"An
Irish Girl's Journey."
Written
by Marian Tomas Griffin.
"IT'S
NOT YOUR OLD MAN'S SODAM AND BEGORRAH"
By
T.S Kerrigan
American
Reporter Theater Critic
July
10, 2006
LOS
ANGELES -- Marian Tomas Griffin, a girl from Killa, County Mayo born in
New York, acts, sings, and plays guitar in this solo show that is
American in format and quintessentially Irish in subject matter. It is a
candid, humorous rite of passage for an American audience with some
sophistication in things Irish.
Solo
shows are basically of two types. There is the historical, "Belle
of Amherst" variety, and then there is the actor's biographical
foray (in its most extreme form a kind of "I'm Putting my Act
Together and Taking it Out on You"). While Griffin's play is an
example of the second type, happily she eschews ego for humor, much of
it directed at herself.
Oh,
to be sure, there is a cliche here and there about being Irish and a
Roman Catholic that seems to make American audiences more comfortable,
but there is mostly a lot of originality in this show that will leave
you sympathetic to Ms. Griffin and wondering, perhaps, whether there is
anything much left of the Irish culture she knew as a girl in the shadow
of the Celtic Tiger Economy of recent years.
There
is, however, no such shadow over this essentially upbeat show.
The
songs are beautifully rendered and slip seamlessly into the narrative.
She even manages to make that old sentimental chestnut "Danny
Boy" come to life. The highlights of the narrative lies in her
clever mimicking of the Irish characters she grew up with in County
Mayo. She is an excellent mimic.
Though
the play begins in Ireland, in midstream the action shifts to New York,
where Ms. Griffin wields her satirical scalpel effortlessly and with
hilarious results. Here mimicry of New York types is as good as it was
in the Irish party of the show. Again there is the occasional cliche,
but the actress transcends all with her engaging way and beautiful
voice. The confidence she has in herself and her material is sustained
during the two hours sans intermission that she is before us.
Directing
a single actor can require as much of a director as handling an entire
cast. Margaret O'Carroll, who has had her finger in a number of
theatrical pies of late, comes through with just the right balance here,
keeping Ms Griffin in focus throughout.
Places
like the Celtic Arts Centre can use more original work of this kind.
They are lucky to have a show with as much verve as this one.
Directed
by Margaret O'Carroll. Starring Marian Tomas Griffin.
Los
Angeles. The Celtic Arts Centre, 4843 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
