April 22, 2010
The Pillowman is ISU Theatre's season finale
by Anne Krapfl
ISU Theatre will close out its 2009-10 season with four student-directed performances of The Pillowman. Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's 2003 script tells the story of Katurian, a fiction writer living in an unnamed police state who is interrogated by two detectives about the gruesome content of his short stories and the similarities to several child murders occurring in his town.
Showtimes
April 22, 23, 24: 7:30 p.m.
April 25: 2 p.m.
MU Maintenance Shop
Woven into the plot are narrations of several of Katurian's stories, including the autobiographical "The Writer and the Writer's Brother," which explains how Katurian developed his disturbed imagination from listening to the sounds of his own brother, Michal, being tortured by their parents. ISU senior Brie Nickels created illustrations of the various stories that will be projected behind the stage as Katurian narrates them.
Don Watts, a senior in performing arts, is the student director of The Pillowman. The four-member cast features seniors Chris King as Katurian and Jacob Wittenauer as Michal. Senior Jake Coffman and sophomore Jeff White play the two detectives who interrogate Katurian and Michal.
The play, billed as a dark comedy, includes some explicit dialogue and graphic violence and isn't suitable for young children.
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 22-24. A Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. All performances are in the Maintenance Shop at the Memorial Union.
Tickets, $6 for adults and $4 for students, may be purchased at the M-Shop ticket office (11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday), by phone at 4-8439, or at the door 30 minutes prior to showtime.
