Last weekend UW-Milwaukee’s Theatre Department brought warm intensity to its Mainstage Theatre as it presented a one-weekend production of Marina Carr’s By the Bog of Cats. A contemporary Irish tale loosely based on the ancient Greek legend of Medea, By the Bog of Cats mixes heated, passionate interpersonal conflict with icy, emotional desolation.
The action took place on a beautifully appropriate set by Sandra J. Strawn. Long, gauzy white sheets that coated the stage were occasionally pulled back by unseen hands to reveal bits of the set.
Ashley Sevedge brought charismatic earthiness as Hester, a woman who refuses to let go of the Irish bog that has always been her home. Her lover, Carthage (an emotionally sturdy Derek Burton Morris), is getting married. Carthage’s marriage threatens to pull Hester away from her daughter Josie.
It’s a difficult challenge for any actor to juggle dramatic intensity with hints of insightful humor while maintaining a decent Irish accent, but talented child actress Megan Watson made it look easy as Josie.
Sevedge’s genuine rapport with Watson had a very organic, mother-daughter feel. The rest of the ensemble did a respectable job of bringing the unique dynamics of a small Irish community to the stage. Their idiosyncrasies provided the emotional heat that animates the center of this icy, forlorn story with a tragic ending.
UWM’s Theatre Department follows up By the Bog of Cats with a Nov. 5-14 run of Short Cuts, a program of comic shorts by David Ives at Kenilworth Studio 508.
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