Film Review: 'Juno and the Paycock'
Tale of 'Paycock' Doesn't Always Shine / But Crowley version of classic boasts some fine-feathered performances
By Frank Scheck
Sean O'Casey's 1924 classic about a poor Irish family caught up in the "troubles" is a notoriously difficult theatrical work to pull off, and the Roundabout's estimable but flawed revival exemplifies the hurdles. It is running indefinitely at the Gramercy Theatre in New York.
Some productions of "Juno and the Paycock" emphasize the comic aspects in the story of a family experiencing a financial windfall that is suddenly taken away from them, while others focus on the drama's political and tragic elements. Director John Crowley's rendition concentrates more on the latter, with mixed results.
Although powerfully moving at times, the production has a dissociated, removed quality that prevents it from coming fully to life. Still, the quality of the piece shines through, and several excellent performances more than make up for any deficiencies.
Set in 1922, the play deals with the travails of the Boyle family, headed by the dissolute Capt. Jack Boyle (Jim Norton), who is more interested in pursuing opportunities for drunkenness than employment. He is accompanied in these pursuits by his best friend, the equally shiftless Joxer (Thomas Jay Ryan).
The real head of the family is the matriarch, Juno (Dearbhla Molloy), who tries to keep the household running despite the lack of income. She must contend with her son, Johnny (Jason Butler Harner), who lost an arm during the civil war and who recently was shot in the hip during a riot, and her unmarried union-organizing daughter, Mary (Gretchen Cleevely), who, it turns out, is pregnant.
The Boyles' lot promises to improve with the news of a large financial inheritance, but, as with the general political situation in Ireland, their good fortune is short-lived. By the play's end, tragedy has revisited their lives. The turmoil is summed up by a famous line delivered by the captain: "The whole world's in a terrible state o' chassis."
Crowley's production begins by projecting archival film footage illustrating the turmoil of 20th-century Irish history, and it emphasizes the bleakness of the work, which is indeed considerable. But the director is less successful in capturing the comic richness that is also a large part of it. This is particularly evident in the scenes between Jack and Joxer, which never really come to life.
On the other hand, Molloy, as the aggrieved but strong-willed Juno -- she played the role in an acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production last year, also directed by Crowley -- is wonderfully moving, conveying with fierce intensity her character's indomitable spirit and love for her family.
Norton, an Irish actor seen on Broadway last season in "The Weir", is nearly as fine. But in general, the American cast members, including Ryan, are less effective.
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
Presented by the Roundabout Theatre Co.
Credits: Playwright: Sean O'Casey; Director: John Crowley; Set and costume designer: Rae Smith; Lighting designer: Brian MacDevitt; Original music and sound designer: Donald DiNicola. Cast: Juno Boyle: Dearbhla Molloy; Capt. Jack Boyle: Jim Norton; Joxer Daly: Thomas Jay Ryan; Jerry Devine: Norbert Leo Butz; Mary Boyle: Gretchen Cleevely; Charles Bentham: Liam Craig.
By Frank Scheck
Sean O'Casey's 1924 classic about a poor Irish family caught up in the "troubles" is a notoriously difficult theatrical work to pull off, and the Roundabout's estimable but flawed revival exemplifies the hurdles. It is running indefinitely at the Gramercy Theatre in New York.
Some productions of "Juno and the Paycock" emphasize the comic aspects in the story of a family experiencing a financial windfall that is suddenly taken away from them, while others focus on the drama's political and tragic elements. Director John Crowley's rendition concentrates more on the latter, with mixed results.
Although powerfully moving at times, the production has a dissociated, removed quality that prevents it from coming fully to life. Still, the quality of the piece shines through, and several excellent performances more than make up for any deficiencies.
Set in 1922, the play deals with the travails of the Boyle family, headed by the dissolute Capt. Jack Boyle (Jim Norton), who is more interested in pursuing opportunities for drunkenness than employment. He is accompanied in these pursuits by his best friend, the equally shiftless Joxer (Thomas Jay Ryan).
The real head of the family is the matriarch, Juno (Dearbhla Molloy), who tries to keep the household running despite the lack of income. She must contend with her son, Johnny (Jason Butler Harner), who lost an arm during the civil war and who recently was shot in the hip during a riot, and her unmarried union-organizing daughter, Mary (Gretchen Cleevely), who, it turns out, is pregnant.
The Boyles' lot promises to improve with the news of a large financial inheritance, but, as with the general political situation in Ireland, their good fortune is short-lived. By the play's end, tragedy has revisited their lives. The turmoil is summed up by a famous line delivered by the captain: "The whole world's in a terrible state o' chassis."
Crowley's production begins by projecting archival film footage illustrating the turmoil of 20th-century Irish history, and it emphasizes the bleakness of the work, which is indeed considerable. But the director is less successful in capturing the comic richness that is also a large part of it. This is particularly evident in the scenes between Jack and Joxer, which never really come to life.
On the other hand, Molloy, as the aggrieved but strong-willed Juno -- she played the role in an acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production last year, also directed by Crowley -- is wonderfully moving, conveying with fierce intensity her character's indomitable spirit and love for her family.
Norton, an Irish actor seen on Broadway last season in "The Weir", is nearly as fine. But in general, the American cast members, including Ryan, are less effective.
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
Presented by the Roundabout Theatre Co.
Credits: Playwright: Sean O'Casey; Director: John Crowley; Set and costume designer: Rae Smith; Lighting designer: Brian MacDevitt; Original music and sound designer: Donald DiNicola. Cast: Juno Boyle: Dearbhla Molloy; Capt. Jack Boyle: Jim Norton; Joxer Daly: Thomas Jay Ryan; Jerry Devine: Norbert Leo Butz; Mary Boyle: Gretchen Cleevely; Charles Bentham: Liam Craig.
- 10/24/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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