Homicidal Hilarity
Martin McDonagh's Subversive And Insanely Funny 'Inishmore'
Martin McDonagh's gleefully ghoulish and brutal black comedy, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, ostensibly revolves around an unhinged Irish terrorist out to avenge his dead cat. Yet it's really an absurdist allegory about the cycle of violence in Northern Ireland.
It all begins in a simple cottage in Inishmore, County Galway, where a moronic, pony-tailed teenager, Davey (Domhnall Gleeson), and his elderly neighbor, Donny (Peter Gerety), are confronted with the limp body of Wee Thomas, a cat found dead on the road.
It's the beloved pet of Donny's son Padraic (David Wilmot), a psychotic Northern Irish lout who is in the midst of torturing a local drug dealer (Jeff Binder) when he hears the news that his cat is "sick." Rushing home, he confronts a trio of IRA thugs (Andrew Connolly, Dashiell Eaves, Brian D'Arcy James) as well as a feisty, love struck lass, Mairead (Alison Pill), who is vigilantly armed with a pellet gun. By the time the ensuing mayhem gets resolved, the stage is, well, you have to see it to believe it.
"It's incidents like this does put tourists off Ireland," Donny observes astutely.
Best known for The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Pillowman, McDonagh has crafted an unpredictable, dangerously daring, idiosyncratic satire. British-born but with subversive Irish roots, McDonagh is blessed with the gift of gab - and dealing with anger management issues with tremendous theatrical excitement.
The entire cast is superb, particularly Domhall Gleeson and David Wilmont, who originated their roles in British production. Credit the cleverly captivating direction of Wilson Milam, who staged the play in 2001 for England's Royal Shakespeare Company and earlier this year Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company.
It's taken several years for Lieutenant of Inishmore to mount a production in the United States, and McDonagh is now at work directing "In Bruges," his first full-length feature film.
- Susan Granger
Rock n' Soul
Dana Fuchs' Sultry Voice Powers Her Melodic Rock
At 19, Dana Fuchs moved to New York, set on launching a music career. Since then, she's released a critically acclaimed debut album, Lonely for a Lifetime (2002) and has kept up a hectic schedule performing all over the metropolitan area and across the nation.
With vocals described by The Village Voice as "sultry and truly boundless," Fuchs' career seems to be heading for a major upswing. "Dana is blessed with an incredibly warm, powerful and textured voice," says guitarist Jon Diamond, who is Fuchs' longtime producer and co-writer. After listening to her songs, it's hard to disagree.
Fuchs' style can best be described as a hybrid mix of soul and rock n' roll. "I loved the Beatles and classic rock that my older brothers and sisters listened to. But when I got older, I decided to go to the root of that music, which is where I discovered artists like Otis Redding, Al Green, Esther Phillips, Aretha Franklin and many of the other great R&B;/soul singers," she says.
Fuchs formed the Dana Fuchs Band five years ago, and the group has been playing its heart out ever since. Fuchs is planning a follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut album soon. "We've just finished a live DVD shot at BB King [Blues Club] in New York, and plan to hit the studio in the fall to start the next CD," she says.
Fuchs' passion for music is evident in her powerful live performances. "I want to be singing, stomping, sweating, swearing and spitting until I'm 90!" she says.
She hopes to follow in the footsteps of other powerful vocalists like Lucinda Williams. "I see her every time she's in town. I'd be happy to be touring like that and winning Grammy's when I'm 50! That means I've got a lot of time to make some of my dreams come true."
- Samantha Chang
A Young Heart Runs Free Candi Staton's Triumphant Return
On Candi Staton's new record His Hands, heartbreak and lost love dominate. Rich-sounding horn charts and snappy guitar riffs reverberate with an authenticity reminiscent of vintage Stax/Volt recordings. The real draw is the heartfelt ache provided by Staton's vocals on material by Merle Haggard, Charlie Rich and some originals.
Most chilling is the Will Oldham-penned title cut, with couplets describing the tenderness and love of a relationship slowly going south. For Staton, these sentiments hit especially close to home. "When I heard the lyrics, I fell in love with the song because it told my story," she explains. "That's an amazing song but what's really awesome is that a man wrote it."
Not unlike Tina Turner, the Alabama native endured the hell of domestic abuse while carving out a formidable singing career. Staton went from teen gospel star to southern R&B; star and became that rare soul artist who successfully transitioned to '70s dance queen. Bad decisions in men and a battle with booze behind the scenes physically and spiritually bottomed her out in the early '80s. Salvation came by returning to the church and leaving secular music behind in favor of gospel music for the next two decades plus.
The self-titled 2004 compilation of early southern soul sides released by British label Honest Jons renewed interest in her. But Staton confesses to being caught off guard by the subsequent accolades. "When my publicist called to tell me they were ready to put it out, I didn't expect much to happen with it because nobody really bought [those songs] when they came out the first time," she confesses. "But [the response] pleasantly surprised me and I started revisiting those songs." Label co-founder Mark Ainley approached the sixty-six year old grandmother about recording her first non-gospel record in 22 years.
Ainley pulled together songs for Staton to consider covering. Mark Nevers, member of insurgent country outfit Lambchop was secured to produce. The masterful results point to another studio go-round early next year and heartbreak will continue to be a source of inspiration. "I've got one about an older woman left by her husband for a younger woman," she says. "It's a country thing and it's going to be a pretty song."
- Dave Gil de Rubio