Martin McDonagh's THE PILLOWMAN to be Presented at The Heights Players
- Travis Martin
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
The production opens on October 10th.
The Heights Players will continue its 70th season with Martin McDonagh's gripping and provocative masterwork "The Pillowman," opening October 10th. This haunting production promises to mesmerize audiences with its dark wit, moral complexity, and unflinching examination of storytelling, censorship, and the power of art.
"The Pillowman" centers on Katurian, a writer living in a totalitarian state who is interrogated by two detectives about the disturbing content of his short stories-stories that bear a striking resemblance to a series of gruesome child murders. As the interrogation intensifies and involves Katurian's brother Michal, the lines between fiction and reality blur in this chilling exploration of artistic freedom, family bonds, and the consequences of creativity. McDonagh's razor-sharp dialogue and ingenious storytelling create a theatrical experience that is both deeply unsettling and darkly comic, raising profound questions about the responsibility of the artist and the nature of storytelling itself.
Director Michelle Maccarone leads a talented ensemble in this intense production, challenging both performers and audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about art, morality, and human nature. The Heights Players' intimate space creates the claustrophobic tension essential to this story, drawing audiences into the psychological pressure cooker of the interrogation room while allowing them to experience the haunting beauty and horror of Katurian's tales.
The Pillowman stars Elizabeth Chappel as Katurian, Mark Allen Berube as Tupolski, Harry Cooke as Ariel, Tim Eterno as Michal, Benjamin Corey as Father, Rachel Robins as Mother, and Naomi Langford as Puppeteer. Understudies include Egor Pluzhnikov as Katurian (performing October 18 at 8pm), Sarah Feldman as Tupolski (performing October 18 at 2pm), Matthias Cassar as Ariel (performing October 18 at 8pm), and Travis John Martin as Michal (performing October 18 at 2pm).
Directed by Michelle Maccarone, The Pillowman features a distinguished creative team including stage manager Tabatha Ford, co-assistant directors Katie Crawford and Matt Turkle, props/puppets designer Dina Grilli, costumes/puppet designer LaRena Iocco, lighting designer Jeremy Beck, sound designer Pat Reilly, set designer Gary VanderPutten, fight director Luke Pearlberg, associate fight director MaryBeth Rodgers, dramaturg Jessica Cauttero, and sign language advisors Amanda Briskin-Wallace and Mark Weissglass.
The Pillowman will run for eight performances from October 10th through October 19th at The Heights Players.