Nothing But Conversation at The Weir

By John Farrell, Curtain Call Writer

Nothing much happens in The Weir, Conor McPherson’s extraordinary play that opened, Sept. 20, at Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro.

Except for the drinking, whisky, Guinness, and the delightful, witty and revealing talk, there is almost no action. It doesn’t matter. You are on intimate terms with the five lovely people who are in Brendan’s pub on a wet and stormy evening in the immediate past, and all you need is a Guinness (which you can get at the theater) to settle down and enjoy yourself.

Brendan is Cylan Brown, Jack is Bert Pigg, Jim is David Graham, Finbar is Don Schlossman and Valerie is Kristina Teves.

The evening starts with an Irish fairy story and then a ghost story. As the whisky begins to flow the stories become more personal and revealing, passionately describing experiences and regrets of the five very ordinary and extraordinary lives: four old friends and the female newcomer. Nothing is shocking in this modern word, but interesting and timeless. All five actors speak with fine Irish accents, and the pub, designed by Chris Beyries, is an intimate space, with a fire and a few tables, the audience sitting around the two open sides, as cozy as can be. You come to know these five people, become part of their lives, and wish you could tell a story, too.

Director Stephanie Coltrin lets her fine cast tell those stories without interfering with them. Together they have put together a play of subtle brilliance, affecting and moving, as real as anything you’ll see on the stage, and so simple, telling its story with the wild wind as background. You’ll come away, with or without that beer, deeply moved and wondering at the still-powerful lure of plain storytelling.

Tickets are $27, $24 for seniors and $20 for students. Performances are at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 and 28, and Oct. 2, 3, 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19, with an additional show at 2 p.m. Oct. 13.

Details: (310) 512-6030; www.littlefishtheatre.org
Venue: Little Fish Theatre
Location: 777 Centre St., San Pedro