Irish Authors Held Hostage

I did not really know what to expect at a show with the rather wacky title of Irish Authors Held Hostage but I purchased my large cup of java at the Warehouse coffee bar and made my way through the long drab hallway leading back to the Warehouse forty-five seat black box. As I approached the door traditional Irish music and green, white and orange curtains grabbed my senses putting me immediately in a jovial mood.

In this clever play of multiple variations, Irish authors are held captive by modern day terrorists who in most cases are driven quite mad by trying to hold these men and women of prose against their will. Without going into detail I can say that the entire sell out crowd was delighted with an evening of smart sometimes political humor and lilting Irish folk music between sketches. Director Martin Blanco keeps everything moving at a brisk pace throughout the evening.

Terence Aselford, Lori Boyd, Terence Heffernan and John Morogiello all deliver snappy portrayals and great comic timing. Three of the four have performed the script before, either in New York during the NY Fringe Festival or when it was performed in DC at the Source. Lori Boyd in addition to her roles in the play also shows off a tremendous voice singing two numbers with the traditional Irish music duo that featured flute, guitar and fiddle.

Costumes were excellent, showing a great deal of thought. Expecially great was Stoker’s Dracula attire and Wilde’s flamoyant outfit.
Yeats, Joyce, Wilde, O’Casey, Shaw, Behan, Stroker, Beckett, Synge and Gregory never seemed as current as when held hostage by a present day terrorist toting an automatic weapon. In a battle of words and bullets the words will always win especially when the gun is plastic. I am happy to report that there is nothing faux about the laughs coming from the little theatre on Seventh Street.