Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Mint uncovers Micheál mac Liammóir’s THE MOUNTAINS LOOK DIFFERENT

• By drediman
• July 10, 2019
• No Comments

Jesse Pennington and Brenda Meaney in Mint Theater Company’s production of Micheál mac Liammóir’s “The Mountains Look Different” at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row. Photo by Todd Cerveris.

Once again, Mint Theater Company lives up to its name by breathing life into Micheál mac Liammóir’s long lost 1948 Irish play The Mountains Look Different. The play – which is currently wrapping up performances at Off-Broadway’s Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row – tells the story of Bairbre, an Irish prostitute who returns to rural Ireland after years of “the life” in London to start her life anew. As the play unfolds, Bairbre finds it increasingly difficult to escape her tawdry past, no matter how far and hard she’s run.

Don’t let the clunky title and seemingly clichéd premise fool you, mac Liammóir’s work is alive with surprisingly evocative touches – from the lively but sensitively wrought characters to the play’s vibrant language. Even if the overall structure stays true to the conventions of tragic melodrama, there’s enough meat on its bones to warrant this fresh look at The Mountains Look Different. Indeed, what’s uncovered is a play that bears flattering resemblance to plays like Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie and this past season’s masterful Tony-winning opus, Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman.

Even if the two-dimensional physical production is misjudged and detracts somewhat from the play’s atmospheric naturalism, director Aidan Redmond has done a fine job of quickly finding the play’s pulse, particularly in the play’s pungent, unruly second act. As the former hooker with a heart of gold, Brenda Meaney is exceptional, finding just the right nuances in the character without resorting to heavy-handed histrionics. She leads an equally fine cast, who bring an air of authenticity to the reclaimed play.

RECOMMENDED

THE MOUNTAINS LOOK DIFFERENT
Off-Broadway, Play
Mint Theater Company / Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row
2 hours (with one intermission)
Through July 14