Despite its gentle name, “The Pillowman” is as dark and twisted as they come. The play, running at Studio Theatre March 14 through April 22, is part grisly campfire story, part cautionary tale. Set in an unnamed totalitarian state, police arrest and question writer Katurian Katurian (his parents were funny people) about the contents of his stories, which parallel a series of gruesome child murders in the area. “The Pillowman” shows just how powerful simple stories can be.
Martin McDonagh’s script contains enough murder and Tarantino-esque perversity to appease even the most jaded horror fan. Most of this stems from Katurian’s fiction, which revels in child mutilation. A little boy gets his toes chopped off, a little girl swallows razorblades concealed in apples; the majority of the play seems like a fairytale gone horribly wrong. That being said, these stories are presented quite eloquently. Throughout the play, Katurian acts as narrator while his stories are pantomimed on stage. One cannot help watching in morbid fascination; seeing these dark fables acted out gives them an extra, wicked punch.
Once the shock wears off, the play’s black humor becomes quite apparent. However, the play’s violence does take a toll on its comedy; a lot of the jokes lose their impact simply because they are juxtaposed with such frightening or disturbing scenes. Many of the jokes are courtesy of Katurian’s interrogators, Detective Tupolski and Ariel, whose dark one-liners make it seem as though they were questioning the hapless writer just for fun. For instance, after Ariel stabs Katurian with a pen, Tupolski remarks, “Oh, I forgot. He’s the bad cop, I’m the good cop.” Indeed, Tupolski is the most interesting character in the show. Played brilliantly by Denis Arndt, the detective’s constantly changing attitudes towards other characters help to define them with more depth. We are never sure whether Tupolski despises or admires Katurian; he admonishes the writer for his ghastly stories, but then confides in him with a story of his own. This prevents Katurian from being labeled as either a villain or a martyr; the audience is free to decide that for themselves.
“The Pillowman”‘s ultimate goal is to express the influence of stories on reality. However, it is quite refreshing in its somewhat critical view of writers. Katurian is not necessarily a criminal, yet he is expected to take responsibility for his stories. He can still insist that “the first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story,” yet he is forced to see that it is not his only duty. “The Pillowman” is not for the faint of heart; Katurian takes quite a bloody route towards his realization that, to borrow a phrase, life does sometimes imitate art. Yet there is something said for this kind of disturbing subject matter; this play resonates with the audience long after it has ended. Make a point to see “The Pillowman,” but make sure to leave the kids at home.
The Pillowman is running through April 22 at the Studio Theatre. Call (202) 332-3300 for tickets, or visit their website at www.studiotheatre.org.
