By Will Cheney |Contributor
Written by Martin McDonagh and first produced in 2003, The Pillowman follows the story of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a totalitarian state. Katurian is brought in by law enforcement for interrogation about the content of his stories and the similarity they share with several child murders, which have taken place.The story brings about the idea of creativity being limited at the hands of the government and whether certain circumstances should limit the creativity of an individual. All of this is wrapped in a dark murder mystery, so dark the play has been labeled as for mature audiences.Director Doug Joiner, a professor in the Augusta University Department of Communication, puts the meaning of the story in the audience’s hands.
“The story in of itself has simple meanings depending on what you bring, so I can direct the story through my eyes and the eyes of the playwright and the actors, but as far as what the audience takes away from it, some will get it simply as a ‘whodunit,’” Joiner said. “Others will seek much deeper into the meaning of it, looking at artist responsibility with his or her work and its impact on society.”While Joiner remains a constant at Theatre AU, he stresses the importance of the cast in these productions.“Process is process. I have directed over 50 productions, so my process remains constant,” Joiner said. “The biggest thing is to find the right constellation of actors to fill the roles adequately. That’s the biggest challenge here. And the stars, for this particular play, formed that constellation which I could easily plug in to tell the story.”
The cast of The Pillowman consists of AU students with varying degrees of theatre experience. Benjamin Evans plays Katurian, the main protagonist. Austin Canterbury (Tupolski) and Michael Silvio Fortino (Ariel) play the role of the police officers interrogating Katurian while Rico Weiland plays the role of Michal (Katurian’s brother).The Pillowman marks the fifth Theatre AU performance for Evans, a senior Communication major. For he, the role of Katurian brings on a new experience.“I’m on the stage for the whole time with this character, and that’s a first for me,” Evans said. “What’s also difficult is he (Katurian) goes through a wide range of emotions that you don’t see often out of plays or films. That’s what has been so challenging for me. One moment I have to go to anger, then I have to start crying, then I have to go back to anger, then I have to become somber, quiet and reserved.”For Canterbury, also a senior communication major, this will be his theatrical debut.“Being in my first theatre production is a nerve-wracking experience. There is a lot of work that goes into these productions that you don’t really think about when you’re just watching them,” Canterbury said. “I’ve been a fan of theatre for a while. I’ve always wanted to try acting, but just never had the outlet. I just spend my trying to keep up with the other cast members, who are very experienced and very talented.”The Pillowman opens March 15 at The Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre on Augusta University’s Summerville Campus, followed by a reception. Performances will also take place on March 16 and 17, all three beginning at 7:30 p.m.General admission tickets for the play are $10. Tickets for AU alumni, seniors (age 60 and up), active military, students and AU and East Georgia faculty and staff are $7. AU and EGSC students will receive free admission with a valid JagCard. More information can be found at the Maxwell Theatre website.