The Pillowman' highlights importance of art

    In these dark economic times, constrained budgets may lead one to consider what services and expenses really matter. Art and entertainment tend to take the backseat to necessities like rent and food. Martin McDonagh's dark comedy, "The Pillowman," seeks to prove that art is more important than people might think.
    "The Pillowman," Tufts' department of drama and dance's spring production, is a black comedy centered on a young writer, Katurian (played by senior Benjamin Samuels), whose gruesome short stories about child killings have been mysteriously acted out in several instances near his home. He is subsequently called in by the police for interrogation. The action played out onstage is a crisp, violent and sometimes disturbing mystery, punctuated by fantasy sequences of the writer's stories themselves.
    "The way I have been explaining the show," said director Luke Jorgensen, director of Tufts' drama and dance department, "is that it's like the best episode of ‘[Law and Order:] Special Victims Unit' you have ever seen, with dream sequences."
    The set, designed by junior Alexandra Cheser, is comprised of a raised, bare, square platform, supported by stacks of papers. All of the police interrogation, or "real life" sequences, take place on this platform, while Katurian's fantasies inhabit the paper-covered lower ground. When set pieces are called on in the fantasy world, they emerge from the paper strewn ground, like a pop-up children's book. The juvenile aesthetic of the set against the gruesome content of the stories is chilling.
    Though "The Pillowman" can be directed as an extremely gory show — six gallons of fake blood were spilled every night of its Broadway run — this production has taken the emphasis off the carnage and placed it instead on the suspense.
    "For me, if it was all about the blood, the message would be lost," Jorgensen said. "I don't think horror is possible any more on stage because of movies, but in a way, I think suspense is better in theater. Especially in an intimate space like this, you can really creep somebody out."
    The violence of the interrogation sequences is kept realistic and minimalist, serving as a contrast to the representative violence of the fantasy sequences.
    "In a way, when you leave a lot to the audience's imagination, it's more violent," Jorgensen said.
    This dark show is not all about the brutality and suspense, though. Throughout all of the happenings on stage, the audience is always aware of Katurian's intense struggle to leave behind a legacy in the form of his stories.
    "I'd like the audience to examine to what degree our own lives are these very carefully crafted narratives," Jorgensen said. "How much of us is our own creation, and how do difficult situations in our lives cause us to hone and re-create that narrative, and how much of a crutch is that for us? The main character lets himself be defined as a ‘writer,' and so the importance of his legacy is his writing." The profound effect one man's stories have had not only on the characters on stage, but also many people only alluded to in dialogue also pervade the entire story.
    "Art has a lot of power," said sophomore Kyle Sircus, who plays Katurian's mentally retarded brother, Michal, who is also detained by the police. "It has different effects on different kinds of people. Michal is very affected by his brother's art, and that definitely plays out in the show."
    The play examines themes of human interaction and involvement in one another's lives. The audience is taken on a roller coaster ride through moments of alternate compassion and cruelty by every character on stage. The officer interrogating Katurian assures him that they would never harm his brother, saying, "Do you think we're animals? No. We deal sometimes with animals, but we're not animals. I give you my word." Unfortunately, after hearing screams from a neighboring room, Katurian confronts the officer about his compassionate promise and is only given the response: "What are you doing taking my word on anything?"
    "The Pillowman" is a production that leaves a strong impression on audiences thoughit raises more questions about legacy and human power than it answers. One thing is certain, though: The audience will not leave the theater muttering about the frivolousness of art.
    "The Pillowman" opens tonight and runs through Saturday at the Balch Arena Theater. Tickets are $7, with a special $1 ticket night on Thursday. All performances are at 8 p.m.