Live theatre sometimes relies on spectacle to wow an audience. Think of the bright lights, pounding orchestra, and giant choruses of a big musical. Think of Phantom’s crashing chandelier. Or Spider-man crashing into, er, swinging over the New York skyline. Audiences love to get caught up in another world bursting forth in front of their eyes.
But more often, the true spectacle of live theatre occurs in the transformation of an actor into an unforgettable character. Or, as is the case here, when an actor transforms into 7 different characters, often with little more than a hand gesture.
Such is the thrill of Stones in His Pockets, now playing at the Warehouse Theatre. Over the course of two hours, two actors (Jason Shipman and Thomas Azar) create for us an entire Irish village along with a Hollywood film crew, all with just a bare set and a handful of costume pieces.
The story follows two young Irish men, Jake (Jason Shipman) and Charlie (Thomas Azar), who are working – an unusual situation for them – as extras in a motion picture being filmed in their picturesque county Kerry town. They interact with many other characters, including Mickey, the last surviving extra from The Quiet Man, Caroline Giovanni, a big time American movie star, and Aisling, the assistant director who ineffectually “directs” the extras. Jake finds himself being eyed by the glamorous star of the movie while Charlie tries to foist his own movie script onto anyone who’ll read it. But when a local boy drowns himself in a nearby lake, everyone is affected and the dynamics on the movie set begin to shift.
While much comedy is mined from the tried-but-true contrast of Hollywood pretension meeting small town sincerity, the plot and, often, the dialogue itself is incidental to the real show - the near instantaneous transitions the actors make between characters. With a flip of his scarf, Azar goes from local ne’er-do-well to Hollywood diva. With a twist of his hat, Shipman goes from earnest everyman to effete crew member. Characters are shrugged off and spun into with astonishing clarity and speed. Both performers display tremendous energy, spot-on timing, and terrific Irish brogues.
Director Anne Kelly Tromsness gives the actors a simple and effective set to manage, skillfully placing scene transitions – say, the moving of a stool or hat rack – into the actions of the characters. I loved the way each part of the show worked as a piece of a sort of continuous whirling of action, both physical and verbal. And, when the show is finished, take a good look at the row of shoes that line the back of the stage. You’ll be able to place each pair with one of the characters.
There are a lot of shows going on in the upstate this month and this one deserves a serious look. After all, watching two actors at the top of their game is one of the most pure pleasures that live theatre can offer.
Stones in His Pockets runs through December 17 at the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville’s historic West End. For tickets call the box office at 864.235.6948 or visit www.warehousetheatre.com.
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