Comedic Catechism for the Theatre Masses: Mad Cat Theatre Company and Shepherd’s Pie
By Elizabeth Amore
1/22/10
Some theatrical works are inspired by love, and some by tragedy or sadness. But in the recent performance by Mad Cat Theatre Company, the inspiration came from a celebrated holiday – St. Patrick’s Day. Over a decade ago, the company’s Artistic director Paul Tei - who is part Irish - found he was unable to get into his favorite Irish pubs because they were full of bandwagon jumpers who just wanted to delve in debauchery.
Ten years later, the play that Tei and creative partner Ivonne Azurdia wrote as Shepherd’s Pie, came back, as a one-night only (Jan. 20) production at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach. It was prestigiously part of the South Beach Comedy Festival presented by Comedy Central.
The scripted version of Shepherd’s Pie audiences at the Colony Theatre viewed was quite modified from the first one (to also include jeering South Beach references). The new version went just over an hour long with no intermission. The evening also included a performance by an Irish duo before the show.
The cabaret-like play was presented by “The Velvet Shamrocks,” a fictional Irish acting troupe who put on a play that illustrates the true story of St. Patrick.
As the audience came to learn, it's not just about green beer and shamrocks. It is really about non-Irish Maewyn Succat (a.k.a. St. Patrick). He was born somewhere near the end of the fourth century and took on the name Patrick, after he became a priest. At the age of sixteen Succat was kidnapped from his native land of Britain by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace and redemption.
Mad Cat veteran Todd Allen Durkin portrayed the grotesquely enchanting narrator, while Azurdia stole the stage with her “Di O’ Bolical” character. Especially noteworthy was the set design (riddled with mock rainbows, sheep and shamrocks). Simple accents made the performance seem as it was being performed in your living room – much like many other Mad Cat productions. Props melted into the background and were only really “seen” when they became part of a character costume. Overall, it was a hilarious journey from the likes of Britannia to France to Ireland – all the while featuring pirates, sheep, angels, and pagans.
The cast for Shepherd’s Pie also included Mad Cat Theatre regulars Sofia Citarella, Erik Fabregat, Betsy Graver and guest performer Amy McKenna – with Tei as director.
This is a fresh twist for the South Beach Comedy Festival – now in its fifth year. The festival doesn’t usually have a theatre piece. However, the Miami Light Project (where many Mad Cat performances have been housed) has presented individual performers at the festival in the past.
This festival performance took place at the Colony Theatre, which has over 400 seats. Mad Cat had no problem filling the seats – even with those who saw the play first time around years back. It was as if the usual crowd at an Irish bar was all there in the audience – cheering and crooning. Towards the close of the play, the cast invited audiences to sing along to “The Wild Rover” - a popular folk song and a staple for artists performing live music in Irish pubs. And, if you purchased VIP tickets you got to really continue the merry disposition with a cast after-party at a local Irish bar.
The production was co-presented by Mad Cat with the South Beach Comedy Festival. All ticket proceeds benefited the Miami Light Project and Mad Cat Theatre Company.
Visit www.madcattheatre.org or call the box office at 305.576.6377 for more information on future productions.
Upcoming Mad Cat Theatre Company production:
'BroadSword' by Marco Ramirez at the Arsht Center from April 26th to May 9th.
