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Conor McPherson's The Seafarer is a grimly funny tale about two brothers, their drinking buddies, and a mysterious stranger on Christmas Eve in Ireland. The show runs through November 7 at the Unicorn Theatre and is a co-production between the Unicorn Theatre and Kansas City Actors Theatre. As the first collaboration between the two companies, the play sets a high precedent for further collaborations with a strong cast, intriguing material, and engaging design concept.

Directed by Mark Robbins, the cast and crew create a succinct but vivid world where the follies of youth terrorize the present day for this band of hard-drinking, hard-talking friends. Sharky is currently sober, his life in shambles, and has returned home to care for his blind, aging, cantankerous brother, Richard. Ivan stops by ostensibly to check on Richard, but really to drink unhindered by his long-suffering wife. While out on Christmas errands, Richard invites Nicky (now married to Sharky's ex-wife) for a Christmas drink and a game of poker. Nicky brings along his acquaintance Lockhart, who wants a higher stake than a few Euros—he's there for Sharky's soul.

At times the Irish accents caused verbal stumblings (and falter completely in the intense scenes) but nonetheless the actors presented an irascible cadre of boozers. David Fritts as Sharky embodied the quick-fisted hot-tempered ex-chauffer, with a brooding defiance that narrowly skirts teenage-boy moodiness. Allen L. Boardman's Richard belittling, wheedling whiner gets his way, with an unrepentant laissez faire attitude towards personal hygiene, yet a ridged moral sense and a generous heart. Stuart Rider's Ivan is the funniest element of the performance as he's lost his glasses, can't see more than a few inches in front of his face, and proceeds through the performance with a bumbling ineptitude. Dean Vivian plays Nicky as a simpering, wimpy show-off.

Victor Raider-Wexler, as Lockhart, has an especially strong performance. The character is a stark contrast to the other men, from his natty suit to his sinister undertones. The way Raider-Wexler describes hell is spine-tingling. He's also funny, in a somber, intelligent way, even when he appears drunk or winces to the sound of Christmas carols.

There's a distinct mix of blatant and subtle storytelling. The cold wind that rushes through the house with Lockhart's arrival is heavy-handed, along with the often referenced portrait of Jesus. The drawn out staring between Sharky and Lockhart loses some tension by the third or fourth time, as does Lockhart's Vader-like gesture that sets Sharky writhing. But Richard's monologue about his dream of seeing is a heartbreaking introspective moment. And Lockhart's veiled references to Ivan's past (and future) leaves an unsettling chill.

Scenic design (Gary Mosby) and props (Evan Hill) set the production as a semi-realistic view of a poor Irish homestead, with beaten up furniture, stained rugs, and endless bottles of alcohol, though the coin Euros don't make a sound as they hit the table during the poker game. Costume design (Jon Fulton Adams) contrasts Lockhart's sleek appearance against Richard's holey, grimy sweater and the ill-fitting wardrobes of the men that cater to comfort, not style. Lighting design (Alex Perry), especially with the Jesus portrait, hone in the religious and mythical factors of the story; sound design (Daniel Warneke)—from carols to toilets flushing—furthers the realism which makes the story's plot so chilling.

The play, like its characters, has some flaws, like an unbelievable turning point at the climax. But strong performances carry the day and make this a riveting production.

Unicorn Theatre and Kansas City Actors Theatre
The Seafarer
Runs through November 7; Reviewed October 23^th at 8 PM
3828 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-531-PLAY or visit www.UnicornTheatre.org

Top Photo: Allan L. Boardman as Richard, Stuart Rider as Ivan, Dean Vivan as Nicky, David Fritts as Sharky and Victor Raider-Wexler as Lockhart. Photo by Cynthia Levin and courtesy of Unicorn Theatre.

By Libby Hanssen

Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor

Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.

While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.

Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.

She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.