The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Northlight Theatre Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans prepare for the Chicago Premiere of The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh, directed by BJ Jones.  The production will run April 29-June 7, 2009 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

"Wee Thomas" the cat has been killed.  What's worse, he was the beloved pet of Padraic, a ruthless Irish hitman who considers the IRA "too soft."  As the folks back home fight over who has to break the bad news, the violence escalates- recalling Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino at their bloody best.  A few murders, several dismemberments and a smattering of cow mutilations later, all is finally right with the world again.  Or is it? 

In this wickedly funny black comedy from the author of The Cripple of Inishmaan, A Skull in Connemara and the recent Oscar-nominated film In Bruges, McDonagh considers the implications of outrageous reactions to small misunderstandings.

“All of McDonagh's work sets up an initial conceit of character and plot, which are brilliantly conceived, and craftily constructed. But behind the fireworks of his craftsmanship, his thematic agenda emerges with canny wit and brutal force. In the case of Inishmore, he is examining the folly of violence, of resentment, of holding on to principal until all meaning and purpose are stripped from it,” says BJ Jones.  "This production might be a rough go for those in the audience who like their theatre like a weak tea. But for those who like theirs with a shot of Jameson in it, Northlight is the right place."

Tickets for The Lieutenant of Inishmore, $25- $55, are available by phone, 847-673-6300, or online at www.northlight.org. Student tickets (one per student with valid ID) are $10. The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.