"Silent" at The Irish Arts Center Donaghy Theatre
Playwright and Performer Pat Kinevane
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“Silent” at The Irish Arts Center Donaghy Theatre
Written and Performed by Pat Kinevane
Directed by Jim Culleton
Reviewed by Joseph Verlezza
Theatre Reviews Limited
When the precise and poetic movements of a tattered blanket soiled with a life story are revealed by the glow of a spotlight and surrounded by the depths of silence, it captivates your eyes, kidnaps your mind and holds your heart ransom. As silky white patches of human flesh dance slowly from beneath their shroud you are suddenly immersed in a mystery of evolution. A face appears, beautiful, striking, and haunting, with eyes that pierce your soul with the glimmer of truth. A voice behind a story that dissects a being, peeling away the layers of emotion and mental anguish until you are left with transplanted vital organs that give you a new understanding of life.
In the current production of “Silent,” written and performed by Pat Kinevane, we spend a little more than an hour with Tino, a homeless man surviving on the streets of County Cork. Tino’s path to homelessness (and ultimately suicide) begins with the self-inflicted death of his brother Pierce. Memories of his abusive mother and wife, neither who care about him or about Pierce’s death, counterpoint Tino’s guilt and result in his downward spiral. However, the path to being homeless can also be short and effortless. There are no specific directions: everyone takes a different route but usually arrives at the same destination. The amazing part of this theatrical experience is that it all makes sense; you suddenly are in the same place as Tino, in his skin, knowing he is anyone and everyone. It is disheartening but never depressing.
Mr. Kinevane is a multifaceted performer who understands the astonishing effect of illusion, which can only be achieved with the seamless fusion of word, movement, sound and the moments when he allows silence to breathe, affirming an unequaled isolation. As actor, dancer, and vocalist he is intelligent, fluid, honest, intense and poignant, but foremost, he wraps his spirit around the human element, hypnotizing the audience almost compelling them to surrender their emotions. He is a master at his craft; modest, unpretentious, skilled, and focused, never preaching but offering clear opportunity for discovery. Nothing is lacking in this production and the collaboration with director Jim Culleton is perfection only enhanced by the sound composed and designed by Denis Clohessy. Too many superlatives exist to describe the work of Pat Kinevane and are superfluous. What is obligatory is to thank him for sharing his incredible gift and providing an opportunity to experience a master at work in the theater.
SILENT
Produced by Fishamble, the New Play Company, in association with Georganne Aldrich Heller at the Irish Arts Center. 80 minutes. Directed by Jim Culleton. Composed and Sound Design by Denis Clohessy. Lighting Design by Pat Kinevane and Jim Culleton. Costume styled by Catherine Dowling.
All 14 performances from September 6 to 23 will be at the Irish Arts Center, 553 West 51st Street in New York, New York. The performance schedule is Wednesday – Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. September 12, 13, 14, 15 @ 8 p.m.; September 16 @ 3 p.m.; September 19, 20, 21, 22 @ 8 p.m.; and September 23 @ 3 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students/seniors and can be purchased online at http://www.NewOhioTheatre.org or by calling SmartTix at 212-868-4444. For more information visit http://www.NewOhioTheatre.org.
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 | Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Monday, September 10, 2012 |
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