

September 7 to 29, 2012 at The Gladstone Theatre