The Cripple of Inishmaan

March 02, 2018

Written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Professor Dale Daigle

     The Cripple of Inishmaan, a play written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Professor Dale Daigle, took place in Tawes Theatre. The play follows the story of orphaned “Cripple Billy” Claven, a boy growing up in the small community of Inishmaan on the Irish Aran Islands. Billy dreams of escaping the gossip and prejudice of his town by auditioning for a role in the documentary Man of Aran. Here, the play intersects with reality. Man of Aranis a real documentary from 1934, directed by Robert Flaherty and focused on early modern life on the small Irish Islands. Flaherty, however, was criticized for his fabrication of the lifestyle of the islanders, as the primitive techniques he highlights were abandoned before the 1930’s.

     Colin Higgins ’19, played town gossip Johnnypateenmike. Higgins felt good about the performances, and enjoyed working on the production. His favorite part of the process was joking around with his castmates, specifically recounting “when [the crew was] fixing up Simon’s (Babbybobby) curragh … So I run into where [he] was and … beckon him to follow … I pointed to the boat and … shouted [a line] in accent, ‘Are they getting your curragh ready, Babbybobby?’ [H]e would shake his head and walk away … It was hilarious!”

     Higgins was also a part of a professionally-choreographed fight scene, which was enjoyable but required more rehearsal. He said, “I got pretty bruised up on the first day [because] my body was not used to Simon sitting on my back. I … was given a pair of knee pads so I could land on my knees easier. [W]e ran fight call [everyday] just to make sure that we didn’t get hurt … during the show.”

     Victoria Gill ’21, worked on the production as the second Assistant Stage Manager.The Cripple of Inishmaan was her first time working on stage management. She said, “It was a little bit stressful, because it’s a professor’s show … there’s a bigger budget… than SCE’s, [and there are] guest designers coming in, professionals in their field. …. These [productions] are the professors showcasing that ‘Yes, I am able to teach these students because I know what I’m doing.’ [They] specifically put you in a more professional setting.”

    Gill’s favorite part of working on the show was her interactions with the cast backstage. “I was set out in the voms … random things that would happen each night, like, people would come in and talk to me or just be weird …. It was just the small things that made it really enjoyable.” Out of all of her various roles in previous shows, Gill said, “Stage management has a lot more [of a] connection with the actors, because they see them backstage and getting ready for the show … it’s really cool experiencing that connection with the cast, but not as you would if you were an actor.”

Cast List

Billy Claven – Chris Hanna ’20

Kate Osbourne – Kelly Young ’20

Eileen Osbourne – Rosie Alger ’18

Johnnypateenmike – Colin Higgins ’19

Helen McCormick – Maggie Giblin ’21

Bartley McCormick – Patrick Salerno ’21

Babbybobby Bennett – Simon Belcher ’18

Doctor McSharry – Spencer Russel ’19

Mammy O’Dougal – Giselle Brown ’20

Creative Team

Director – Professor Dale Daigle

Assistant Director – Adam Ashcraft ’20

Dramaturgs – Professor Michele Volanksy ’90, Shannon Lawn ’18  

Costume Designer – Lilly King ’18

Scenic Designer – Dante Olivia Smith

Assistant Scenic Designer – John Leslie ’19

Lighting Designer – Katie Peacock ’19

Sound Designer – Sarah Graff ’17

Props Coordinator – Conor Maloney ’19

Fight Choreographer – Cliff Williams III

Dialect Coach – Professor Emeritus Sean O’Connor

Managers and Crew

Stage Manager – Jackie Dulaff ’21

Assistant Stage Managers – Amy Pfarr ’18, Victoria Gill ’21  

Light Board Operator – Shannon Lawn ’18

Sound Board Operator – Rachel Treglia ’19

Wardrobe Crew – Lexy Ricketts ’20

Production Staff

Technical Director – Larry Stahl ’81

Assistant Technical Director – Hannah D’Elia

Production Manager – Prof. Laura Eckelman

Scene Shop Assistants – John Leslie ’19, Anna Gjertsen ’18, Megan Iacona ’18

Costume Shop Manager – Lilly King ’18

Prop Shop Manager – Jackie Dulaff ’20

Lighting and Sound Shop Manager – Katie Peacock ’19  

Website and Social Media Manager – Mark Christie ’18

Graphic Designer – Dylan Grimes ’19

House Managers – Jackie Glenn ’19, Adam Ashcraft ’20