Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph This Play is Weeker.

Now I may be slightly biased here, but I truly and utterly love this play.

The Troubles in Northern Ireland have been a particular interest of mine for awhile now and watching such a complex psychological conflict come to life onstage was pretty incredible. What is even more rewarding is looking at the progression of the script. Granted, my interaction with the script of The Celtic Cross before its production was rather limited but there are quite a few things I have noticed between my initial reading of the script and watching the performance.

One important lesson I learned was that things that don't appear to work on the page aren't necessarily bad things. For example, initially I had a rather large problem with the idea of the non-entities being onstage, interacting with the main characters, and (most importantly) killing Thomas. However, up on the stage, it worked. I believed the existence of these other characters and the fact that only Thomas and Jacob are the ones onstage became extremely important. There was one part during the final stages of tech and dress when we were trying to figure out a scene change and Alyson and I were thinking that maybe we really did need a third person helping with the change but Matthew made an excellent point when he refused. This world is all about the two lads from different sides. If anyone else appeared it would defeat the entire conceit of the play. We must believe that these two are alone in a world outside of their control. Any other presence would dim that effect.

Something else that changed for me was the philosophical and religious discussions between Thomas and Jacob. While reading it I was worried that an audience would find the action slow and long winded and wouldn't buy it. I mean, the fact that a friendship between two lads from opposite sides of the wall were even able to last as long as 20 is a bit far fetched so I was worried that adding in university size discussions on religion and morality was going to push the envelope too far. However, those discussions ended up being some of the highlights of the play for me. Two friends, sitting down, having a conversation about the things we think all the time but don't necessarily say, can be powerful. Besides, how else can a bunch of Americans with limited to no knowledge of The Troubles understand the complexities of the situation? There are so many different facets to each side and sometimes debate is the only way to bring them out.

In class we talk a lot about the need to balance comedy and drama in order to keep a play interesting. I think Matthew has done a really wonderful job with this balance throughout the play. There are some moments that make me laugh out loud and moments that have me balling my eyes out. Every night a new spot had me welling up, but also had me doubling over with laughter (a dangerous thing when I need to hit the sound cue at the same time...). The potential danger in the comedy however, is that character cannot be sacrificed for humour. A lot of the jokes are made by Thomas but how far would Thomas be willing to go for a joke? How much of a prat is he willing to make of himself? Even if it is just Jacob watching? How far would Jacob go? These are questions that I was worried about in the beginning. What is both a good thing and a potentially problematic thing, is that Matthew has written a part he knew he was going to play. So how can a playwright reach a balance? He did a very good job, and wrote himself a part he would is not normally seen in, which is also a very good thing but potentially problematic as he is generally known as a comedic actor. The UPS audience is naturally going to expect the funny and instead they get the brooding, the angry, and the jeans.

What I love so much about this play is the emotional journey it forces an audience to go on. The characters are so real. They feel and act and think so naturally I have no trouble feeling as if I have known them my entire life. Their reality makes me invested in them so that by the end of the show I truly love and care about these characters. I learn to love Emily as a special light in Thomas's life, which made her death even more poignant to me. At that moment, seeing Emily's burned lifeless body in Thomas' mind, I can completely and utterly forgive him for what he is about to do. Well, ok, not kill Jacob, but for the anger that would drive him to kill someone with his bare hands. I almost want him to. But then the knowledge that only Jacob and Thomas are the characters in the show means that the figure Thomas will kill is his best friend. Will he notice in time? If he does, will he be able to stop himself? It's an adrenaline rush and utterly emotionally draining. To me that is good theatre. The kind that makes you so completely invested in the characters that you feel along with them.

Jacob and Thomas are very real to me and I think that is a testament to Matthew's excellent writing. They are lovable, intelligent, gorgeous people and good examples of well-defined and complex characters. This is an excellent show and Matthew should be very proud of his work for it is amazing.