The Go-Between

Translations

The year is 1833, and Owen has returned to Baile Beag, a fictional Irish-speaking village in County Donegal, Ireland. This tiny rural town was once his home. But the youngest son of Hugh, the master of the village’s secret hedge-school, Owen left home six years ago to make his fortune in the big city of Dublin. Because he can speak both Irish (Gaelic) and the King’s English, Owen’s been employed by the British as a translator. He’s working with them to Anglicize the village names and help map out Ireland for the Ordnance Survey. Owen serves as a go-between for the hard-boiled English cartographer, Captain Lancey, and his idealistic, younger orthographer, Lieutenant George Yolland, and all the Irish-speaking people of this rural community.

While Hugh is deemed head of the hedge-school, his physically handicapped, older son, Manus, does the majority of the work. Primarily because his father’s always drunk, Manus manages the laundry and makes the meals, but it’s obvious that he really enjoys being a teacher. The makeshift school instructs the interested younger citizens of Baile Beag in mythology, Greek and Latin. They’re also learning to speak English, and are continually asked to explain the origin of the words. 

The students in the school include soft-spoken young Sarah, whose speech impediment causes the villagers to think that she’s dimwitted. Sarah worships Manus, but he’s been keeping company with Maire, an attractive and feisty young student who dreams of emigrating to America. Two other students include the independent-minded Bridget, who’s partnered with the enthusiastic, but somewhat thick, Doalty. An older, unmarried man named Jimmy Jack, who’s a lifelong student, also attends class with the younger pupils. Fluent in Latin and Greek, book-smart Jimmy Jack is obsessed with Greek mythology, particularly with the goddess Athena, who he believes is real. 

The play’s conflict arises when the British arrive. Lancey and George neither speak nor understand the Irish language; but, partly because the romantic young officer’s fallen in love with Ireland, and possibly with Maire, only George is interested in learning Gaelic. Hugh and his sons are the only bilingual characters in this play, but Manus refuses to speak English with the two British officers. He’s resentful of their intrusion and  mission to convert the Irish into an English-speaking people. Sensing Maire’s attraction to George, Manus is also jealous.

Although Brian Friel claims that his 1980 play is “about language, and only about language,” several other themes and issues are also explored. He not only focuses on the death of the Irish language by the English outsiders, he touches on language as  communication and dabbles in a bit of Irish history and cultural imperialism. And interestingly, the playwright doesn’t want to shut out his audience, so when his Irish characters speak in their native Gaelic the actors are still speaking in English. The only difference is a slightly different tone and volume used. In fact, some of the play’s humor comes when Owen judiciously translates what one character is saying, editing out the barbs and slang. Of course, the theatergoer is privy to all of the dialogue, both the original and Owen’s altered version.

The prolific Brian Friel was considered one of the greatest playwrights of his day. Dubbed the Irish Chekhov, Friel was praised as “the universally accented voice of Ireland.” Of his 30 plays written across six decades, Brian Friel is especially known for his plays, PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME, FAITH HEALER, MOLLY SWEENEY, his Tony Award-winning DANCING IN LUGHNASA and, of course, TRANSLATIONS. First presented in Northern Ireland in 1980, the original production of this play starred Stephen Rea as Owen and introduced a young Liam Neeson in the role of Doalty. The following year the play crossed the pond and, after a production at the Cleveland Playhouse, opened at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York.

Beautifully cast and sensitively Directed by Artistic Director Braden Abraham, the Writers Theatre cast is terrific. It features an impressive Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce complemented by some exquisite Lighting Designed by Maximo Grano De Oro. Magnificent, both as Stanley in Paramount’s A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and as Ken Ludwig’s real life grandfather in Northlight’s DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE, the gifted Casey Hoekstra once again taps into his talent as the 

go-between translator, Owen. He’s the connection between all of the other characters in this play and, as such, Mr. Hoekstra shows real strength and command. As his older brother Manus, the multitalented Andrew Mueller returns to Writers Theatre after appearing as Dolokhov in last year’s NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. The young man’s inner turmoil and conflicts are subtle but telling. He wants to stand up to his father, Hugh (beautifully played by veteran actor Kevin Gudahl) and branch out on his own as a teacher, but his devotion to the modest hedge-school, his community and his family painfully keeps him stuck in Baile Beag, at least for the time being.

The always wonderful and impressive Erik Hellman, seen recently as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 at the Marriott and as both John Brooke and Friedrich Bhaer in Northlight’s LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S LITTLE WOMEN, is sensational as the English idealist, George Yolland. He expertly brings a touch of comedy to this play, and his romantic scene on the moors that opens Act II is both humorous and heartfelt. Playing opposite Mr. Hellman is the uber talented Tyler Meredith, who shared the Northlight stage with Mr. Hellman by playing both Louisa May Alcott and Jo March. Once again she’s simply sensational here as Maire, a sassy young woman torn between her longtime devotion to Manus and her attraction to the handsome British Lieutenant. She’s also conflicted in whether to leave her native Ireland to begin a new life in America, or to remain in economically depressed County Donegal, where everything’s changing and the tragic Potato Famine looms on the horizon.

The cast is rounded out by sweet Julia Rowley as a warm and wistful Sarah (adored as Nina in Citadel Theatre’s AIRNESS, and in the Gift Theatre Company’s THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE). Chloe Baldwin (remembered for POTUS as Steppenwolf and THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI at the Goodman Theatre) is stalwart and full of spunk as Bridget; Ian Maryfield (the powerfully frightening and abusive Jake in A LIE OF THE MIND at Raven) is flighty and funny as Doalty; Gregory Linington is dogmatic and the antagonist here as Captain Lancey; and favorite Chicago Jonathan Weir (INTO THE WOODS at Writers, CANDIDE at the Goodman, KING CHARLES III at Chicago Shakespeare) is simply delightful as the lovable learner, Jimmy Jack.

It’s been a minute since any of Brian Friel’s wonderful works have been seen in Chicago.This particular play seems especially ripe for today’s theatergoer. Ireland in the mid-19th century was coping with economic problems while helplessly watching as the British asserted their rule and their ways. America seems to be in a similar awkward position of having to cope with economic problems while a new, autocratic government is also trying to change the status quo to please the party in power. It’s interesting how, while watching a story set in another time and another place, actually almost 200 years ago, we find ourselves drawing such close parallels to our own world today. But that’s what makes a play like this, a celebration of the power of language, so special. This story of a go-between, caught between two ideologies or two TRANSLATIONS, so completely fascinating and realistic.             

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented April 3-May 4 by Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, Illinois.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 847-242-6000 or by going to www.writerstheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.