Customer Reviews

Weir and Other Plays

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Annoyed though I am, as a young Irish playwright, to admit it, Conor McPherson's The Weir is the best Irish play of the Nineties. It's sharply observed (I love the jostling for position that the men do in the presence of the young woman), beautifully written - McPherson can make even ordering a drink into a loaded moment - and it's a gift to actors. His other work, generally in monologue form, is in my opinion less successful, but that's more due to the contradictory and frustrating nature of the form than the line-to-line quality of the writing, which is never less than excellent. Question is, how in the world does he make it look so easy?

I found this play hauntingly original. The quality of writing by McPherson is breathtaking. Every time I read the climactic monologue by the female character I can't help but well up inside. Read this play from one of the most talented young playwrights in years.

I haven't seen any of Conor McPherson's plays, but the five dramatic texts here--this a term more associated with Beckett, but I think applies here--work well enough on the page. Others have remarked here how "Weir" does or does not come alive in such a format; relying solely on the text, I think that it greatly depends on the non-verbal cues entirely absent from any of McPherson's work, that under direction (his?) would expand the potential locked into the words themselves. "Weir" takes its time starting and finishing, and the narrative arc that the various spooky stories create comes down well before the play's curtain. It'd take a nimble set of actors for this play to work, with so many set-speeches, but I've heard it's been done!

The other plays here, of which little has been said, are all monologues. In the prefatory notes to "St Nicholas," the playwright directly confronts the problem of and the childlike fun with sitting down in a theatre and being told a long tale by one actor, not two, and so lacking the creation of make-believe action that could ensue. With only one figure up there, it's totally up to that person's conjuring power to bring the words into a shared reality with the listeners. A scary story about a theatre critic who leaves his family and serves as a procurer for vampires sounds as outrageous as the story sounds, yet in the hands of McPherson, it's plausible and even, after a time, mundane. We start to believe the teller, and keep going no matter where his convoluted but orderly narrative takes us.

Similarly, "The Lime Tree Bower" tells an even longer story but with three narrators, who only once engage in a very brief dialogue. The rest of the performance, they are only "aware" of the other two--I wonder what looks they keep on their faces as number three tells his installment? This story of a "perfect crime" attempted mingles (as McPhersons's former English Lit professor at University College Dublin, Anthony Roche, explains in an essay on the playwright in a recent collection "The UCD Aesthetic," that McPherson also took a BA + MA in Philosophy) the figure of Ray with many references to utilitarianism and more current theories, by the way. If this does not sound like dramatic fodder, it's mixed with lots of chases and romances...

The next play--for one actor--also looks at a criminal action and its aftermath in a violent and poignant manner. "The Good Thief" provides thrills, chills, and thoughtful consideration added to an exciting storyline. The last one, "Rum + Vodka," details the downward spiral of a man about town--also solo on stage. I have to admit I enjoyed all five plays, but the last three the best, for these focus more on urban Dublin life where McPherson lives, and capture the 1990s restlessness with sustained jitters of growing up, or not, that his characters must confront after evading punishment and retribution for so long. Lots of hangovers and lots of vows to do better next time.

The notes added to this volume comment on each play from McPherson's rather scattered commentary on the making and staging of the five plays. You can hear the author in his prose voice, and I find that it differs little from his dramatic tone. After this, I'll seek out the film "I Went Down," for which he wrote the screenplay. While Martin McDonagh's more Synge-meets-Beckett--meets Pinter plays have grabbed more attention, the more circumspect McPherson may well have the stamina to go on creating even better work; that one of these five was written when he was twenty or so astonished me.

Four stars only because I hold that the best work of McPherson is yet to come. Meanwhile, this volume's a bargain. It's a valuable collection that entertains but also has you stop and ponder, while never falling into preachiness or the easy pose of moral indignation or holier-than-thou self-righteousness--no mean feat.

i feel that your comments on the master that is conor mcpherson
are very unjustified. one of you talked of the lack of dialogue and over use of monologue; in response to that i would just like to say that you dont have to have dialogue to be powerful and obviously you haven't seen it performed on stage to see its power and humour. as for its constant referencing to alcohol and puke well what else do you expect from a recovering alcholic and im sorry but again if you were to see this performed you would see that this referencing brings humour to his plays but also makes you think afterwards and feel sorry for the characters. it also touchs a nerve as near enough everyone knows someone with a drink problem. im sorry if i seen harsh by defending him but your comments are unjustified and im sorry if the world isnt the perfect place you see it to be but playwrights dont want to write about buttercups and how everything is fine and dandy in the world because it isnt and if it was the world would be a pretty boring place. you know what drink happens, puke happens and its interesting so why not write about it? this man is a master he uses the ordinary and gives you insight into peoples lives and this is what makes him a great playwright not his use of dialogue!

If you are in New York do pick up a ticket for The Weir, playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 48th Street. There has been,I know, an Irish invasion of Broadway lately,but this one is the brightest star.

It takes a while to get into "The Weir". McPherson takes his own sweet time setting up setting, characterization and atmosphere. Not knowing where it was all going my attitude was one of well I guess it's a "local color" play with some flashes of wit. Then once all the characters onstage and the stories begin, it turns into a page-turner. Then the stories get progressively spookier and sadder and more poignant. The grave-digging story actually did give me the heebie-jeebies for quite a while just reading it. Then of course there's Valerie's story and you get an entierly new persepective on what being "haunted" means.

St Nicholas, the play I read last of the collection is probably the next best play in the book. As I was reading it I was thinking that it was just another "Rum and Voldka" only with an older protagonist. The twist which comes in at the end of part one sounds so off the wall, but is handled so believably, that I found myself scratching my head at the end of it wondering how he managed it.

My two favorite plays in the collection are both the "supernatural" ones, yet I don't consider McPherson a supernatural writer in the vein of a Stephen King or a Peter Straub. Because despite the supernatural occurences in these two plays, what the plays are really about is what it means to be human.

I saw The Weir performed in London. This is a fantastic play. It deserves all the praise it has been given recently. Emotional and moving!

I saw the NY production of "The Weir" and it was just stunning. A simply told, character driven tale that sneaks up on you and takes your breath away.

I read this book cover to cover. There was not one good play in the bunch. The playwright does have a gift for storytelling but not for drama. The Weir, the first play in the book is the only one where there is dialogue. The other five plays are all monologues. Mcpherson tells stories very well but that doesnt cut it. The subject matter is repulsively discusting. Every character is a drunk. I mean a REAL drunk. If you could go through the plays and do an inventory on the alcohol consumed, you could fill a LARGE pool. Another popular liquid with Mcpherson is puke. His character are constantly throwing up all over everywhere. I really could not get into this work.

I was in NYC over the summer and saw the poster for some show called "The Weir." Gee, I thought, what an awesome poster! I have to at least read the play! So I did... well, tried. What may be fantastic on stage is nothing but a jumbling of words on page. I couldn't get more than 20 pages into the book before I retired it. The language was easy enough to understund (I lived in Ireland for almost 15 years) but the story itself (on page) was lacking. It seems as though all the previous reviewers saw the show and did not read the text (or saw the show then read it); my recommendation is to do the latter, maybe then you'll be able to digest this play.

P.S. Maybe you should down a few guiness before you read, that may get you in more of an Irish mood. :)

P.P.S. I'm giving the play two stars just because I didn't truly finish reading; Hey, maybe it gets better at the end! Too bad I'm not that patient :)