The Night Alive is the third Conor McPherson play to be done at the Geffen --the others were The Weir and The Seafarer -- all of which were directed by Randall Arney. Obviously, the latter is a big fan of the Irish playwright’s and is in tune with his sensibilities.
Now in its West Coast premiere, The Night Alive is set in a squalid room in a working-class section of Dublin. Living in the midst of the chaos is Tommy (the estimable Paul Vincent O’Connor), who is estranged from his wife and children and scuffling to survive. His dim-witted and Norton-like sidekick Doc (Dan Donohue) sleeps on a cot here, having been booted out of his own house by his sister. Doc’s m.o. is petty thievery; he specializes in stealing vegetables from backyards.
The catalytic character here is Aimee (Fiona O’Shaughnessy), a waif-like hooker Tommy brings home after discovering her bloodied body in a dark alley. Unexpectedly, he finds himself attracted to Aimee and sets about trying to rehabilitate her. At first, she can barely respond to his ministrations, but over time, a tentative bond develops between them (even though she still charges him for sexual favors).
The other two characters in McPherson’s heavily domestic drama are Maurice (Denis Arndt), Tommy’s self-righteous uncle and landlord, and Kenneth (Peter O’Meara), an evil thug with a major grievance against Doc.
All this dreariness is lit up from time to time by flashes of humor and by the use of a Marvin Gaye song, “What’s Going On?” The scene in which Aimee, Tommy and Doc dance clumsily but zealously to it is the high point of the play; the song is also an obvious reflection of McPherson’s theme . . . which is basically five badly damaged souls floundering around in the darkness, trying to figure out what in hell life is all about. The Night Alive may not be a memorable play, but it is admirably acted and directed. And in a welcome break for American ears, the cast goes easy on the “Oirish” accents.
