ART’s ‘Plough’ Lands Among the Stars

Over 90 years after its original performance in 1926, “The Plough and The Stars” still resonated in its production at the American Repertory Theater. Directed by Sean Holmes, it ran from Sept. 24 to Oct. 9. Sean O’Casey’s play brings together former soldiers, mothers, communists, rebels, prostitutes and more to illustrate the impact on working-class Irish people of the years leading up to Easter Rising. Primarily, “The Plough and The Stars” focuses on the controversial politics of pre-war Ireland, but the show is more than that. As a story of love and loss, desperation, mental illness, and pride, Holmes’s modern rendition of “The Plough and the Stars” has continued relevance today. Despite the actors’ inability to fully bring the characters to life, the visually striking set and special effects made “The Plough and he Stars” a worthwhile show.

Holmes nearly demolished the fourth wall: Characters often spoke directly to the audience, developing an intense intimacy. A downside to the characters in “The Plough and the Stars” is that many of them come off as stock characters, such as the nosy neighbor, the self-righteous prostitute, and the town drunk with a dark past, and many of the actors did little to portray convincing characters with whom the audience can sympathize, with the notable exception of witty and loveable Covey (Ciarán O’Brien). Additionally, during the first two acts, the eclectic cast tended to feel overwhelming, with the frequent skirmishes between characters bordering between annoying and comical.

That being said, a time leap from the year before the rebellion to the week of the rebellion created a stark contrast that allowed great character growth and transformation. For example, Nora Clitheroe’s (Kate Staley Brennan) miscarriage marks a major turning point in the plot; Brennan executed her role brilliantly from this point onward, almost unrecognizably transforming her character. Similarly, the incident prompted Hilda Fay to convincingly reinvent her character, Bessie Burgess, from a raging alcoholic to a maternal figure.

What the show lacked in characterization, it made up for in special effects.Throughout Act II, the bartender (Ger Kelley) turns on the television to update the characters on the status of the rebellion. Rather than the television being a set piece, the lights and the characters’ gaze shifted to the audience, a dramatic image that amplifies the tension about the revolution. The transition between Act II and III was even more awe-inspiring, as the set literally collapsed on itself to form a new set. The towering metallic structure that represented the tenement building fell down on its side to become a two level structure where the characters hid while violence and chaos ensued outside.

A massive, multi-purpose metal structure dominated the stage, spanning from floor to ceiling. This piece was used in a number of ways and provided more space for characters to act—or merely to sit in to maintain their presence. For example, Mollser (Rachel Gleeson), who begins the play with a beautiful Irish ballad that ends in a bloody cough indicative of tuberculosis, ascended to the top of the structure at the beginning of Act I and stayed there for nearly its entirety. In doing so, she symbolized a threat looming over the other characters for the duration of the first act, which made Fluther Good’s (David Ganly) coughing especially unnerving. The remainder of the set that lay in the shadow of the structure became increasingly cluttered throughout the first two acts, which augmented the sense of anarchy.

Lighting and sound designers Paul Keogan and Phillip Stewart respectively should receive great praise for their work on “The Plough and the Stars.” In Act III, gunshots echoed throughout the theater, contributing to an immersive, tense atmosphere. Between acts, blaring rock music accompanied by flashing lights and Mollser’s dancing built stress and excitement.

“The Plough and the Stars” is very much an action-driven plot, but the play also includes political and philosophical debates, often sparked by Covey (Cirián O’Brien), reflecting on timeless controversies such as knowledge versus faith. Musical interludes such as the love song Jack (Ian Lloyd Anderson) sang to his wife, Nora, contributed to plot and characterization while simultaneously providing a break from the intense action.

Although a true sense of sincerity among the actors did not emerge until later in the play, Holmes, Keogan, Stewart, and set designer Jon Bausor created a powerful experience that revived and reinvented “The Plough and the Stars” as a relevant show. The ART’s production explored how individuals band together in times of unrest regardless of differences or conflicts of interest, making for an emotionally striking adventure.