ROBIN’S SHOW REVIEW: The Weir

 by Conor McPherson
directed by Ciarán O’Reilly

Extended through August 4^th at Irish Repertory Theatre, 132 West 22 Street, NYC

Three men are spending time in a remote country pub in Ireland, drinking and telling ghostly, supernatural stories on a dark night with the wind whirling outside, as they attempt to verbally woo a gal new to the pub (few women ever come there).  All are caught off guard as she delivers a zinger of a personal story of grief and loss that leaves them and the audience a bit speechless…until the Irishmen continue on to open up about their own personal haunts, regrets, tragedies, etc.  It’s a soul-bearing session with a quiet, building powerfulness that makes this 100 minute, no intermission piece, a powerful evening of drama.

 This show packs an emotional punch that sneaks up on you, which is its biggest strength. 

McPherson’s well-crafted dialogue (takes a while to adjust to the heavy accents),  supported by O’Reilly’s incisive direction, gives us an effective snapshot into the lives of the characters, and we feel for them.  It’s like sharing an intimate platform with the folks from “Cheers” (the tv show)….but in a much darker, haunting fashion.  Ultimately,  it’s all about relationships…an affecting tale about human connection and spirit.

The show is filled with top notch performances.  And, the stellar set jam-packed with authentic-looking detail fully transports and tranxfixes you.

Visit http://www.irishrep.org/theweir.html

Note:  Weir is a dam in a stream or river to raise the water level or divert its flow.

The Irish Repertory Theatre provides a context for understanding the contemporary Irish-American experience through evocative works of theater, music, and dance.   This mission is accomplished by staging the works of Irish and Irish-American classic and contemporary playwrights, encouraging the development of new works focused on the Irish and Irish-American experience, and producing the works of other cultures interpreted through the lens of an Irish sensibility.

Tags: irish repertory theatre, nyc, off broadway, the weir, theatre