The Big Sleep

The Pillowman is a creepy name for a play. It makes me think of the super-creepy chief antagonist in those Saw movies. Or maybe the Pillowman is like the Spoon Man in that Soundgarden song—some scary street performer who does weird things with pillows. Actually, though, this play is more...

By Jennifer Elaine-Davis

August 9, 2007

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The Pillowman is a creepy name for a play. It makes me think of the super-creepy chief antagonist in those Saw movies. Or maybe the Pillowman is like the Spoon Man in that Soundgarden song—some scary street performer who does weird things with pillows. Actually, though, this play is more black comedy than anything, although it does contain elements of the macabre. The premise is that a writer, who specializes in horror, is brought in for questioning after a series of murders that too closely resemble his books. Martin McDonagh's Tony-nominated play subjects this writer to the whims of a good cop/bad cop duo who are convinced that the modus operandi of the murderer is no coincidence, and will go to any length to force a confession out of him. The result is a sharp and shocking piece that will leave audiences contemplating the outcome for days. The Pillowman, a production of the Stage West theatre company, will run at the Theatre Northwest on the campus of Tarrant County College Northwest, 4801 Marine Creek Parkway. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays through August 25. Visit stagewest.org for ticket prices and more information.
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3 & 8 p.m. Starts: Aug. 9. Continues through Aug. 25

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