Philly Local: Inis Nua Theatre
When artistic director Tom Reing conceived Philly-based Inis Nua Theatre five years ago, Paul Meade’s play Skin Deep served as a basis for what he wanted the company to emulate: contemporary work from Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland that told a good story, asked probing questions and allowed for actors to command attention.
Since Reing first saw Skin Deep in Dublin in 2003, he’s wanted to bring it to Philadelphia. The desire was fulfilled Wednesday as Skin Deep opened before a sold-out show at the Adrienne Theatre on 20th and Sansom streets for its American debut.
“The show didn’t do Broadway and then regional theater like other Irish shows; so I decided to bypass all that and went down the route of self-producing,” he said. To Reing, Skin Deep is “really great. … [It’s] smaller, less technical to produce. After five years... this is great!”
Written by Irish playwright Paul Meade, Skin Deep depicts the entangling lives of four Dubliners who let their creative ambitions impair their ethical judgments in a thriller of a play. The quartet employed by Reign provides compelling and realistic characters, who have you rooting them on while simultaneously despising them.
Charlie DelMarcelle plays Karl, a starving artist so desperate for a bankable idea, he convinces a young medical student, Susan (Melissa Lynch), to steal a human foot from a research facility. Karl’s art begins to center around the foot: drawings of, reactions to and the foot itself. He shows it to his friend Dan (Jared Michael Delaney – also assistant artistic director), an aspiring photographer himself, and Dan’s new girlfriend, journalist Ruth (Corinna Burns) to capture natural reactions to the foot’s mortality and obscurity. But when his show featuring the foot becomes successful, people–-including Ruth--start asking questions about the foot, compromising Karl, Susan and Dan’s futures.
Although all actors excel, Burns stands out as Ruth. Coming off a stint as Antigone at the Fringe’s Oedipus at FDR (you know, the skate park), Burns really sells the Irish accent and serves as the reality check to the idealist Karl, the lustful Dan and the desperate Susan. Her character struggles to maintain a relationship with Dan and write an incredibly personal article, in addition to battling a brain tumor. That seems like a lot to handle, but Burns manages it all well and effectively creates a dynamic character. Her internal struggle of wanting to protect Dan verses exposing the truth is apparent.
Loosely based on English artist Damien Hurst, Karl goes beyond the ethical norm in art. Hurst’s work features animals–-tiger shark, cow, sheep-–preserved in formaldehyde. Karl takes that a step further with the foot. DelMarcelle displays a cold, indifferent opinion towards humanity and often manipulates the other characters.
For Reing, the ethical questions posed by Meade’s work drew his attention, among other aspects:
“Ethics are important. It’s all about choices and consequences. I find that interesting. I want to show characters that aren’t evil villains with dark mustaches or total good guys,” Reign says. “We’re all complex. [I want to do] plays that speak to me and ask, ‘what would I do?’”
A low-budget production, Reign’s version of Skin Deep nevertheless works well with the limited means it possesses. A fifth character nearly exists in the form of a video screen down stage right. Relevant backgrounds, character photographs and intense live video add another dimension to the production. Set designer Tim Gallagher used his space and tools appropriately. DelMarcelle’s monologues which pervade the show allow the audience a more intimate look at an actor then normally possible in a production. When his character Karl discusses mortality, fame and 'who owns the body', you are drawn to listen. Although some topics may seem redundantly repeated, each presentation remains fresh.
Reing enjoyed the video because it advances Meade’s theme of a society existing with a deluge of cameras. In addition, the idea that you don’t own your body pervades the work.
“Who owns your body? There’s cameras everywhere. The foot being on display. Susan’s image on the billboard. Ruth gets the bad part of her brain taking out, but she still looses something,” Reing says.
Elsewhere on the technical aspect, transitions between scenes (despite that actors had to do the legwork) were quick and nearly unnoticeable. Proper reflection could be given to the previous episodes because of the appropriate music, projected images and otherwise dark landscape. Also, a functional four-in-one set piece eased many transition burdens.
Skin Deep opens Inis Nua’s two-show season and runs Jan 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and is only $15 for students at the door ($20 for old fogies). Another Irish play, Mark O’Rowe’s Made in China is to follow in May. In between, Inis Nua runs a monthly reading series with respective selections from Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the coming months.
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