The Pillowman

Anyone who lives in New York should make his best effort to see this play before its short run ends on September 18. I actually saw the play about two weeks ago, but the rest of my family is going today. It is a brilliantly written story by playwright Martin McDonagh and it features excellent performances all around, especially from Jeff Goldblum and Billy Crudup. Crudup plays a writer named Katurian Katurian Katurian, who writes disturbing children's stories, a number of which are acted out on stage. He is accused of committing two brutal murders of young children and the action of the play takes place in the interrogation rooms of a totalitarian state police office. For more detailed reviews, check out any of these.

The biggest reason I liked this play so much and why I am recommending it is because of its originality and inventiveness. You will not see anything else like it on Broadway or at the movies. While Hollywood keeps churning out movie remakes of bad '70s TV shows and Broadway largely focuses on over-the-top musicals (although another great play you can still see is Glengarry Glen Ross), it is nice to see that something on a smaller scale is out there, something that really makes you think. Most of all, The Pillowman shows the audience the power of a good story, and the importance of storytelling in the world at large. The play has even inspired a forthcoming story to be posted on the blog.